# Overflow safty switch DIY



## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Overflow switch DIY

I build in a safty switch in my tanks overflow box, so in the worst case senario the overflow should clog up, the water flow from the sump will stop.

I was kinda surpriced I was'nt able to find this factory made, I know it's not common that the standpipe clog up but again I know people in real life that it have happend to, so it happens!

It all started out with a E-bay order, finding a water level switch - 2$ each so I got two.

They where rated to break 230 Volt and 55 watt max load - The pump in my sump is 35 Watt (230 V)

Problem with hong kong stuff on E-bay, they don't always tell the truth. So the switch was'nt able to handle 35 watt, so the first switch broke and I had to build something that would handle the 230 V / 35 W load.

A trip to the electronics store with a mate and 75 $ poorer give or take but got what I needed.

1x black plastic box, water resistant
3x water resistant cable screw grommet
1x push bottom
1x dubble pole breaker (230 V max / 10 Amp)
1x socket for the breaker
1x mini transformer (230 Volt AC > 2x 12 Volt DC)
1x femal water resistan speaker plug
1x male water resistan speaker plug
1x female power plug
1x male power plug
1x soldering board



Started with messureing the box, makeing shure everything was placed right and marked where to drill holes. This make the whole cable work and soldering alot easyer, drilled the holes and placed the cable grommets.


Placed the mini transformer on the soldering board, parred up the 2x 12 V to 1X 24 Volt 


The breaker 


The breaker socket is mounted on the soldering bord with a small bolt, the power in, out and "sensor" cable where solderd.
 

The dubble poled breaker and push bottom is setup to make a holding circuit, meaning that to start the pump (closeing the circuit) I have to push the bottom and the sensor (the 2$ level switch) have to be On. The bottom when pushed send a 24 V puls to the breaker moveing it to ON position, the circuit will then be closed untill the sensor breaks (level switch moves to Off) and the 24 V curent is cut and the breaker moves back into OFF position. This way the sump pump don't start again if the water slowly drains back to the sump, the continual ON/OFF would not be good for the pump in the case no one is home.

Glued a flat bracket onto the tank, and placed the level switch over the overflow box. 
 

The box pluged in and working


It will be really helpful if you know something about electronics, but it's possible to read up and do on your own no problem. But still be carfull as it's not all 24 V, also check your local laws. Here it's tecknical illegal for privat people to do this DIY, unless you have a licend person to check it. In case the house burn down and it's caused by a electrical fire, the insurence will not cover, so I had help from a friend who is a licensed electrician and saved me alot of reading time


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## ksk_che_che (Sep 26, 2007)

That tank and stand is so modern, what brand is it?


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## krfhsf (Dec 25, 2008)

Why would I need a saftey switch for something that will never happen? I am running 11 home made pvc overflows and 3 over flowbox's with u-tubes. I have never had a problem. Just trying to understand why it's a problem.


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

*@ksk_che_che* Hi there it's a glas tank imported from china, I think the brand name is ka-bong or something. I have removed the logo's from the canopy and stand as it was crappy gold plastic with a horrible and cheesy look to it. I love the bend cornors and it the reason why I went with this tank, sides and front is one sheet of glass. I have seen the tank in black since and im happy I got the gray/silver modle.

I also did a buch of moding to the stand, so it will hold the display tank after I made room for the sump inside.. The tank is top nice, but the stand is made from **** (MDF sheet with plastic film) also a good reason I had to mod it.

*@krfhsf* it might not happend to you, but it can happen belive me. My own brother have flodded his house once his standpipe in a discus tank cloged up, so it's one of them things you build and hope your never gonna need.

I don't know if your a home owner, but the 75 bux spend on this is waaaaay better spend then haveing the risk I might one day had to change the wooden floor in the bedroom.  
IMHO compared to the money spend on, tank, stand, powerheads, heaters, 35 W/C Tropheus moorii "red rainbow", filter material, pump in the sump and so on. This was one of the smaller payments.

To lower the noise I have a durso pipe and a ballcloseing valve on the drain, the valve is turned Ã‚Â½ open only and makes the overflow soundless. The durso alone was'nt enough or I was'nt able to prime it so it was soundless, silent yes with the durso only but all I hear now is the silent hum from the powerheads.


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## ksk_che_che (Sep 26, 2007)

That is one wicked setup, even your sump tank matches. Awsome :thumb: I for one would have float switches over not. Even if you size your return section to not overflow your tank your pump would still be on pumping air. So a float valve would solve that problem. When the water gets too low in the return the float shuts the pump off.


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Thanx mate glad you like it, the sump was just a old task I had standing. Got it cheap last year, along with some equpitment.

There should not be the posibility that the water level drops so low in either the display or sump tank, that any of the pumps should be eksposed and makeing them pump air. I might misunderstood your post above.

There should vaporize around 15 gal of water from the sump, to let the return pump run dry and the display tank only drop 10 mm (less then Ã‚Â½ inch) if the power is off. The wall to the overflow box makes shure of that, so I hope atleast but the 10 mm acrylic wall should hold just fine. I have'nt been able to figure out what else should be able to go wrong, that my insurence won't cover.

If the tank breaks or someone else break it im insured, but if I make a stupid error and flod my house. No one is gonna be paying but me, so to keep the misses happy im glad to geek on with my small gadgets. :lol:

Looking at aqua computers for my fishroom :fish:


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## ksk_che_che (Sep 26, 2007)

Think about it, if your overflow fails(the pipe gets clogged) your sump would no longer be recieving any water, so your pump would keep pumping the water untill the the return section was dry. You should only keep as much water in the return section so if the overflow fails there is not enough water to flood your display tank. A float switch would turn the pump off before the pump sucks air.

Speaking of geek  I want to build something like this





An Auto top off with fail safe built in. There is another video where he uses another float switch for the sump pump itself and not the top off pump, but this video is better.


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

ksk_che_che said:


> Think about it, if your overflow fails(the pipe gets clogged) your sump would no longer be recieving any water, so your pump would keep pumping the water untill the the return section was dry. You should only keep as much water in the return section so if the overflow fails there is not enough water to flood your display tank. A float switch would turn the pump off before the pump sucks air.


Thats the whole idea with what I build, I just placed the float switch in the overflow box. If the water level rises in the overflow box, the float switch will move up and turns the pump off. The box is then build with a safty, so the pump don't start again if the water slowly drains and the water level drops in the overflow box. Not untill I press the little black botton.

There is a LED on the breaker I used, I just did'nt care to remove it and place a LED on the outside. But I like the auto fill clip you posted, it's just like something I would make too.


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