6/22/2019 pipe - How to connect 2 water tanks at different levels with one pump?

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How to connect 2 water tanks at different levels with one pump?

I have 2 water tanks installed in my 3 story building. 1st one is on top of the 3rd floor, the other one is on top
of 2nd. The pump is installed at Ground Floor.
1 Before now, the water flow was manually controlled by using Ball Valves but I want to automate it using
Floating valves or whatever. If I install floating valves on both tanks, the problem will be solved but the pump
will blow up.

Kindly provide suitable solutions

pipe valve pump water-tank

asked Apr 30 '17 at 7:13

Ahmad Hassan
6 1 3

1 Why would your pump blow up? Wouldn't you want to be clever enough to use valves that are solenoid controlled and
then two float switches such that when both tanks are full the two switches cause the power to the pump to be cut off? –
Michael Karas ♦ Apr 30 '17 at 9:17

2 Answers

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method to keep two tanks filled with the minimum of installed devices. The only active components required
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are the pump and two float switches.
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Each tank must have a float switch and an overflow drain near the top.

In each tank the float switch must be set to a level lower than, but close to, the drain level.

The switches must be set to run the pump when either water level drops.

The pump must be connected to the infill of the upper tank.

The overflow of the upper tank must be connected to the infill of the lower tank.

The overflow of the lower tank should lead to a sewer or waste line via a suitable water trap.

As water is used from the upper tank, the upper float switch will trip and tun on the pump. The water in the
upper tank will rise until the upper float switch is pushed off.

As water is used from the lower tank, the lower float switch will trip and turn on the punp. The water in the
upper tank will rise until it reaches the overflow, then the water in the lower tank will rise until the lower float
switch is pushed off.

There is no possibility of the pump running against closed valves because no flow directing valves are
required nor installed.

answered Aug 6 '17 at 23:52

A. I. Breveleri
8,062 1 10 25

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ThreePhaseEel Aug 6 '17
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1 Yes, and the drain should run where someone in the house is likely to hear it and investigate. I didn't draw the complete
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sewer connection because requirements for these vary widely by location. – A. I. Breveleri Aug 7 '17 at 0:00

Any number of tanks can be cascaded with this method. The operating principle is that when a tank gets low it refills
itself by flooding all the upstream tanks. – A. I. Breveleri Aug 7 '17 at 14:14

Like Michael Karas is indicating you can an automatic floating valve on the lower tank and a float switch on
the top tank. Once the lower tank is filled the valve will close and the water can continue to the top tank. As
0 soon as the top tank is filled the level switch opens and cuts the pump solenoid switch.

Furthermore it depends on the type of pump if it blows up or not. A peristaltic pump can blows up a
centrifugal pump can not. In fact the centrifugal pump starts drawing less current when pumping with no flow.
No liquid transport is no required energy. Therefore less current.

answered Apr 30 '17 at 18:29

Decapod
416 2 4

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