×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Pump controls

Pump controls

Pump controls

(OP)
I've been asked to design a small pumphouse to replace a 45 year old system for a campground and bunkhouse. The existing system works well so I will basically copy it. Except for the pump control (old Heally Ruff). It works well but can't be serviced locally.
The exiting system is split, campground summer only, bunkhouse all year. The bunkhouse pumps are controlled based on pressure. The campground pumps are controlled based on the level in a 2000 gallon holding tank (gravity feed from the tank to the campground). The pressure system is easy but I'm not sure about how to easily control the pumps from floats in the holding tank. We'd like to keep it as simple as possible.

RE: Pump controls

How tall is the 2000 gal holding tank?  How many feet of head from its pumps?

RE: Pump controls

(OP)
The tank is 4 feet high. The top of the tank is about 6 feet higher than the pumphouse floor.

RE: Pump controls

I was wondering if their was enough head to use a pressure sensor for your control, I guess not.  
What type of control system, floats are on it now?  
Is this a metal tank?  
Any openings or ports on top?

RE: Pump controls

(OP)
The tank has floats and they run through the control panel. I am coming around to the realization that I can control the pumps directly with the floats as we do with septic tanks. Although the existing system runs through the Heally-Ruff it isn't really necessary.
The tank is plastic and it has openings in the top.

RE: Pump controls

(OP)
Thanks
I think that is what needed

RE: Pump controls

I work with pumps and pump controls all the time, and I don't know what a Heally-Ruff is, some sort of controller?

RE: Pump controls

(OP)
It is the name of a company that makes controllers. Until I started this project they were the only ones I had heard of. The ones we have in our systems have worked well for many years but when we have problems none of our local electricians know what to make of them.  

http://www.healyruff.com

RE: Pump controls

have you worked with press control, it has a pressure switch with a hydro scan on it

RE: Pump controls

Probably the least expensive and most reliable control system would be induction relays and electrodes similar to the B/W 1500 series. B/W is now owned by AMETEK. This type control equipment has been around and not changed much over the years. It is easy to design and install and it is very immune to surges.

The only draw backs are very cold weather that might freeze water in the tank, which is equally bad for other tank control types. The only other problem with electrodes is when the water supply introduces oil that traps on the tank water surface in a tank. Oil can come from an oil lubricated well and sometimes from tank coatings; both of these oil sources are rapidly becomming extinct.

BTW, the Healy-Ruff Company is still alive and well. Except for their old 940 Roto-Trol float controller most of their current control systems are electronic and electro-mechanical, but they might be able to suggest a way to modernize your current controls. St. Paul, MN, 651-633-7522.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources