• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Homemade Circuit Projects

Get free circuit help 24/7

New Projects | Privacy Policy | About us | Contact | Disclaimer | Copyright | Videos 

You are here: Home / Water Level Controller / Municipal Water Supply Sensor Controller Circuit

Municipal Water Supply Sensor Controller Circuit

Last Updated on August 1, 2021 by Swagatam 87 Comments

The post explains a simple water sensor with pump starter circuit for switching a pump motor during municipal water supply periods. The idea was requested by Mr. Hitesh Thapa.

Technical Specifications

Is it possible to make a automatic water pump starter which turns On only when the city supply line has water flowing.

Here is the scenario.

- City Supply Line opens only for 1 hour anytime during 6AM - 10AM or rarely sometimes in the evening depending on the water guy.

- We need to keep a watch during these times and keep the main tap open to see if the water has come.

- Once the water has come, we turn on the water pump attached to the main supply line to pump water into our underground water tank.

Could this be automated, like we install some sensor between the water pump and the main supply line that detects water and turns on the motor only when the supply is in full flow?

I have made the water level indicator at home from watching some videos online and it works fine for the overhead tank at home but this one seems to be tough nut to crack :).

Any help is highly appropriated.

Thanks,
Hitesh Thappa

Circuit Diagram

caution electricity can be dangerous

Parts List

  • Resistor 1k, 1/4 watt, 5% CFR = 1 no
  • Capacitor 10uF/25V Electrolytic = 1 no
  • Transistor TIP122 = 1no
  • Relay 12V/30 Amp/ SPDT = 1no
  • Diode 1N4007 = 1no
  • Stainless steel metal for the probes
  • 220 V AC to 12 V DC adapter = 1no

The Design

The circuit design of the proposed municipal water sensor with pump starter is very simple as may be witnessed in the shown diagram.

A Darlington TIP 122 transistor becomes the main active sensing device in the circuit. The device being a Darlington is very sensitive and thus becomes specifically suited to the application.

Its base and the positive DC are together clamped as probes across the water pipe mouth where the incoming utility water is intended to be sensed.

In absence of water the probes stay separated with air gap which renders a very high resistance across the probes which in turn keeps the transistor/relay stage switched off.

The 10uF capacitor at the base of the transistor ensures that the transistor does not get rattled or disturbed by external noises trying to make way through the sensor wires.

When utility water supply initiates, the pipe mouth begins throwing water into the adjoining tank, the speed of the water through pipe brushes across the probes creating a relatively low resistance across it.

This low resistance allows the positive DC to reach the base of the BJT triggering it into conduction...the transistor now conducts and switches ON the relay, the relay contacts shift position and switch ON the connected pump.

Upgrading the above municipal water sensor into an overhead tank overflow cut off circuit

The discussed circuit in the above section can be appropriately enhanced with an additional feature which will enable the circuit to sense an overhead tank full situation and switch OFF the relay along with the pump motor. The upgraded circuit design can be viewed  below:

Parts List

  • Resistor 1k, 1/4 watt, 5% CFR = 2 no
  • Capacitor 10uF/25V Electrolytic = 1 no
  • Capacitor 0.22uF PPC = 1no
  • Transistor TIP122 = 1no
  • Transistor BC547 = 2nos
  • Relay 12V/30 Amp/ SPDT = 1no
  • Diode 1N4007 = 1no
  • Stainless steel metal for the probes
  • 220 V AC to 12 V DC adapter = 1no

You'll also like:

  • 1.  Make this Touch free Faucet Circuit for Hands-free Tap Control
  • 2.  Industrial Tank water fill/drain controller Circuit
  • 3.  Capacitive Fluid Meter Circuit for Sealed Tanks
  • 4.  Electronic Load Controller (ELC) Circuit
  • 5.  Making a Float Switch Circuit for a Corrosion-free Water Level Control
  • 6.  Simple Digital Water Flow Meter Circuit using Arduino

About Swagatam

I am an electronic engineer (dipIETE ), hobbyist, inventor, schematic/PCB designer, manufacturer. I am also the founder of the website: https://www.homemade-circuits.com/, where I love sharing my innovative circuit ideas and tutorials.
If you have any circuit related query, you may interact through comments, I'll be most happy to help!

New Posts

  • 220 V Slow Fade Bedside Lamp Circuit
  • Sound Activated Remote Control Circuit
  • High Voltage DC Motor Speed Regulator Circuit
  • High Efficiency Solar Charger Circuits using Switching Regulators
  • Mobile Signal Vibrator Circuit

Have Questions? Please Comment below to Solve your Queries! Comments must be Related to the above Topic!!

Subscribe
Notify of
87 Comments
Newest
Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments


Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • 3-Phase Power (15)
  • 324 IC Circuits (19)
  • 4017 IC Circuits (52)
  • 4060 IC Circuits (26)
  • 555 IC Circuits (99)
  • 741 IC Circuits (20)
  • Arduino Engineering Projects (83)
  • Audio and Amplifier Projects (118)
  • Battery Chargers (83)
  • Car and Motorcycle (96)
  • Datasheets (77)
  • Decorative Lighting (Diwali, Christmas) (33)
  • Electronic Components (101)
  • Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory (36)
  • Electronics Tutorial (120)
  • Fish Aquarium (5)
  • Free Energy (34)
  • Fun Projects (14)
  • GSM Projects (9)
  • Health Related (20)
  • Heater Controllers (30)
  • Home Electrical Circuits (106)
  • How to Articles (20)
  • Incubator Related (6)
  • Industrial Electronics (28)
  • Infrared (IR) (40)
  • Inverter Circuits (98)
  • Laser Projects (12)
  • LED and Light Effect (96)
  • LM317/LM338 (21)
  • LM3915 IC (25)
  • Meters and Testers (67)
  • Mini Projects (152)
  • Motor Controller (68)
  • MPPT (7)
  • Oscillator Circuits (25)
  • PIR (Passive Infrared) (8)
  • Power Electronics (35)
  • Power Supply Circuits (81)
  • Radio Circuits (10)
  • Remote Control (49)
  • Security and Alarm (64)
  • Sensors and Detectors (127)
  • SG3525 IC (5)
  • Simple Circuits (75)
  • SMPS (29)
  • Solar Controllers (62)
  • Timer and Delay Relay (54)
  • TL494 IC (5)
  • Transformerless Power Supply (8)
  • Transmitter Circuits (41)
  • Ultrasonic Projects (16)
  • Water Level Controller (45)

Calculators

  • AWG to Millimeter Converter
  • Battery Back up Time Calculator
  • Capacitance Reactance Calculator
  • IC 555 Astable Calculator
  • IC 555 Monostable Calculator
  • Inductance Calculator
  • LC Resonance Calculator
  • LM317, LM338, LM396 Calculator
  • Ohm’s Law Calculator
  • Phase Angle Phase Shift Calculator
  • Power Factor (PF) Calculator
  • Reactance Calculator
  • Small Signal Transistor(BJT) and Diode Quick Datasheet
  • Transistor Astable Calculator
  • Transistor base Resistor Calculator
  • Voltage Divider Calculator
  • Wire Current Calculator
  • Zener Diode Calculator

© 2023 · Swagatam Innovations

wpDiscuz