Override float switch

[donald_w]

My aerobic septic tank (Aqua Safe 500 gal. trash with 750 gal. pump tank) has three float switches. The lower one is controlled by a timer and turns on the pump/sprinklers at night. The middle one was an override switch which was always powered and would turn on the pump/sprinklers during the day if necessary (it rarely, if ever, was). The upper one was for a high-water alarm.

A few weeks ago, my lights started flickering, and I eventually traced it to the septic circuit and an underground junction box where moisture was causing arcing. The septic control box lugs were all rusted shut and my maintenance company wanted to replace the box along with the wiring, which they did this week.

When I checked it today, I found that they had not connected the override switch. Actually, they connected the middle float switch to the high water alarm, and left the top one disconnected. The new control box has a lug for override, they just didn't install the wire for it.

I plan to call them Monday – I just wondered if anyone can explain why they wouldn't reconnect the override switch.

 

[frodo]

my guess is they took it apart and were scratching their head as to how to wire it back. I make it a point to take a picture of what ever i tear apart. cause my memory is not as god as it once was.

 

[kappitts]

The effluent went to a sprinkler system? Above ground?

 

[KULTULZ]

my guess is they took it apart and were scratching their head as to how to wire it back.

I make it a point to take a picture of what ever i tear apart. cause my memory is not as god as it once was.

Another learned factoid...

I also have ADVANCED CRS...

 

[donald_w]

The effluent went to a sprinkler system? Above ground?

Yes, it is an aerobic system.

After a few calls, the maintenance company now agrees that the override float switch should have been reconnected. However, they say the top float should be the override and the middle the high water alarm. The wiring diagram I have for the original control box doesn't say explicitly, but the picture shows the high water float on top and the override in the middle. Would codes have anything to say about that or does it matter?

 

[kappitts]

I do O&M on plenty of Aquasafe systems, i am familiar with them. I am wondering, with surface discharge, what kind of O&M contract is required and what kind of sampling schedule you are on. Also, what kind of disinfection or sterilization does your effluent go through before it is discharged?

 

[kappitts]

Oh and typically, on any discharge pump, wether handling 150 gpd or 20000 gpd, you almost always have the same float configuration when it is time dosed. From the bottom up, r/o, timer on, override, high level alarm.

 

[donald_w]

I do O&M on plenty of Aquasafe systems, i am familiar with them. I am wondering, with surface discharge, what kind of O&M contract is required and what kind of sampling schedule you are on. Also, what kind of disinfection or sterilization does your effluent go through before it is discharged?

The county requires a contract with scheduled maintenance 3 times a year, which is what I have (some local companies offer 4 times a year). Last year, I had a liquid chlorination system installed, similar to the one at www.liquidchlorination.com

 

[donald_w]

Oh and typically, on any discharge pump, wether handling 150 gpd or 20000 gpd, you almost always have the same float configuration when it is time dosed. From the bottom up, r/o, timer on, override, high level alarm.

What's the "r/o" for?

 

[kappitts]

Redundant off, if your system has a has a timer on float it may not have an r/o. The r/o keeps the pump from running if the level is too low, it would cause an alarm as well.