Do-it-yourself drainage pump repair, alas, is not always possible. Certain malfunctions can only be eliminated by specialists in a specialized workshop. Some breakdowns cannot be fixed at all - even replacing a part will not save, you will have to buy new equipment. The list of self-rectifiable faults is short, but still worthy of consideration.
The holes are at different levels. It depends on the type of pump: submersible, surface. Submersibles take water from the bottom, not from the side.
Unplanned repairs with your own hands or in a workshop will not be needed if you follow the simple rules for operating the equipment, detailed in this video clip of the manufacturer. It also tells about the principle of operation of the devices.
The main malfunctions are listed. Diagnostics will be required to identify individual breakdowns.
Important! Before sounding the alarm, first check the network - maybe there is a problem with the electricity, not with the pump.
Of all the listed malfunctions of drainage pumps, only a few can be eliminated with your own hands. Really release the float (instructions are unlikely to be needed here), remove the mechanical inclusions that have jammed the impeller (you cannot pull the impeller, as in the video below), fix the shock absorber, repair the cable. To fix the shock absorber, you need to disassemble the body and simply tighten the nuts on the mounting bolts, locking the top one. This is the simplest of all. Repairing the cable will take time, but it can be done. It is easy to replace the capacitor in some models.
Everything else cannot be done without masters, and it is generally so difficult to fix a broken stock that it is much more expedient to purchase new equipment. It will not be possible to replace the valve on your own (difficult, unprofitable) and repair the winding - you will need specialized tools. However, this does not apply to cheap Chinese pumps: either take new ones or repair them yourself, since highly qualified repairs will cost more.
A citizen tells us how to fix the device, and what mistakes he made in doing so - he damaged the anchor, broke the impeller (oh, and the Chinese impellers are strong). A person works cheerfully, together with a TV set, that's why it is problematic to hear a lot, but everything is perfectly visible. He broke with his own hands only at the beginning, and then he repaired.
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If the power cord is out of order, the pump will not turn on (obviously), but sometimes it is impossible to detect the malfunction visually, that is, the wires have broken inside the insulating cable.
Before trying to repair a cable, you need to understand where it is broken. The two most probable are the place of connection to the pump, the section at the plug - that is, the most frequently bent sections. Here you will need a medical method - palpation. That is, you will have to squeeze the cable with your fingers so that the torn wires are connected (they still cannot go anywhere from the submarine) - in this way you will find the breakage point (if you do not forget to turn on the equipment).
To fix a cable that is broken at the entry point into the chassis, it must first be removed. Disassembly will be required. There may be surprises here: in some GNOMs the bolts are not designed to be tightened with normal screwdrivers - they are made for a 3-blade bit (it is rare, now hexagonal holes are more common). The manufacturer's motivation is unknown.
Important! When removing the cover, do not pull it, do not tear it abruptly - you can accidentally cut the wires, and they will carry away the motor winding. Swing gently, gradually the lid will loosen.
There is a tensioner inside the housing. It must be removed by unscrewing 3 bolts. Remove the tension washer. Remove the cable. Cut it further than the wire break and insert it back. Here another surprise may lie in wait - the swollen cable will not pass through the hole intended for it. We'll have to lubricate it with machine oil (it is better not to consider the option of removing the clutch: you can disfigure the part).
After inserting the cable, put the tensioner in place, tighten the bolts, assemble the circuit, isolate the connections. When installing the cover, make sure that the spike engages in the groove. Don't push.
We talked about non-working pumps. It also happens that the pump turns on, but immediately turns off - it is able to work, but for some reason does not want to. This behavior of the device is explained either by a short circuit in the circuit, or by a blockage in the flow area. It is not difficult to check the circuit and eliminate the malfunction (a short circuit in the pumping equipment circuit is no different from any other short circuit). If in the process of checking the circuit it was not possible to identify a malfunction, the matter is in the blockage. Remove the filter, diaphragm, clean the flow area.
If the pump stops pumping as merrily as before, the impeller is most likely worn out - it needs to be replaced. Widened impeller-to-diaphragm clearance can also reduce equipment performance. The gap needs to be adjusted.
In order to prevent and prevent blockages in the flow area, it is recommended to run the pump in clean water after operating the pump with contaminated liquids - this will help remove impurities that have not yet accumulated.
Important! Be sure to disconnect the equipment from the network if you are going to look for breakdowns - do not forget about safety.
There is little that can be repaired on your own (even the bolts adjust tricks, even replacing the wire is surrounded by difficulties), and therefore it is necessary to take care of the equipment. Here, as with crimes: the best method of fighting is prevention.
If the sump pump is operated under inappropriate conditions, it will fail. The drainage pump cannot cope with large inclusions (permissible fractions are indicated in the instructions). If such impurities are suspected, use a feces pump with a chopper.
Drainage float pumps in terms of their functionality surpass any other types of pumping equipment, so their failure in a suburban economy can cause a lot of problems. Wasting time and money giving a broken pump to a workshop is irrational, and if the site with a house is located in a sparsely populated area, then it is problematic. Therefore, it is useful for the owners of drainers to know how to repair a drainage pump with their own hands in the event of a breakdown.
Fig. 1 Drainers with float water level switch
Do-it-yourself repair of drainage pumps can be done using the simplest tool in the form of a vise, a rubber hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, a soldering iron, it is useful to have consumables on hand: grease, silicone. Many domestic and foreign manufacturers, in order to avoid unauthorized access to the internal parts of the electric pump, make the heads of the fastening screws of the housing of a special shape (three-pointed star). This does not stop anyone, but before disassembling the drainer, you will have to spend some time grinding out the screwdriver of the desired profile.
Rice. 2 Typical diagram of electric float drainage pumps
The main reason for this malfunction is the lack of supply voltage to the electric pump, therefore, first of all, it is necessary to check the power cord or switch that monitors the water level in the pumps, performing work according to the following scheme:
The drain pump is turned off, the presence of the supply voltage is checked - if it comes in, the unit is removed from the water intake tank.
Next, you need to visually check the power cable for internal and external breaks, insulation damage.
Rice. 3 Floats to the pumps and a cross-section of the drain
The most problematic areas of the power cable are the point of entry into the pump and the point of connection with the plug, they will have to be checked first. It is better to do this with a connected electric pump by bending or pressing on the wires; in order to avoid electric shock, diagnostics should be carried out with gloves.
If the pump does not work and the place of possible breakage cannot be felt by fingers, you will have to start disassembling the electric pump. To do this, in some cases, you may need a vise and a rubber mallet. All the parts are sequentially removed (it is better to lay them out on the table in the same sequence) and the engine is removed from the housing by gentle swaying or using additional tools (vise, rubber hammer).
After removing the electric motor and accessing the supply wires, they are called with a multimeter. If a break is found, if it happened at a short distance from the ends of the wire (this happens most often), it is better to cut off a small piece at the place of damage, slightly shorten the cable, and reconnect the remaining ends.
Rice. 4 Drainer, disassembled
Another reason for the pump to stop is a faulty switch float or damage to it, while it does not monitor the water level. During repairs, it may be necessary to replace the float by desoldering it from the drain circuit.
If the break occurs closer to the middle, the cable should be completely replaced - operating a connected or soldered wire in water is dangerous for the electric pump and the owner himself.
Rice. 5 Poor-quality pumping equipment - the first drain was dismantled after 3 months of work
Some Russian and Chinese manufacturers produce low-quality drainage electric pumps. If we disassemble such a drain, we will not distinguish an aluminum winding with copper sputtering (mix) from real copper. In addition to the fact that aluminum significantly increases losses and reduces the efficiency of the device, the motor casings in many models are made of ordinary steel. With constant contact with water, they rust and let water through, which enters the winding, and the electric pump burns out - when voltage is applied, it does not work.
A model of an electric pump with thermal protection in case of overheating can save the engine from burning out if water gets into the winding, when it is triggered, the drainer turns off and does not work.
In this case, the repair of the drainage pump with a float consists in removing the engine and drying it; it is advisable to cover the housing with a water-repellent compound.
Another common malfunction is a violation of the insulation between the casing and the motor of the float pump, the destruction of the stuffing box bearing on the shaft in the drain pump. In all these cases, water enters the housing and causes an inter-turn circuit, stopping the electric motor.
Rice. 6 Destroyed oil seal bearing on the motor shaft and burnt winding
The lack of water supply when the pump is running can be caused by a number of the following reasons:
If dirt or coarse particles get into the pump casing, the impeller may stop - the float drainer will hum, but the water will not pump. The clogging of the inlet grate with dirt will lead to the same consequences - the water simply will not reach the impeller or its flow will be significantly weakened.
If used improperly, the impeller or the shaft on which it is mounted can be broken, sometimes the nut or screw securing the wheel to the shaft is unscrewed and it falls down. The lack of water supply can also lead to damage to the housing of the electric pump itself.
Fig. 7 Sealing the stuffing box and motor housing
In single-phase motors, to start working, it is necessary to provide a phase shift - this function is performed by a starting capacitor or winding. If they burn out, the engine will not be able to start and the shaft will not rotate, although the pump will hum. A damaged capacitor can be replaced; when the winding burns out with the electric pump, you will have to part.
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In most cases, repairing a drain pump with a float can be done by hand, if the winding has not burned out. To avoid the failure of the electric pump, it is imperative to purchase models with overheating protection as pump switches - this will prevent the engine from burning out in case of blockages, breakdowns, water ingress into the electric motor. A replacement for a faulty float (water level switch) can be found in a service center or specialist store.
A drainage pump in a suburban area is a kind of magic wand in case of unforeseen situations. By design, it resembles equipment for the supply of drinking water, but it has the ability to move contaminated media with large inclusions.
Let's try to understand the weaknesses of the unit and find out if it is possible to repair the drain pump with our own hands, if necessary.
The ability to pump water with fine gravel, large inclusions of sand, organic debris is a very useful quality when you need to pump out water after flooding or drain a pond. Drainage units are designed to work in such conditions, but exceeding the load often leads to breakdowns.
It is better to get acquainted with the internal filling of the device immediately after purchase in order to imagine which parts may fail in case of clogging or breakdown. To do this, it is not necessary to open the case or disassemble - it is enough to study the diagram that is attached to the instructions for connecting and maintaining the device.
Apparatuses for private use in summer cottages do not differ in high power or complex filling. Unlike heavy industrial equipment, they are compact, relatively light (average weight - 3-7 kg), consist of steel or plastic parts, although cast iron is still used for the production of industrial models and some household ones.
The main components of the submersible mechanism are a pump unit that pumps water and an electric motor that rotates a shaft with blades. The motor is housed inside a robust casing, which is made of stainless steel or reinforced polypropylene and is double. Water circulates between the outer and inner walls, preventing cooling.
Modern models are equipped with thermal protection, which is triggered when the device is overloaded. An impeller is attached to the axial shaft - a screw device that supplies liquid to the inside of the housing.When the unit is turned on, the impeller begins to rotate, pick up water from the outside and push it along the walls to the outlet. The first portion of water is replaced by the next - and so on until the mechanism stops.
The float switch regulates the frequency of operation. It monitors the level of liquid in a reservoir or natural reservoir, when it drops sharply, it turns off the device in automatic mode.
As you can see, the device of the drainage pump is quite simple, and if you have ever disassembled and cleaned a submersible well pump, then you can handle this category of equipment as well. The faecal aggregate, which has an additional unit for crushing too large particles, is slightly different.
The submersible is useful for cleaning deep tanks, for example, a well that has just been commissioned. The first liquid that has accumulated in it cannot be called drinking, since there are many large inclusions of sand and clay. During the day, it is necessary to pump out the contaminated liquid so that clean, usable water comes in its place.
Unlike a submersible pump, a surface pump is not used for deep tanks; it is more suitable for pumping water from a pool or basement when it is flooded. A hose for receiving dirty water is placed at the bottom of the container, the second hose is used to drain the drains.
If the pump is used in an emergency, it is appropriate to use a float device that will control the critical level of water rise. The plus is that the design of the mechanism allows you to pump liquid with large pieces of dirt - up to 5 cm (less often - 10 cm).
It is clear that the surface type aggregate differs in its structure. A working shaft and a wheel are fixed inside the metal case, and the motor can be different: for centrifugal products - single-phase with external ventilation, for self-priming products - asynchronous two-pole.
Despite the contamination of the pumping medium, do not allow the pump to operate with a liquid in which gasoline, kerosene or other oil products and chemicals are dissolved.
Both new equipment and those that have served for more than one year can break down. A newly purchased device may fail due to a manufacturing defect made during assembly: a damaged piston or an incorrectly connected valve. Often breakdowns occur due to inept installation, if:
lowered the unit to an insufficient depth;
allowed air to enter the water intake compartment;
the water inlet is above the water and is not covered with liquid.
These flaws are easy to fix with a simple check, but it is better not to allow them.
Most often, problems arise during the operation of the equipment. The manufacturer sets the control parameters within which it is necessary to act (they are declared in the technical passport of the product). If the equipment is used incorrectly, not for its intended purpose, it simply will not withstand the load.
For example, it is normal for a drainage device to pump dirty water. This means that problems can arise if you start moving clean drinking water (for which borehole and well models are designed). On the contrary, too coarse dirt clogs the filters, as a result of which the pump stops working.
Also, troubles await if the equipment is idle, in "dry" mode - overheating will surely happen, which cannot always be corrected on your own. As a result of an oversight, the matter can end up in expensive service repairs.
Lack of prevention, rare technical inspections can also cause breakdown. Many troubles can be avoided by preventing them by replacing one of the parts or by elementary cleaning.
There are a number of possibilities to repair the equipment with your own hands, provided that the broken part can be replaced with a new one or a simple technical procedure (for example, cleaning) can be performed. To do this, you will have to disassemble the case, make diagnostics, identify the problem and select an identical part.
Available actions include replacing a capacitor, impeller or float, repairing an electrical cable, fixing a shock absorber, and removing large pieces of clay and sand stuck inside the housing.
If the cast-iron body is cracked, the valve is out of order, or the winding has stopped functioning, you should contact the service center or think about buying a new pump. Inexpensive Chinese-made drainage devices are inexpensive, so ordering serious professional repairs is impractical.
The flexible element - the cable - is always at risk, since due to regular twists and kinks (which often happens during transportation and reinstallation of equipment), the wires under the layer of plastic or rubberized protection break, as a result of which the pump power is cut off.
It is necessary to find the break point and make the connection. This operation is easy to carry out if a break occurs near the plug - you just need to strip and connect the wires, finally carefully insulating the place of work.
A broken cable in the area where the pump is connected will take longer to repair. First you need to remove the equipment from the water, wipe and dry it, then disassemble it to get to the internal connection block. Get ready for the fact that instead of hexagonal holes you will encounter triple ones, which will make it difficult to select a screwdriver.
The cover should be removed carefully, without jerking or force. By unscrewing the bolts holding the tension member, you will be able to see the cable and identify the area of the break. We remove the worn-out piece, mount the cable in its original place, fasten the tensioning element, fix the bolts.
The engine is working properly, but the fluid has either stopped flowing altogether, or comes in in small, uneven jerks. There may be several reasons for the strange phenomenon:
Part of the supply line is clogged. This is a branch pipe or supply pipe. There is a kind of blockage from bundles of algae and pieces of clay. It is necessary to disconnect the pipes and clean them. It is possible that the pipe length is longer than the manufacturer's recommended length, and therefore there is not enough pressure to deliver the required power.The impeller is worn out. Blades are bent or damaged. It is necessary to disassemble the device, replace parts, to begin with visually (as far as possible) determining the cause of the malfunction.The fluid is saturated with dirt and debris. Therefore, the water has a thick consistency and is difficult to pump. We solve the problem by raising the suction hole a certain distance from the bottom, where sediment accumulates.Engine power has noticeably decreased. That can be determined even by the sound. Possible malfunctions in the supply of electricity, failure of bearings, depressurization of the oil compartment. It is necessary to disassemble the case to clarify the cause of the breakdown and replace worn parts.The most common problem is filter clogging. You can try running some clean water through the pump to clean the sieve and suction port. If this procedure does not help, disassemble the case and clean all chambers, removing pebbles, algae and chips.
When disassembling the unit, be sure to follow the manufacturer's diagrams or instructions. They will help to consistently remove parts, quickly find bolt attachment points. In some cases, wear on fasteners or loose nuts will cause parts to move, which will also affect the performance of the machine.
You connect the power supply - and the pump does not work, does not make noise and does not pump water. Prepare to inspect all equipment.The most common causes of engine failure are:
Disruption to the electricity supply due to broken wires. We check the cable by touch and find the break point. If the emergency area is in the area of connection to the pump, proceed as described above.The stator winding is out of order. Happens due to dry running. If you cannot replace it yourself, contact a specialist.Seized bearing ... We check the part for suitability, according to the results of diagnostics, we clean or replace it.The suction device is clogged with debris. We clean the blades and grate, check the integrity of the operating elements and the mesh.The float switch has broken. To check its functionality, it is necessary to close the relay. The problem may be in the wire connecting the float to the pump.If the capacitor is out of order, replacement is required. In some models, special access is provided to it, which is a separate hole in the case.
When the pump is switched on to the network, it starts to work, however, after a while, it stops spontaneously. Most likely, a protective mechanism is triggered due to engine overheating.
A heating cable may be the cause. It is worth checking the correspondence of the mains voltage and the parameters set by the manufacturer. If the data does not match, you need to purchase a stabilizer.
Shutdown can also occur due to clogging of the blades with debris. In this case, we recommend that you carry out a complete cleaning procedure, that is, open the housing, clean the inner chambers and impeller, and check the filter.
If blockages occur frequently, re-read the instructions for the product to determine the size of the fractions. Perhaps the pump is not designed for pumping liquid with large particles of debris - only a fecal pump is suitable for grinding
When the pump is turned on, plugs fly out or wires burn out. The reason should be sought in the details directly responsible for the wiring of electricity - the cable or the stator winding. The serviceability of the wires can be checked using a tester; if a worn-out area is found, the entire cable should be replaced or (if the gap is near the end) shorten it.
Winding repair is a laborious task and requires special knowledge. Even with a neatly drawn secondary winding, a short circuit cannot be ruled out. If you have no time to fiddle with a burned-out part, take the device to a service center - perhaps, after diagnostics, they will advise you to buy a new pump.
As you can see, both inevitable wear and a violation of the rules for operating the equipment can become the cause of wear of parts. To make the device last longer, try to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. For example, position the body so that the suction device is at a certain distance from the base of the tank and does not pick up coarse particles.
At least once a year, check the integrity of the cable and internal parts by disassembling the case as much as possible. Perform preventive cleaning, which will increase the life of the parts by several times. Do not confuse a drainage device with a faecal one - it does not have a special grinder and cannot cope with the movement of large inclusions.
Videos from craftsmen will help you properly organize the disassembly of pumps of various brands and troubleshoot yourself.
Overheating of the stator due to violation of the interval operation mode:
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Features of Pedrollo pump repair:
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How to Repair the Whirlwind Sump Pump:
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Dismantling the Praktika DNG-400 pump:
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Do-it-yourself repair of the drain pump is quite possible and desirable if it is enough to clean it or change a spare part to fix it. Difficult accidents - rupture of a housing or a rotating shaft - cannot be repaired by yourself.Elimination of serious problems must be entrusted to specialists, and if replacement is impractical, then buy a new pump.
It is difficult to find an alternative to a drainage pump in a private courtyard. Without it, it will become problematic to pump out the basement flooded with groundwater, drain the water from the pool, and release the flooded drainage collectors. However, the technique does not last forever, so the device may break down, and before buying a new one, it will be necessary to somehow deal with the solution of problems. In this situation, repairing the drain pump with or without a float will help.
The approximate rate of pumping water with a drainer is about 180 liters per minute. The operating power depends on the following factors:
the conditions in which it is operated;
remoteness from a water source;
the degree of immersion in the liquid;
contamination of the pumped out liquid.
It should be borne in mind that the repair of drainage pumps may be needed after pumping out too hot water, because not all models are designed to work in extreme conditions.
Drainage equipment structure
A modern drainage pump without a float in the design has a pair of nozzles:
inlet contacting with the sucked surface of the liquid from the reservoir;
outlet, diverting water to an area defined by the owner.
During the process, no liquid droplets should fall into the area of the electric motor, as this can lead to its failure. In order not to bring to the repair of fecal pumps or other drainers, it is worth taking care that the pumping out occurs faster than the inflow into the container.
It is possible to connect to the sewer systems by means of branch pipes, while it is necessary to very clearly set them in relation to the diameters of the sewer pipes, practically excluding the possible appearance of gaps.
The main advantage of a sump pump without a float is its high degree of mobility. At the same time, the repair of drainage pumps of this type is easier than their counterparts.
Float schemes are more secure. The relatively low cost of these units is also a positive factor. The float element responsible for shutdown is located, as a rule, in a separate plastic box.
There are two types of such elements:
lightweight, relevant for water drainage and in water supply;
heavy, in demand in rain waste cavities and sewers.
When choosing a float, it is necessary to check its maximum tightness and high-quality insulation of the supply cable.
If the fecal pump does not work or the Jileks pumps need to be repaired, then the following cases may be the likely causes of breakdowns:
the winding of the electric motor has burned out, and a characteristic odor may appear;
the float may be jammed below the horizontal of the launch;
there was a failure of the starting capacitor;
the impeller is wedged due to the ingress of foreign mechanical particles.
It is also necessary to repair the Jileks pump with your own hands, if you hear a hum from it, but the pumping of water does not go:
there was a break in the stem;
the working valve is damaged;
the mount of the rod shock absorber is loose;
damaged electrical cable.
This list includes the most popular causes of breakdowns, but individual situations happen or several abnormal situations occur simultaneously.
Do-it-yourself Jileks pump repair or other drainage equipment is not always possible to carry out without special tools. In some cases, even they will not help, since expensive replacement of parts or entire assemblies will be required.
The most popular repairs are to release the float or remove particles blocking the rotation of fiber. You will also be able to fix the shock absorber yourself or replace the cable. The shock absorber is fixed in the disassembled housing. The threads on the mounting bolts are tightened, and the upper nuts must be counter-checked.
It takes some time to repair the cable, and it will not be possible to replace a burnt-out capacitor in all models with your own hands.
In the event of a stem breakage, this part is practically irreparable. We'll have to purchase new equipment. Valve repair is also an unprofitable operation.
If you have knowledge of electrical engineering and there is a sufficient amount of wire to rewind the electric motor, then this procedure is carried out at home. Some repair shops offer this part of the Jilex pump repair for a relatively small fee.
VIDEO: Dismantling and repair of the drainer
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Cable damage will not be noticed in all situations. A frayed winding will be visible from the outside, but a gap in the inside without external signs is problematic to determine.
It is important to determine the point at which the breakage occurred. One of the most popular places is the bend near the plug or the place where the cable enters the pump housing. In this situation, experienced specialists operate by manual verification.
To carry out restoration work, you will need to disassemble the case, but here you can expect unpleasant surprises associated with the use of exotic curly screwdrivers. This is often used to protect the product from unprofessional tampering.
When dismantling the cover, you need to gently wiggle, without making sudden jerks, so as not to damage the winding. The cavity contains a tensioner. It is usually dismantled by unscrewing 3 or 4 bolts.
The cable must be taken out and cut off higher from the break point, after which it will need to be returned back. However, this operation is not as simple as it seems at first glance. The wire swollen from water will increase in diameter and will not return to the hole or groove. A small amount of machine oil will come to the rescue to facilitate installation.
The coupling may not be removed, as this may damage the part.
The cable is slid back into place and the tensioner returns to provide reliable insulation. When installing the cover in its place, it is necessary to trace the exact coincidence of the fixing grooves on the body in order to ensure maximum tightness.
VIDEO: Why the drainer does not start
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Very often, equipment begins to malfunction, not for any specific reason, but, for example, with critical voltage drops in the power grid. If a pump breakdown is observed, it is advisable to check the voltage. Normally it should be 220-240V. If this indicator is correct, then it is already possible to resolve the issue with the repair.
In order to avoid problems with the winding and, in general, with the operation of the equipment, it is necessary to install a voltage stabilizer, which aligns the plug during operation and all equipment works correctly.
Also, a visually intact and efficient pump may not pump water for the following reasons:
air has accumulated in the water intake;
there is not enough water for work - you need to lower the hose deeper or the pump itself, if we are talking about submersible;
the water intake is not immersed in water;
if the pump is equipped with a so-called "Frog" - idle blocker, it can get stuck and de-energize the equipment.
The above problems can be corrected very easily - it is enough either to completely immerse the water intake part in the water or tilt it so that all the air comes out, or it is enough to simply unhook the stuck "frog". In general, it should be noted that all problems must be eliminated in a timely manner and entrust this work to professionals.
VIDEO: Repair of the drainage pump
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The float switch for electric pumps is an element of the general system of the pumping station and regulates the water level in the tank. They are also the most important protection against dry running of a pump with a float, which will increase the operating life of the device.
Switches help reduce clogging due to sand entering the system.They perform several necessary functions, and in some pumping stations several floats are used at once.
Submersible and drainage pumps operate in conditions where liquid can suddenly run out or become contaminated. In this case, further pumping out of water already mixed with a large amount of dirt can seriously damage the system. Therefore, a float switch is mandatory for the pumps to prevent damage due to dry running. Some floats need to be installed by yourself, while others are manufactured with an internal float.
They are housed in a variety of reservoirs - from tanks in wastewater pumping systems to drinking water wells. And the tasks that floats perform, depending on the place of use, may differ. It is also possible to put more than one float in one tank, each of them performs different tasks:
control over the operation of the main pump;
control over the work of an additional (auxiliary) pump, as well as improving its efficiency;
level sensor;
overflow sensor.
Float switch operation diagram
A level sensor is necessary so that the submersible pump does not run dry and thus does not suck in heavily contaminated water, which leads to a breakdown of the entire station. An overflow sensor is required to prevent the water reservoir from overflowing. Depending on the type of container, this can lead to serious problems. up to a short circuit.
Float switches are connected to various types of pumps, and can also be built-in. Installing a separately purchased float on a pump requires little effort or extensive knowledge. A pump with a built-in float is much simpler, albeit more expensive, if it is necessary to provide the system with float control as quickly as possible.
There is a lightweight sump pump with a built-in float switch and a heavy one. The first type is suitable for a pump with a float used in water supply - wells, wells. And also in drainage systems. The second drainage pumps with a built-in float, heavy, suggest, firstly, a polluted environment, and secondly, difficult operating conditions. A drainage pump with a float of the second type is used in sewage, rainwater, drainage.
Drainage pumps with float switch
You should start your choice of a water level sensor by defining goals - for water supply to a summer cottage, farm, house, watering a site, an easy one is better suited. To organize a sewerage system, drainage or sewage, it is recommended to purchase a heavy unit.
The body of the device is made of plastic materials of various shapes. It requires absolute tightness and waterproofness. The float consists of the following elements:
floating plastic housing;
electrical switch;
lever for switch contacts;
steel ball;
three wires in the cable.
The wires are connected: one to a closed contact, the other to an open contact, the third is common. There are floats with two wires. They break the electrical circuit if it is necessary to turn off the submersible pump and connect the circuit if it is necessary to turn it back on. Three-wire switches are versatile, they are suitable for monitoring not only dry running, but also overflow. There is one common and two wires, between which modes are switched.
Their wires differ in color. Common is usually a black wire. The blue wire shuts down the system when the pump down starts to run aground and there is too little water in a reservoir (eg a well). The brown wire adjusts the pump when the tank is full.
The float changes its position because there is air inside. Accordingly, when he is under water, he strives to surface. When there is little water left, it sinks. A special weight is used for adjustment.
Installation of a submersible pump with a float in a well
Depending on the length of the wire from the load to the float, the values at which the pump turns on or off will vary. Thus, it is easy to manually adjust them to prevent overflow or dry running. It is also worth considering that the float should turn off the operation while the pump is still under water with a small margin.
The steel ball adjusts the position of the lever depending on the position of the float itself. The lever, in turn, switches the contacts to turn on or off the pump with a float. Magnets are used to fix the ball in the required positions. The tilt at which the ball moves from one position to another is most often 70 degrees, but you should clarify when buying a device.
Features of the float switch for water level control:
Ingress protection IP - 68;
mains voltage 220 volts plus or minus 10 percent;
operating temperature range from 0 to +60 ° C;
8 amperes - maximum switched current for reactive load;
10 amperes - resistive load.
VIDEO Connecting a float switch to systems where submersible pumps are used to pump water is no different from connecting to drainage, sewerage systems. Connection to the pump is made in the following way:
the sinker clings to the wire and the length from the sinker to the device is adjusted empirically;
the cable should be securely fixed in order to avoid it touching pipes and other devices inside the container;
if the device is two-phase, then two (or more) units should be used - one for pumping water into a tank, the other for pumping out. One two-phase can be installed in wells and self-filling tanks;
connection of wiring to the pump.
When connected to the pump, moisture-proof terminals are used. The wiring and connection points on the pump are marked, difficulties can arise only with connecting a two-phase float to a three-phase pump. Two important points for choosing devices:
The same current consumption in amperes for the pump and the float (or even slightly less for the latter).
The same number of connection phases.
The power of the pump should also be taken into account.
Disassembled float
The device installed in the system can be connected to the float in two ways:
if its power is less than 1.2 kilowatts, then the connection goes directly through the network wire;
if the power is higher than 1.2 kilowatts, then the connection is made through an electromagnetic relay or other switching link.
Many faults are caused by contamination. It is not difficult to repair the float from the submersible pump in case of clogging. To do this, it is enough to pass a stream of clean water through it. If, after disassembling and cleaning the float, its functions have not been restored, and the damage is not noticeable, then it is recommended to replace the mechanism with another one, since a complex repair often costs the same cost.
To make a float for a pump with your own hands you will need:
2 buildings;
metal ball;
two magnets;
contact plates.
Contact plates are made of copper, tinned sheet, brass and other electrically conductive material. They should be located on the sides of the case. inside, so that the ball, falling between them, makes contact. For springiness, strips of metal can be beaten off with a hammer, placing them on a file.
The magnets are selected so that they cannot lift the ball, but hold it at an angle of 60-70 degrees, even when they are on the back of the device. The body itself can be made of plastic, PCB, any material that does not conduct electricity.
Drainage pump device with float
Wires with a conductor cross-section of no more than 2 mm are soldered to the contacts. They are isolated and the structure is placed in a common float housing made of plastic or similar material.The most important thing is to carefully insulate the inner case so that there is no short circuit. Polyurethane foam is poured into the cavity of the float, and the outer casing is also insulated.
Hinges are installed at the ends of the main building. Depending on which loop the cord is connected to - from the side of the contacts or the opposite, - the pump is either filling or drying.
A drainage pump with a float switch is primarily adapted to pump rain or waste water from appropriate containers. Pumping is carried out using two connected pipes - push and suction. The most important thing to look at when choosing a unit is the insulation of the wire and the tightness of the plastic box. Upon purchase, the set includes equipment for removing mechanical stress from the wires of the device.
The drainage pump with a built-in float is of two types, like the floats themselves - heavy and light, depending on the purpose. Lungs are used for drinking or irrigation water. And drainage pumps with built-in heavy float switches are used for wastewater treatment systems and clogged, dirty water. The most famous manufacturers: Jileks, Gardena, Grunsfos, Makita, Pedrollo, AL-KO, Karcher, Whirlwind, HERZ.
productivity from 6000 to 33000 liters of water per hour;
delivery height from 5 to 27 meters;
power consumption from 200 to 2000 watts;
weight from 3 to 14 kilograms;
diving up to 27 meters;
cable length 10 meters.
Drainage pump with float
Repair of the drain pump can be done by hand if the following malfunctions are found:
jammed float - release physically;
fix the shock absorber if the fastening is loose (you need to remove the cover and tighten the nuts);
the impeller is jammed - when getting rid of the impeller from mechanical inclusions, it should not be pulled together;
problems with the shock absorber - most often you can simply replace it yourself;
the cable is frayed and broken - in this case, it is necessary by palpation to detect the damaged section of the cable inside the insulation and securely fasten it with insulating material.
Do not try to repair the drain pump yourself. in case of the following breakdowns:
the winding burned out due to a short circuit;
the stock broke;
the valve has broken.
Video (click to play).
If the equipment is relatively cheap, with the above breakdowns it is cheaper and easier to buy a new one, since repairs can cost about the same cost.
