Programing a pump and float switches.

[Mark Bianco]

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to set my main pump to run unless both float switches are open, (I know I need an {and} statement.) Along with that I want to add a 2 minute delay before the pump starts back up after the float switches are back into the open state, but not having any delay shutting off the pump if both switches return back to the closed state. After reading, reading and rereading the manual several times, about how the defer statement applies to all of the commands within an outlet program. I am not sure if this will do what I want it to or not. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
Mark


(Virtual outlet “OverFlow”)
Set OFF
If switch1 closed Then OFF
If switch2 open Then ON


(MainPump) (EB8 Outlet)

Fallback ON
Set ON
If OverFlow = ON Then OFF
If OverFlow = OFF Then ON
Defer 002:00 Then ON

[erikkiehle]

It seems to me if you want OverFlow to be triggered on by both switched being Open then you need to do

OverFlow:
Set ON
If switch 1 closed then OFF
If switch 2 closed then OFF

I think someone else should chime in but that might do what you have in mind.

For the MainPump, you just need the If *Outlet* ...
I don't think you need the "If *Outlet* OverFlow = OFF Then ON" statement

The Apex check the programming every second. As soon as the OverFlow statement became OFF again the Set ON command carries through to the Defer and then after 2 min would come on again.

[Mark Bianco]

THanks for your input, but I am trying to make it so that both float switches need to be closed at the same time to shut off the pump.

[Comtek]

why do you need two float switches to control one pump

[erikkiehle]

Originally Posted by Mark Bianco

THanks for your input, but I am trying to make it so that both float switches need to be closed at the same time to shut off the pump.

Then for OverFlow:
Set ON
If switch 1 open then OFF
If switch 2 open then OFF

[Comtek]

Originally Posted by Comtek

why do you need two float switches to control one pump

again i'm wondering why two switches ?
if either of them fail your pump will not come on and you double the chance of that happening by using two

[SC Reefaholic]

I'm thinking you will need to create a virtual outlet but I cant really help you with that. RussM or Kengro would be the ones to help you. You might try PMing them.

[erikkiehle]

@ SC Reef, he already has a Virtual Outlet "OverFlow".
@ Comtek, I'm curious too. I could see a situation where 1 float switch controls an ATO pump and if the reservoir ends up empty the second backup switch cuts off the return pump to prevent pump running dry.

Program for virtual outlet OverFlow:
**I think of this OverFlow outlet as an alarm statement to shut of return pump. Set virtual switch to On would result in pump shutoff, EXCEPT when either the following line 2 and line 3 is true**
Set ON
If switch 1 open then OFF
If switch 2 open then OFF
Normally at least one switch is open, so in normal operation this virtual switch will result in the virtual switch (**shutoff/alarm**) of outlet OverFlow ending in OFF if either sw1 or sw2 is open then the Set ON gets turned OFF.

Only when both sw1 and sw2 are BOTH closed does the Set ON statement in line 1 carry through. Line 2 and Line 3 would be ignored if the sw1 and sw2 are CLOSED. Then the outlet OverFlow becomes ON and in the Pump outlet turns the Pump OFF.

*** At least I think that's correct. My brain is hurting trying to think that through ***

I too would like to hear the situation for my own knowledge expansion. I've only had my Apex a month and am still figuring out new ways to utilize it.

[Mark Bianco]

My reasoning for two floats switches is I travel normaly about two weeks on the road then a weekend home, then back to traveling again. My son does come over daily to feed the fish and top off the water. I a more worried about a snail crawling up on one of the sensors then I am worried about the tank overflowing, but if it did then both switches would be closed and turn off the pump.

Mark

[SC Reefaholic]

Then how about:

Set OFF
If switch 1 open then on
If switch 2 open then on

That way as long as either switch was open the pump would be on but if both switches closed then the OFF statement would take effect.

[RussM]

[MainPump]
Fallback ON
Set ON
If Switch1 CLOSED Then OFF
If Switch2 CLOSED Then OFF
Defer 002:00 Then ON

As requested in the first post, the main pump will run unless *both* float switches are OPEN (if either switch is CLOSED, the pump will be shut off), and there will be a 2-minute delay in start up. No need for a VO.

[RussM]

Be sure to program a suitable delay for skimmer startup as well. One way to do it:

[Skimmer]
Set OFF
If Outlet MainPump = ON THEN ON
Defer 003:00

[SC Reefaholic]

I think what he is trying to accomplish is to have the return pump continue to run even if one switch closes. It appears that he is using the switches on his display to keep it from running over. He is using 2 switches as redundancy so that if a snail were to push one switch up the return would keep running but if both switches were pushed up then that would indicate a high water situation and the return would shut off. The likelyhood of both switches being pushed up at the same time by something other than the actual water rising is minimal so he would feel more safe with the dual switches.

Thats why I'm thinking:

Set OFF
If switch 1 is OPEN then ON
If switch 2 is OPEN then ON
Defer 002:00 then ON

As long as one of the switches remains open the pump will run. But if both are closed then the pump will be off and not turn back on for 2 minutes.

[RussM]

I think Mark needs to decide which way he wants it ... Posts #1 and #3 are contradictory.

[Mark Bianco]

I see where my posts were confusing, Sorry about that guys SC Reefaholic was correct about the way I did want the floats to work.