Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Bummer!!!!!! Float switches are such fiddly things!

there is a new float switch on it's way from Sydney tonight to replace it. I don't know if the pump is alright or not. It doesn't seem to be pumping to capacity

There were about 10 more floaters this afternoon. Planted in the sweet potato patch.

no, it seems like Bertha is fine, just some blocked taps

Hi Jaymie,
Would think about having an electrical safety switch wired in to your board, or even get one like tradies use on an extension lead. No second chances if you know what I mean.

aaah Rod, but the house safety switch tripped last night. we thought it was the combination of the food drier and the pool pump what did it. We listened and heard the fish pump running, so didn't bother going up the hill in the dark to wake the fish

So the answer 2me would be safety switch close to the system, that trips off and then your backup system with alarm audible/visual would kick in. Just a suggestion.

Would definitely need a backup system to go along with any sort of safety trips or the safety trip would likely kill more fish.

but the house safety switch tripped last night.

Jaymie, If the house safety switch tripped, where did the FT pump gets its power? Not from that circuit.

awe bugger...

Yes, the fish tank pumps get their power from the house power point circuit. the electrician doesn't want our money, so we haven't been able to get a separate power source happening yet not for want of trying.

Hey how come if the pump stayed ON that you lost all your water? Wouldn't it have just kept cycling round? Or did the beds overflow due to powerful pump or something?

The float valve makes it act like a timer system. It runs until the water drops then stops and waits for a refill.
Then it overflows water out.
thenit sucks air in and cavitates, and stops pumping effectively.

What I don't understand, is how the pump kept running if the power was cut.
Unless you reset the safety switch and then it started running and kept running...

Two separate incidents!

Float switch failed and pump kept running leaving fish with minimal water the other day.

Comment about the house safety switch was not the incident that caused the issue from my understanding.

Anyway, Hope the new switch gets in and all is good.

KP, she says above it was on a different circuit so it had power.

Jamie, is that a Luise float switch from rock around the block? If not, do you know what brand it is? Might be worth avoiding if you have had two go.

No, she said it's on the house circuit...
Similarly, why did the house circuit trip if it's on a different circuit.