# Septic pump float switch



## heel600 (Oct 31, 2007)

Need some help here
I have a float for a septic pump with a 14/3 cord. A white, black, and red.

I had to cut the plug off.

It seems that the black and red are NO and when the float raises the contacts (mercury) close

So why is there a white wire?

I cannot (and don't want to) open up the tank. It's buried.

Do I need the white to be energized? What does it do?


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

heel600 said:


> Need some help here
> I have a float for a septic pump with a 14/3 cord. A white, black, and red.
> 
> I had to cut the plug off.
> ...


It should be a Neutral.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

I have never seen a septic float with more than two wires, and the pumps were three wire. When you say it was black, white and red, was this SO? Never seen that either and I've done a lot of septic systems.


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## heel600 (Oct 31, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> It should be a Neutral.


It appears it's a VLFS (variable level float switch).

I found out how to wire it, but I would like to see an actual schematic of the circuitry in the floats.


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## JSpark (Nov 25, 2011)

Could it be a different set of contacts I have seen that before such as normally closed


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

heel600 said:


> It appears it's a VLFS (variable level float switch).
> 
> I found out how to wire it, but I would like to see an actual schematic of the circuitry in the floats.


There are some members that specialize in this area so stay tuned.


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## heel600 (Oct 31, 2007)

backstay said:


> I have never seen a septic float with more than two wires, and the pumps were three wire. When you say it was black, white and red, was this SO? Never seen that either and I've done a lot of septic systems.



I do a lot too, and never saw this before.

I did one this past year that has a tube that runs to a control box. The tube runs to a cone, and depending on the level, the presure in the tube goes up or down, determining how much the pump pumps. Then the engineer comes with his laptop and programs the damn thing.

Can't remember the name of that thing. Sounded like a made-up name.


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## thoenew (Jan 17, 2012)

heel600 said:


> I do a lot too, and never saw this before.
> 
> I did one this past year that has a tube that runs to a control box. The tube runs to a cone, and depending on the level, the presure in the tube goes up or down, determining how much the pump pumps. Then the engineer comes with his laptop and programs the damn thing.
> 
> Can't remember the name of that thing. Sounded like a made-up name.


Wow, sounds like an extensive system.


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## caseyelectric (Oct 19, 2008)

the plug you cut off, on the backside of it, you plug the pmp to it. so when the sewage level raises the float, it completes the circuit to send power to pmp. am i makin sense if not ill try to reword it?
the black is the hot and the red is the switched power to pump

since i live in the swamp i have this type of system and have worked on them


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Very rare I did recall some float switch will carry both NC et NO concats so that may be the answer there.

Merci,
Marc


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

OP how did you determine the state of the contact, with power on and a volt meter perhaps? 



frenchelectrican said:


> Very rare I did recall some float switch will carry both NC et NO concats so that may be the answer there.
> 
> Merci,
> Marc


But then white is normally the common.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

heel600 said:


> I do a lot too, and never saw this before.
> 
> I did one this past year that has a tube that runs to a control box. The tube runs to a cone, and depending on the level, the presure in the tube goes up or down, determining how much the pump pumps. Then the engineer comes with his laptop and programs the damn thing.
> 
> Can't remember the name of that thing. Sounded like a made-up name.


I have seen some with a capacitance probe, but that has a cable more like coax and very stiff.


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## JSpark (Nov 25, 2011)

Disregard my post I was thinking septic alarm floats


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## heel600 (Oct 31, 2007)

*link*

https://app.qleapahead.com/rtp/libraryget.aspx?asset=118658,63

See figure 3


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

So Harry was right, the white was neutral.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

heel600 said:


> It appears it's a VLFS (variable level float switch).
> 
> I found out how to wire it, but I would like to see an actual schematic of the circuitry in the floats.


In my experience "variable level float switch" is a fancy term for "you can zip tie it to the outlet pipe at any level you want". :laughing:


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## MasterE (Dec 31, 2011)

If it has two floats, it has a relay in it. white is neutral black is hot and red is switch wire. when the tank fills with water both floats tip up, the short float switches the power to the red wire which starts the pump. when the water level drops the pump turns off when the the long float tips down.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

You got to be Sh/tin me.... 
It takes how long to plug it in?
Go on over to plumberstalk,,
:laughing:


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## Flytyingyaker (Jun 9, 2011)

It more then likely can be wired either NO or NC I have seen them on a few of the pump stations I am at now.


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## sparkie2010 (Sep 15, 2009)

heel600 said:


> Need some help here
> I have a float for a septic pump with a 14/3 cord. A white, black, and red.
> 
> I had to cut the plug off.
> ...


Just wait tell the $&@$ come out of the tube then you know it's revers


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## heel600 (Oct 31, 2007)

Wirenuting said:


> You got to be Sh/tin me....
> It takes how long to plug it in?
> Go on over to plumberstalk,,
> :laughing:


Who said anything about lugging it in?

The whole reason that I'm even messing with this is because there was a receptacle BURIED BELOW GRADE and I removed it, cut the cords, installed a hand-hole and DB wirenuts.

Oh yeah, they used a 20a250v plug and shoved it into a 15a250 receptacle too.

I don't think it was previously inspected.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

heel600 said:


> Who said anything about lugging it in?
> 
> The whole reason that I'm even messing with this is because there was a receptacle BURIED BELOW GRADE and I removed it, cut the cords, installed a hand-hole and DB wirenuts.
> 
> ...


I'm glad you did away with a below grade receptacle. 
Did the original plug melt off or was it just rotted? 
Half the fun of $€it pits is getting a flush truck to pump it out and pulling the pump & floats out.


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## heel600 (Oct 31, 2007)

Wirenuting said:


> I'm glad you did away with a below grade receptacle.
> Did the original plug melt off or was it just rotted?
> Half the fun of $€it pits is getting a flush truck to pump it out and pulling the pump & floats out.


I am doing a generator and in doing some trench work I noticed the pipe to the setic was broken.

So I get authorization to do the repairs. Go to pull the wires out and see the buried rec and the bottom of the 6x6 box is broken.

So Quazite box goes in.

The old piggyback plug was a little gooey. Don't know what it was.


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## di11igaf (Jan 1, 2012)

heel600 said:


> I do a lot too, and never saw this before.
> 
> I did one this past year that has a tube that runs to a control box. The tube runs to a cone, and depending on the level, the presure in the tube goes up or down, determining how much the pump pumps. Then the engineer comes with his laptop and programs the damn thing.
> 
> Can't remember the name of that thing. Sounded like a made-up name.


Sounds like a transducer
I just did a big ass pump house, the transducer is what turned the well pumps on depending on clear well level, with high and low level floats as a back up


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