Why Do Sump Pump Float Switches Fail?
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What is a Building Management System?

The primary aim of the BMS (Building Management System) is to guarantee the safety of facility operation – read on to learn of some examples.

1.HVAC System. The duct temperature, pressure, and humidity, as well as exhaust temperature are connected to the BMS, and if their value exceeds defined limits, an alarm is generated.

2.Central Fume Collection, Laminar Flow Units, Dust Collection System, Central Vacuum System, Heat blowers. The BMS monitors the performance of these systems, allowing for early identification of units requiring maintenance. Sudden breakdown would signal via alarms and then appropriate action can be taken to protect the product.

3.Technical Steam System. Should, for instance, the pressure or temperature in the piping system fall below the defined regulatory values for clean steam, the BMS shall trigger an alarm, indicating a threat to product quality.

4.Hot Water System and Central Heating. Temperature and pump control monitoring via the BMS allows for a proper functioning of hot water distribution through the facility.

5.Chilled Water System. Control of the facility chillers could be supervised by BMS to monitor proper behavior of the system in terms of water/coolant temperature control or pump control to assure proper distribution within the distribution loop.

6.Sprinkler System (for fire safety).

7.Electrical Monitoring System. The BMS may monitor the consumed electrical power and the state of main electrical switches.

BMS Advantages

  • It protects your most costly equipment by allowing you to keep close tabs on it and ensure it functions properly.
  • It simplifies the management of your facility, making it easy to access and control any area of your building’s operations.

It helps your building operate more cost-efficiently through automatic scheduling and occupancy controls.

BMS Disadvantages

  • Building management systems are expensive, sometimes costing hundreds of thousands of dollars at the outset in addition to high recurring fees to keep it operational.
  • The limitations in the data it provides won’t help you achieve maximum energy savings and operational efficiency.
  • It may be missing some of the smaller equipment that also offers opportunities for savings.
  • BMSs are disparate, siloed systems that don’t work collaboratively.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/building-management-system

Waterline Controls™

Our level sensors and controls aren’t just for use in residential potable water holding tanks; some of the other applications include cooling towers, sump pumps, wastewater, boilers, water storage tanks, and building fire protection water tanks.

Fire Protection
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Importance of Fire Safety and Prevention Planning
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What is a Fire Water System?

A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection method, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected. Although historically only used in factories and large commercial buildings, systems for homes and small buildings are now available at a cost-effective price. Fire sprinkler systems are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. In buildings completely protected by fire sprinkler systems, over 96% of fires were controlled by fire sprinklers alone.

A firewater system generally has four main sections:

1. A supply of firewater. This can come from storage tanks, a firewater lagoon, or a natural body of water such as the sea or a lake or river.

2.A pumping system that provides a sufficient flow of water to extinguish the fire.

3.A header network of pipes, often in the form of a ring main that transfers the water from the pumps to the fire.

4.Hydrants, nozzles, sprinklers, or other local devices for directing the firewater to the location of the emergency.

Source 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_sprinkler_system

Waterline Controls™

Our level sensors and controls aren’t just for use in residential potable water holding tanks; some of the other applications include cooling towers, sump pumps, wastewater, boilers, water storage tanks, and building fire protection water tanks.

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Importance of Fire Safety and Prevention Planning
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Fire Protection vs. Fire Prevention

What is the difference between fire prevention and fire protection? Read on to learn more!

Fire protection and fire prevention are both essential to keeping you and your property safe but they are subtly different.

Fire prevention involves proactive steps taken to reduce fire hazards so that a fire does not have a chance to ignite. Fire prevention reduces these hazards through regular maintenance, inspection, and testing of the systems in your building. You should have regular maintenance and testing scheduled with a professional to keep systems in working order. Fire protection systems are a series of components that work together to detect fires and mitigate the negative impacts. Fire protection includes alarms, suppression systems, sprinkler systems, extinguishers, and any technology that allows you to alert people or monitor the fire.

Why you Need Fire Protection and Prevention

Do you have your heating system regularly inspected but don’t know the last time you’ve checked the fire extinguishers? If so, you are neglecting your fire protection and require fire protection services. Do you feel confident your building is up to code on the amount and location for fire alarms but your staff is not trained on fire prevention strategies? If so, you are missing an integral component of fire safety. Both fire protection and prevention are necessary for your safety and security. Fire prevention is essential to limit risks and reduce hazards that could potentially start fires. However, not all fires can be prevented and risks are almost never entirely eliminated. For that reason, fire protection is also necessary.

Fire prevention and fire protection are extremely important but can also be complicated with so many moving parts. That’s why it’s important to choose a fire protection service provider that is knowledgeable and experienced. 

Source: https://www.marcofire.com/blog/difference-between-fire-protection-and-fire-prevention/

Waterline Controls™

Our level sensors and controls aren’t just for use in residential potable water holding tanks; some of the other applications include cooling towers, sump pumps, wastewater, boilers, water storage tanks, and building fire protection water tanks.

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Importance of Fire Safety and Prevention Planning
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Fire Protection Systems

Fire systems are not only integral to the operation of a business, their benefits are incalculable in the event of the fire, increasing the likelihood of reduced damage to equipment, inventory and documents. Read on to learn more.

Understanding How a Fire Protection System Functions

A common fire protection system is a smoke detector and a sprinkler. If a fire sparks, smoke sets off the detector causing the sprinkler system to activate. The water protects against the spread of fire. However, automatic fire suppression systems using clean agents are a superior choice.

Benefits of Fire Protection Systems

A fire impacts business operations for a significant period of time and may cost millions to a small business.  Equipment may need to be replaced, and valuable contracts could be lost. All of this must be taken into consideration. An additional benefit of some types of fire protection systems is the automatic dispatching of emergency services.

Determining the Appropriate Fire Protection System

As many fire protection systems are permanent, so it is vital to think about your facility’s future needs, not just its present needs.

You must hire a company who understands your needs who can customize your fire protection options. If you do not have adequate protection, you may face exposure and downtime.

Active vs. Passive Fire Protection

Fire protection can be active or passive. Examples of passive protection include fire doors and fire escapes. Active fire protection uses a system that reacts in case of a fire. Examples of active fire protection include sprinkler systems and special hazard fire suppression systems.

Active vs. Non-Electric Detection

Non-electric fire detection does not require electricity.

You will also want to think about the system offering and any services that come with it.

  • Will the system give you around the clock detection?
  • Does it notify authorities once triggered?
  • What are the recommendations for ongoing inspection or testing of the equipment?

When you want to protect critical equipment or machines, a fire suppression system may be your best option.

Waterline Controls™

Our level sensors and controls aren’t just for use in residential potable water holding tanks; some of the other applications include cooling towers, sump pumps, wastewater, boilers, water storage tanks, and building fire protection water tanks.

Fire Protection
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Myths and Facts About Commercial Fire Sprinkler Systems
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Types of Fire Protection Systems

Minimizing the risk of fire at your business or home is highly important. Read on to learn more about the different types of fire protection systems.

Active Systems

  • Fire sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, smoke and fire alarms are all part of an active fire system.
  • Active systems can be manually activated or automatically activated.
  • Active systems are designed to alert people of an emergency so they can evacuate.
  • These systems are most effective when people are aware of how they work and know what to do in case of an emergency. hence why fire drills are so important!

Passive Systems 

  • Passive fire protection extends the time period for evacuation by suppressing smoke and fire.
  • Examples of passive systems more commonly used for commercial installation include fire-resistant walls, fire doors, and fire dampers for air ducts.
  • The design of these devices enables them to automatically engage when heat or smoke is detected. Their purpose is to contain the fire in the location that it originated in order to slow it from spreading to other areas of the building.

Clean Agents

  • Clean agents protect one-of-a-kind assets. This agent avoids damage often associated with traditional water sprinkler systems.

Gas Systems

  • Gas systems work by displacing oxygen that is present.
  • These systems are designed to be safe for use in areas where people are working, although if only carbon dioxide is used for fire suppression.
  • Gas systems leave no toxic or liquid residue that might damage or be a hazard to property or equipment.

Dry Chemical

  • The dry chemicals, also known as powders, are typically made of sodium bicarbonate or mono-ammonium phosphate.
  • The powder type will depend on the type of business the system is being installed in. 

You can also utilize a combination of above known as hybrid systems. Water Line Controls can assist you in choosing the best options for your business or home.

 

Waterline Controls™

Our level sensors and controls aren’t just for use in residential potable water holding tanks; some of the other applications include cooling towers, sump pumps, wastewater, boilers, water storage tanks, and building fire protection water tanks.

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Chillers In Winter Weather Conditions
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Chiller Tips For Cold Weather

Chillers have to be able to work year round and in some cases it is a good idea to make sure your chiller can work at maximum capacity. Follow these tips to make sure your chillers work hard through the cold weather.

 

  • Glycol charts will display the ambient temperature and give you an indication of the total amount of glycol you will need. To do this you will have to utilize a refractometer, specifically inhibited propylene glycol that is especially made for HVAC systems, especially for high and medium temperature chiller applications.
  • Snow and ice must be kept off the chiller condenser coils as they can damage fan blades and restrict the air flow through the condenser and this will reduce the potential of the cooling abilities of the chiller.
  • Use the manual controls for your head pressures. Head pressures drop during very cold weather and if the chiller is not one that has ambient control equipment such as a flooded condenser or fan cycling, the chiller may not operate correctly. One way of solving this is to block the flow of air through the condenser by wrapping it with plastic or using some card board to block the condenser. it is not a perfect fix, nor a permanent one but will work on a temporary basis.
  • By allowing the pump to run, it should provide sufficent warm water to keep the fluid above the freezing level or above the freeeze levels of the glycol. But at night, the ambient temperature of the air will cool down the fluid rapidly. When the pump is allowed to run, heat will be added from the pumps and from inside the buildings.
  • By planning ahead, you can ensure your chiller is equipped to handle the cold weather conditions in your environment. If you perform a maintenance check in Spetember, it will give you ample time to make any needed alternations.
  • Make sure everything in the system is correctly and completely installed including pumps, piping, safeties and controls.
  • Make sure the cooler evaporator is connected to its separate electrical service and checked for the correct voltage.
  • Perform an inspection for cracks and leaks before the onset of cold weather. This may be an action that saves you tens of thousands of dollars over the winter.
  • Develop a back up plan should your chiller lose power over the cold weather period of the year.
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Types of Metering Devices
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How to Level An Above Ground Pool With Water In It

When you notice the water level is greater on one side of your pool than the other, your pool is not perfectly level. Read on to learn more.

An Inch?

Level ground is a must for all above ground pools. If it is not level, water will splash out. This will require the addition of water and impact the sidewall.

Two Or More Inches?

If the two sides are off by more than a couple of inches, it becomes a serious problem. The walls are made to support the weight of the water evenly. When one side is holding more than the other, Ii left that way, the wall will collapse.

Fixing The Issue

Fixing a pool with water in it is not easy. But we will show you how it can be done. You will need a shovel, filler, hose, and work gloves.

  • You are going to be lifting the lower side of the pool, so you need to get rid of some of the weight. We recommend that you drain the pool until it’s only half full.
  • When you installed the pool, you put leveling blocks under the slab. You’ll want to remove them from the lower side.
  • Once you have removed the blocks, you will need to use your shovel to pry. Place the tip under the lip of the slab and push the handle down to lift it.
  • While you are holding the slab up, have someone replace the leveling blocks underneath. They will be challenging to get in, so you’ll need a hammer to help.
  • You will need to repeat this process for every set of leveling blocks on the lower side of the foundation.
  • You should have a hole left where you lifted it. Fill it with soil. Water it down with a hose to make sure that it’s packed in there good. If it’s not packed tightly, the pool will shift, and you’ll have to do it all over again.
  • Refill the pool to your desired level.

Source: https://pooljudge.com/how-to-level-an-above-ground-pool-with-water-in-it/

 

Never Replace Liquid Level Sensors Again with Waterline Controls™

Our level sensors and controls aren’t just for use in residential potable water holding tanks; some of the other applications include cooling towers, sump pumps, wastewater, boilers, water storage tanks, and building fire protection water tanks.

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Sump Pump Float Work
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How Does a Sump Pump Float Work?

Sump Pump Float Work

Sump pumps are set off automatically once the water level in the sump pit gets to a predetermined height. A homeowner can calibrate the pump to start at any depth they wish by adjusting the float device of the sump pump.

Water runoff and/ or seeping water is collected inside the sum pit. As the water gathers, a float rises as the water level rises. The float has control of an on/ off switch for the pump. Once the float rises to a predetermined height, the pump turns on. The pump continues to function until the float falls low enough to disconnect the switch. The pump is inactive once more until the water level increases again.

Types of Sump Pump Floats

Different types of floats are used by different types of sump pumps. Pedestal pumps will typically have a bulb type float connected to a metal rod that turns on the pump motor’s switch. Other types of pumps utilize floats attached to arms that will raise and lower as the water level rises and lowers. A tethered float is a float that is attached to the pump utilizing a tethering mechanism.

Old Sump Pump Float Working Principle

When the water level rises, the float will rise too. As the float rises the tether steadily releases. The tether is predetermined to start the pump when a specific amount of tether gets released. When the water levels lower, the tether becomes loose and the float falls back to its starting position.

New Sump Pump Float Working Principle

Float switches and water level controls typically start out open, meaning there are no alarms that are required to be activated since the water level is at its lowest.

  1. When the cooling tower stops using the water for its industrial operations, the water level starts to rise. No alarms have been activated up to this point.
  2. When the water level reaches the probes, a signal is transferred between the probes informing the high alarm to activate.
  3. When the high alarm is activated it can be programmed to tell the fill to stop filling up the water.
  4. Finally, when the water reached the predetermined limit, the fill stop kicks in and the process starts all over again.

With correct maintenance, your cooling tower float switches could last for years of operating. A lot of float switch failures typically occur due to degrading, wearing out, or fouling. Cooling tower coatings can safeguard the storage tanks, but what is safeguarding the float switches? Our water level controls can replace your old float switches once and for all and won’t degrade, wear out, or foul, because of any water quality.

Why Choose Water Line Controls

All of our water level controls and water level control systems are assembled right here in the U.S.A. where we monitor every step of the process. The are many reasons to choose Waterline Controls™ for all of your float switch and water level controller needs include:

SIMPLE DESIGN

No moving parts or mechanical floats to break or rust!

BEST TECH SUPPORT

No runaround, no guessing, no stupid answers. You’ll talk to the guy who’s been designing and installing these units for over 20 years.

BUILT TO LAST

Makes it easy to integrate with existing Building Management Systems and has an expected useful life of 15 years.

TOUCH TO TEST

One push of the button starts a complete validation cycle to ensure all systems are working properly.

RELIABLE & ACCURATE

Will not foul, plate, or deteriorate regardless of water quality.

Sump Pump Float
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How Does a Float Switch Work?

How Does a Float Switch Work?

A float switch works to detect the level of liquid in a tank by using a float, magnet, and reed switch system that automatically opens and closes when water levels rise and fall inside the tank.

According to WikiPedia, “A float switch is a type of level sensor, a device used to detect the level of liquid within a tank… One pattern uses a reed switch mounted in a tube; a float, containing a magnet, surrounds the tube and is guided by it. When the float raises the magnet to the reed switch, it closes”.

Basically, float switch systems work by opening and closing dry contacts. Once the dry contacts are opened or closed, they will send an electrical signal to set off a water level alarm. The water level alarm is used to tell the control panel whether the water level is too low or high. If you have an automatic water level control system, the control panel will tell the pump to turn on or off automatically to begin refilling or emptying the water.

How New Float Switches Work

Never replace another float switch or water level controller again with 99% uptime over 15 years. Water Line Controls is the leader in float switch and water level control technology.

Water Line Control’s revolutionary Float switches work by using stainless steel probes (instead of float switches) to detect and sense water levels in a tank (water, oil, gas, etc).

The sensor probes act as their own sensors and do not pass electricity through the stainless-steel probes which keeps them from fouling, degrading, and deteriorating.

All the electronics for the controller are built into the head of the unit so you can connect directly to your control panel. Once the water level is detected by one of the sensors, this causes one of six alarms to be triggered (Low Alarm, High Alarm, Fill Start, Fill Stop, etc.). Depending on the type of water level control system you have, it can be set up to trigger a single point alarm or multi-point alarm.

Different alarms control the different start and stop mechanisms. For example, if a low alarm was triggered in a water tank, that alarm could do one of 2 things (or both in some setups).

  • In a single point float switch, a low alarm will trigger an LED light on your control board
  • In a multi-point float switch, a low alarm will trigger the LED light to turn on, and also send a signal to automatically turn on or off a water pump to refill or empty the water back to the preprogrammed water level.

Float switches and water level controls usually start out closed, meaning there are no alarms that need to be triggered because the water level is at the predetermined height.

New Float Switch Working Principle

  1. The water level starts to drop. No alarms are triggered at this point.
  2. Once the water level drops below the sensor probes, a conductive signal is passed between the probes telling the low alarm to trigger.
  3. Once the low alarm is triggered, it can be programmed to tell the “fill start” to begin filling the water.
  4. Finally, once the water reaches the predetermined height, the “fill stop” kicks in, and the process starts all over again.

With proper maintenance, your float switches/water level controls can last for years of operation. Most float switch failures usually happen due to fouling, degrading, or deteriorating in poor water conditions. Our water level controls can replace your float switches for good and will never foul, deteriorate or degrade due to any water quality.

Why Choose Water Line Controls

All of our water level controls and water level control systems are assembled right here in the U.S.A. where we monitor every step of the process. The are many reasons to choose Waterline Controls™ for all of your float switch and water level controller needs include:

SIMPLE DESIGN

No moving parts or mechanical floats to break or rust!

BEST TECH SUPPORT

No runaround, no guessing, no stupid answers. You’ll talk to the guy who’s been designing and installing these units for over 20 years.

BUILT TO LAST

Makes it easy to integrate with existing Building Management Systems and has an expected useful life of 15 years.

TOUCH TO TEST

One push of the button starts a complete validation cycle to ensure all systems are working properly.

RELIABLE & ACCURATE

Will not foul, plate, or deteriorate regardless of water quality.

Water Level Controls
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New Tech: Water Reuse at Power Plants through Vapor Catching

At Waterline Controls, we understand the challenges faced in industry when it comes to the responsible use of water, especially when there are millions or billions of gallons involved. That’s why we were happy to see the innovative solution created by MIT researchers that deals with the problems of water reuse involving thermoelectric plants.

The Problem

Fossil fuel thermoelectric plants, which produce about 90% of our power here in the US, consume billions gallons of water per day. These plants depend on water to provide the steam to drive the electricity-generating turbines and to keep the plant cool. According to USGS, 99% of that water is surface water and most of that is freshwater extracted from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Reuse of that water is vital, but can be very difficult.

An Innovative Approach to Water Reuse

MIT researchers Dr. Maher Damak and Dr. Kripa Varanasi have developed an innovative way to use the water consumed by thermoelectric power plants more responsibly, as published in Science Advances. Their focus is on the water that escapes through the cooling towers. Keep in mind that the cooling towers are an integral part of keeping plant temperatures under control.

How it Works

As water vapor leaves the massive cooling towers, a beam of ions (electronically charged particles) passes through the vapor cloud. These ions cause the water droplets within the vapor to become charged. Those droplets are then attracted to a metal mesh placed over the top of the cooling tower. The mesh traps the droplets. After the trapped droplets are collected, the water can be reused. The power plant can reuse the reclaimed water, or it can be a source of potable fresh water for coastal cities (many of which use seawater to cool their thermoelectric power plants).

How it is Different

This isn’t the first time that an attempt has been made to use a mesh to capture water exiting as vapor from the cooling towers. However, previous designs have been incredibly inefficient, capturing maybe 3% of the potential water vapor escaping. Strange as it may seem, the problem with these previous mesh designs was an aerodynamic one. The mesh acts as a flow barrier, and the water vapor flows around it. Damak and Varanasi’s solution, however, attracts the flow of vapor to the mesh by electrically charging the droplets, so they are drawn to the mesh, which has a small voltage applied to it. Also, the droplets are attracted to the wire itself, and not the holes.

Testing

A full-scale test version of the device will be installed on the cooling tower of MIT’s Central Utility Plant before fall of this year. It is easy to integrate into existing equipment and does not require any significant modifications. The purpose of this test is to “de-risk” the technology so that power companies, which tend to be quite conservative when it comes to new technology, will be more comfortable considering it.

Working With Water Responsibly

Here at Waterline Controls, we are committed to the responsible use of water, one of our most precious natural resources. Because of that, we remain committed to providing technology that supports water conservation. For example, our cooling tower water level sensors and controls prevent the loss of water by providing reliable solutions to the failure/overflowing of the float valves. Our controllers are designed for 99% reliability at a 15-year life cycle. They are modularly designed so that if one component fails, only that module needs to be replaced — not the entire unit. And our electronic sensor design uses just a small amount of power, is far more dependable than float switches, and will not degrade, foul, or plate. The characteristics make our controllers an environmentally friendly, reliable solution to water conservation problems.

Cooling Towers
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