Sump pump monitoring and control system

• US 6,676,382 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wayne/Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Campbell Hausfeld/Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Leighton, Harold, Cooper, Buford A., Mayleben, Philip A., Graham, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Justine R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, MICHAEL KUHN
• Application Number:
  US10/233,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20030049134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 417/40, 417/12, 417/18, 417/20, 417/42, 417/43, 417/44.1, 417/423.1, 417/423.7, 417/280, 417/63, 417/423.3, 416/3
• 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 monitoring and control system for a pump that has an electric motor and upper and lower floats comprising:

sensor devices connected to sense a plurality of variable parameters including float position, motor speed, motor amps and motor elapsed running time and provide sensor signals representative of the sensed parameters;

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 motor condition, a jammed motor condition, an inadequate motor speed/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 motor condition provide rapid clockwise and counterclockwise energization of said pump motor to correct the jammed condition.

3. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 1 wherein said output signals representative of an inadequate motor speed/pumping rate condition provide higher speed operation of said pump motor than normal pump motor 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 motor 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 motor to free the stuck float.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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 having monitoring devices connected to monitors a plurality of different pump parameters including pump motor speed, pump motor amps, float position and pump operating time, said monitoring devices providing signals representative of said pump parameters, said control system including a processor configured to receive and process said signals from said monitoring devices to determine the pump condition and generate output signals representative of the determined pump condition, said processor responding to operation of said pump for longer than a predetermined time by generating an output signal for increasing the motor speed, said processor responding to a stuck float or motor by generating output signals for providing rapid clockwise and counterclockwise energization of said motor, and said processor responding to operation of said motor at normal speed while drawing low amps by generating an output signal for deenergizing said motor.

9. The pump of claim 8 including AC and battery power sources, said control system having a monitoring device that monitors availability of AC power and provides AC power availability signals to said processor, said processor being configured to receive and process said AC power availability signals to automatically connect said pump motor to said battery power source when AC power is unavailable.

10. The pump of claim 8 including an information display that displays information on the condition of the pump.

11. A programmed control system for controlling a sump pump having a reversible motor and upper and lower floats, monitoring devices connected to monitor a plurality of variable pump conditions including motor speed, motor amps, motor elapsed run time and float position and to provide pump condition signals representative of the monitored pump conditions, a processor configured to receive and process said pump condition signals and to generate output signals representative of the determined pump condition 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.

12. The control system of claim 11 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.

13. The control system of claim 11 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.

14. The control system of claim 11 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.

15. The control system of claim 14 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.

16. The control system of claim 11 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.

17. The control system of claim 11 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.

18. A method for monitoring the condition of a sump pump having a reversible electric motor, sensor devices, a processor and a display 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 by said sensor devices, categorizing the pump as being in one of a plurality of different conditions in response to said parameters by said processor, 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 the pump is in to said display.

19. The method of claim 18 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.

20. A method for monitoring the condition of a sump pump having a reversible electric motor, sensor devices and a processor comprising the steps of monitoring a plurality of variable parameters including pump motor speed, pump motor amps, pump operating time and sump liquid level by said sensor devices, and categorizing the pump as being in one of a plurality of different conditions in response to said monitored parameters by said processor, said different conditions including normal, a jammed motor, dry running and an inadequate pumping rate.

21. The method of claim 20 including the step of increasing the motor speed in response to a determination that the pump is in an inadequate pumping rate condition.

22. The method of claim 20 including the step of alternately energizing the pump motor in clockwise and counterclockwise directions in response to a determination that the motor is jammed.

23. The method of claim 21 including the step of shutting down the pump motor in response to a determination that the pump is in a dry running condition.

24. The method of claim 21 including the step of providing display information as to the condition that the pump is in.

25. A method for monitoring the condition of a sump pump having a reversible electric motor, sensor devices, a processor and upper and lower floats comprising the steps of monitoring a plurality of variable pump parameters by said sensor devices that enable a determination of a plurality of different pump operating conditions including a normal condition, a jammed motor condition, a dry running condition, and an inadequate pumping condition, and said processor using the monitored parameters to determine which of the conditions that the pump is in.

26. The method of claim 25 including the steps of alternately energizing the motor in clockwise and counterclockwise directions in response to a determination that the pump is in a jammed motor condition, shutting down the motor in response to a determination that the pump is in a dry running condition, and increasing the motor speed in response to a determination that the pump is in an inadequate pumping rate condition.

27. A pump monitoring and control system for a pump that is positionable in a sump and has an electric motor comprising:

sensing means for sensing a plurality of variable parameters including motor amps, motor elapsed run time and sump liquid level to provide signals representative of the sensed parameters, processor means for receiving and processing said signals from said sensing means to determine which of a plurality of different pump conditions the pump is in and generate output signals representative of the determined pump condition; and

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

28. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 27 wherein said plurality of variable parameters that are sensed by said sensing means includes pump motor speed.

29. The pump monitoring and control system of claim 27 wherein said output signals representative of a jammed motor condition provide rapid clockwise and counterclockwise energization of said pump motor, wherein said output signals representative of an inadequate pumping rate condition provide higher speed operation of said pump motor than normal pump motor speed, and wherein said output signals representative of a dry running condition shuts down the pump motor.

30. In a sump pump system having a reversible electric motor and sump water level control means for starting and stopping pump operation in response to different water levels in a sump, a pump control system that includes means for monitoring a plurality of different pump conditions including pump motor speed, pump motor amps, pump operating time and sump water level, said control system including means responsive to operation of said pump for longer than a predetermined time by increasing the motor speed, said control system including means responsive to a jammed motor by providing rapid clockwise and counterclockwise energization of said motor, and said control system including means responsive to operation of said motor at normal speed while drawing low amps by deenergizing said motor.

31. The pump of claim 30 including AC and battery power sources, said control system including means for monitoring availability of AC power and for automatically connecting said motor to the battery power source when AC power is unavailable.

32. The pump of claim 30 including an information display for displaying information on the condition of the pump, and said control system including means for providing signals representative of the pump condition to said information display.

33. A programmed control system for controlling a sump pump having a reversible electric motor and upper and lower floats, said control system including means for monitoring motor speed, motor elapsed run time and float position and providing monitored signals, processor means for receiving and processing said monitored signals and providing output signals 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 motor elapsed run time.