Re: Water Tank Installation Update (long post)

["Stuart Grimshaw" <stuart.grimshaw@xxxxxxxxx>]

Another great post Frank, always fascinating to read what your up to.

On Sat, Oct 25, 2008 at 8:26 PM, Frank Mc Alinden
<frankmc@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Thanks Rob
>
> Its been working quite well..at the moment my tank is only half full
(we
> havent had any rain here in Melbourne for several weeks).....Im hoping
its
> going to rain today......
> My next project is "vegie patch irrigation" and im waiting
on some solid
> state relays so i can complete the controller.........Will be using
Gerry
> Dupreys irrigation controller with xPL.....
> http://www.rgbled.org/sprinkler/index.html
>
> Im using a pcb for the controller itself and  veroboard for the solid
state
> relays
> http://www.futurlec.com/PIC16F877_Controller.shtml
>
> Frank
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rob Iles" <rob.iles@xxxxxxx>
> To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2008 7:01 AM
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Water Tank Installation Update (long post)
>
>
>> I'm a little behind in ukha reading - but just wanted to say
thanks for an
>> interesting post - sounds like a really nice and useful project!
>>
>> R.
>>
>>
>> 2008/9/27 Frank Mc Alinden <frankmc@xxxxxxx>
>>
>>>   Hi Guys
>>>
>>> Thought some might be interested in how my system has been
working and
>>> some
>>> enhancements i have made to it....Also one thing i forgot to
mention in
>>> my
>>> original post was that i incoporated an overflow pipe into my
drain
>>> system
>>> in case the pump failed ...This consisted of 3 tee pieces and
1
>>> elbow....This was easy to add as i had dug quite a large hole
as i was
>>> initially going to install a pit....
>>>
>>> Its been approx 6 weeks since it was fully operational and on
the whole
>>> it
>>> has worked quite well....One issue i was having was that the
Drain Float
>>> switch would occasionly stick and not operate the pump when
>>> required....During winter here thats not a problem as we get
enough rain
>>> to
>>> fill my tank several times....I installed a Mimic Panel so i
could see
>>> from
>>> my Sunroom when the pump was running....If it was raining and
the pump
>>> indicator wasnt lit i would go out to the drain and shake the
suction
>>> pipe
>>> (the float switch was cabled tied to this) and this
>>> would usually activate the drain switch.....
>>>
>>> We havent had rain here in Melbourne for about 3 weeks and i
could see my
>>> tank water level was starting to drop ..then last week we had
one day
>>> were
>>> it rained all day and when i got home my Tank level hadnt
changed ,
>>> checked
>>> the drain and sure enough the float switch had stuck again
...grrrrr.....
>>> so
>>> i decided that today i would remove the float switch and use
my spare
>>> Water
>>> Board to monitor the drain level....
>>>
>>> I remove the float switch wiring and installed a 2 pair cable
for the
>>> drain
>>> sensors but i had to relocate the water board closer (on the
valve stand)
>>> to
>>> the drain as it appears that cable length to the sensors must
be
>>> reasonably
>>> short (less than 4 metres) for it to work properly...
>>> This meant i had to run a multicore to power the Water board
and also get
>>> feedback to the plc from the Waterboard....I used the 2 pair
cable for
>>> the
>>> Gate valve Sensor (see below)
>>>
>>> I modified the Plunger to incorporate the low level and high
sensors
>>> ...see
>>> pic...This worked out quite well....but i had to put a plastic
sleeve
>>> around
>>> the foot valve (check valve) on the suction hose as it was
quite close to
>>> the low level jubilee clip...
>>>
>>> Mimic Panel
>>> I have added a small mimic panel to show me the status of the
pump , Tank
>>> full level, Tank Low level ,system Fault/Fault Reset....System
Fault is
>>> just
>>> some basic checking of the water level probes....Theres also a
Button
>>> called
>>> Manual Mode...
>>>
>>> Manual Mode
>>>
>>> Currently theres no irrigation to our small vegie Patch so i
decided to
>>> add
>>> a button which turns the pump on so we can water the vegie
garden as well
>>> as
>>> wash the cars ...I installed a Gate valve which a garden hose
could be
>>> connected to....When the Manual push button is pressed it
starts the pump
>>> and energises one of the irrigation valves....I have
incorporated a timer
>>> which stops manual mode after 10 minutes......This works quite
well as it
>>> ensures that if for some reason the nozzle comes off the
garden hose we
>>> wont
>>> loose a full tank of water if no one is around to shut it
off.....
>>>
>>> Gate Valve Sensor
>>>
>>> Several times i have watered the vegie patch and forgot to
turn off the
>>> gate valve when finished...and to date it hasnt been a problem
as the
>>> garden
>>> hose has has a nozzle on at all times ,but if the nozzle had
of been
>>> removed
>>> i would have lost a lot of water during normal irrigation as
the Gate
>>> valve
>>> is connected to the manifold that goes to the irrigation
system...
>>>
>>> I had a couple of used industrial prox switches so i used one
to monitor
>>> the status of the gate valve and works like this....
>>>
>>> To now start Manual Mode the plc must not sense the Gate Valve
closed
>>> sensor (meaning the gate valve must be open)....When the Gate
valve is
>>> opened a 30 minute timer is started...if it times out( ie gate
valve left
>>> opened) it flashes the system fault lamp...This lets me know
to turn the
>>> gate valve off.....If the gate vale is closed before the 10
minute Manual
>>> timer expires it will automatically shut down the pump and
irrigation
>>> valve....The gate valve must also be closed to allow
Irrigation Mode to
>>> work.....
>>> Hopefully these changes will make my system a little more
bullet
>>> proof....
>>> Heres a link to some pics of the changes...
>>>
>>> http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z38/frankmc_2007/Water%20Tank%202/
>>>
>>> Frank
>>>
>>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Rob Iles
>>
>> RMIDevelopment
>>
>> Web: http://www.rob-iles.co.uk/rmidevelopment
>> Twitter: http://twitter.com/Rob_Iles
>> Skype: rob_iles
>> 12seconds: http://12seconds.tv/channel/rmi
>>
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
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