# Smith and Loveless electrode vacuum sensor



## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

Is this a B/W liquid level control? I have a couple on water heater tanks to control the water inlet valve.When they touch water they activate a set of contacts, they're pretty tough.


----------



## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

No this is a Smith and Loveless design you can go to their website and look at their pumps. You can see the glass dome on the pump. The mount is cast into the volute of the pump.


----------



## Wardenclyffe (Jan 11, 2019)

Maybe they are sinking the ground for the relay,


----------



## CoolWill (Jan 5, 2019)

Having a control signal pulled to ground is not the same as using the ground as a circuit conductor. Nanoamps or less.


----------



## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

No it is a single #12 or #14 wire that is pulled in with motor circuit conductors and exits the motor lead junction box and is connectrd to the electrode on the glass dome on the pump volute.
The more I think about it I believe what they are doing is not detecting a vacuum but detecting a liquid level in the glass dome . That would confirm that the pump is primed and the pump will start.
Just my theory.
LC


----------



## Wardenclyffe (Jan 11, 2019)

I changed my mind after seeing the picture of the domes,


in the parts ,...


https://www.smithandloveless.com/parts-catalogs


----------



## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

I have worked on many liquid level probes that go to case ground, I could see a vacuum working the same way. It would just have to be ultra sensitive to read the impurities in the air


----------

