Sump pump monitoring and control system

• US 20030049134A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wayne/Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wayne/Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Graham, Scott R., Leighton, Harold, Cooper, Buford A., Mayleben, Philip A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,676,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/40
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/068 Battery powered
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/2222 Construction and assembly F04D29/2211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/2261 with special measures

Abstract

Motor speed, motor amps, float position and elapsed run time are monitored to determine whether a sump pump is in a normal condition, a jammed condition, an inadequate pumping rate condition, a dry running condition or a stuck float condition. A processor is configured to increase the motor speed in response to an inadequate pumping rate condition, and to rapidly energize the motor clockwise and counterclockwise in response to a jammed condition or a stuck float condition. The processor provides signals to a display for displaying information about the condition that the pump is in. The pump is set up to receive power from either an AC power source or a battery power source. Availability of the AC power source is monitored and the pump is switched to operate from the battery power source when AC power is unavailable.

Claims

1. A pump monitoring and control system comprising:

sensor devices that sense the condition of a pump and provide sensor signals representative of the pump condition;

a processor configured to receive and process said sensor signals to determine which of a plurality of different pump conditions that the pump is in and to generate output signals representative of the determined pump condition; and

said plurality of different pump conditions including a normal condition, a jammed condition, an inadequate pumping rate condition, a dry running condition and a stuck float condition.

2. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 1 wherein said output signals representative of a jammed condition provide rapid clockwise and counterclockwise energization of said pump to correct the jammed condition.

3. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 1 wherein said output signals representative of an inadequate pumping rate condition provide higher speed operation of said pump than normal pump speed.

4. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 1 wherein said output signals representative of a dry running condition shuts down the pump and provides warning signals.

5. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 1 wherein said output signals representative of a stuck float condition provide rapid clockwise and counterclockwise energization of said pump to free the stuck float.

6. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of different pump conditions are determined by monitoring pump motor speed, pump motor amps, elapsed pump running time and pump float position.

7. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 1 wherein said pump has both AC and battery power sources and normally is connected to said AC power source, and said processor being configured to check the availability of AC power and to connect said pump for operation from said battery power source when AC power is unavailable.

8. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 1 including a display for displaying information about said plurality of different pump conditions, and said processor being configured to provide signals to said display for displaying information about the condition that the pump is in.

9. In a sump pump having a reversible electric motor and upper and lower floats for starting and stopping pump operation in response to water level in a sump, a pump control system that monitors a plurality of different pump conditions including pump motor speed, pump motor amps, float position and pump operating time, said control system responding to operation of said pump for longer than a predetermined time by increasing the motor speed, said control system responding to a stuck float or motor by providing rapid clockwise and counterclockwise energization of said motor, and said control system responding to operation of said motor at normal speed while drawing low amps by deenergizing said motor.

10. The pump of claim 9 including AC and battery power sources, said control system monitoring availability of AC power and automatically switching to battery power when AC power is unavailable.

11. The pump of claim 9 including an information display that displays information on the condition of the pump.

12. A programmed control system for controlling a sump pump having a reversible motor and upper and lower floats, a processor configured to monitor motor speed, motor amps and float position, said processor being configured to operate said motor at a normal speed when both floats are floating and to operate said motor at a higher speed than said normal speed when both of said floats have been floating for longer than a predetermined time.

13. The control system of claim 12 wherein said motor draws normal amps when running at normal speed while said pump is pumping water and draws low amps when running at normal speed in the absence of water, and said processor being configured to deenergize said motor in response to sensing low amps while said motor is running at normal speed.

14. The control system of claim 12 wherein said motor draws high amps when energized while jammed against rotation, said processor being configured to alternately reverse said motor at high frequency for vibrating and shaking said pump to unjam said motor.

15. The control system of claim 12 wherein said pump is connected with both AC and battery power sources, said processor being configured to operate said motor on said AC power source when it is available and to automatically operate said motor on said battery power source when said battery power source is unavailable.

16. The control system of claim 15 wherein said motor is operable on 24 volts and said battery power source is either 12 volts or 24 volts, said processor being configured to automatically step up 12 volts to 24 volts when said battery power source is 12 volts.

17. The control system of claim 12 including an information display for indicating the condition of said pump, said processor being configured to provide information signals to said information display, said conditions displayed on said information display including availability of AC power, operating on battery power, stuck float, jammed motor and flooding.

18. The control system of claim 12 wherein said processor is configured to respond to a stuck float condition wherein said upper float is floating and said lower float is not floating by alternately reversing said motor at high frequency for vibrating and shaking said pump to free a stuck float.

19. A method for monitoring the condition of a sump pump having a reversible electric motor and upper and lower floats comprising the steps of monitoring a plurality of variable parameters including pump motor speed, pump motor amps, float position and pump operating time, categorizing the pump as being in one of a plurality of different conditions in response to said monitored parameters, said different conditions including normal, a jammed motor, a stuck float, dry running and an inadequate pumping rate, and providing display information as to the condition that the pump is in.

20. The method of claim 19 including the steps of jogging said motor in alternate reverse directions to shake and vibrate same in response to a jammed motor or a stuck float, and energizing said motor at a higher speed in response to an inadequate pumping rate.