December 2011
There is an electric pump on our boat that moves diesel fuel from one of four main fuel tanks to a day tank to run the engine. It can sometimes take up to 20 minutes to fill the day tank. Sometimes, we forget the toggle switch is on and the tank overflows through the vent line onto the deck. I need to devise a way to automatically turn off the pump when the tank is full, or at least after a specified interval of 5 to 10 minutes. There is no access for a float switch in the tank. Maybe some sort of timer circuit?
Please log in to post an answer.
This problem is easily solved with a "spring timer."
This is a spring driven 120 VAC switch available at Home Depot, Lowe's, or an electrical supply house. Often used to turn lights out in store rooms or laundry rooms automatically when not needed, it is a spring driven electric switch that fits inside a standard electrical box and is available in various maximum times such as one hour or 15 minutes.
To operate, one twists a knob to the amount of time needed, the load comes on, then goes off when the time runs out.
