where to get float switches?

[Mihai]

Where can you get float switches?

You know, the type that would close a circuit as soon as the water in the sump goes below a certain threshold.

One of the site admins (Wade) got his from a branch of Grainger, but they only sell officially to companies (don't have one :-( ). I was wondering where did you get yours... (brand/price would be great).

Thanks,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

Grainger will sell to you. Make up the name of a company if you have too. I am sure I have purchased from them from my business as well as personally.

Google will produce many places to purchase float swithces. I found this on my first try. It might work, depending on exacltly what you had in mind.

What exactly are you doing with your float switches.

Louey

 

[Mihai]

To start with, I plan to do an auto top-off either with an air pump or with a small water pump (powerhead).

Second thing (later) is to build some safety measures into my system (e.g. water level too high -> the overflow must be clogged -> go and stop the main circulation pump -> also sound the alarm ) and alike.

M.

 

[Anonymous]

My auto top-off consists of a receptacle that is controlled by TWO float switches wired in series. The old saying says that is it not a matter of IF a float switch will stick, but WHEN. If your float switch sticks, your tank get freshwater added and your animal are stressed or killed, depending on your set up.

Lifereef sells a real nice float switch that contols a receptacle. This is where I got the idea on what I built for mine. Main difference between what I built and what they sell is that mine has two floats and my circuit has a transformer that steps the voltage down to 12 volts before it enters the float switch. Putting 120V's in the water just didn't seem like the best idea to me.

Louey

 

[Mihai]

That's a GOOD idea. However I'm a bit unclear on the details of the 12V. Do you have a schematic/link? Do you go to a relay after the switches?

Thanks,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

I have a buddy that did the electronics for me. He used a triac to do the switching. Triacs are electronic and can be bought at radio shack. The triac was used with an optisolator and and small stepdown transformer and a few resistors. It takes a pretty good geek to figure out how to make one work. A relay would be simpler, but they do make noise. Mine is silent. I started out thinking I might eventually make float switches with these switched outlets for sale, but we would have had to ask more money for them than we thought most hobbiest would be willing to spend. We scraped that plan.

I could ask my buddy to make an outlet for you but he would likely want $150 to do it and the lead time would probably be a month or more because he recently moved and his stuff is still in transit.

Louey

 

[ufans]

This looks like the best solution....

http://www.reeffanatic.com/cgi-bin/mas/ ... type=store