Float switches can be found in applications that range from sump pumps to chemical storage tanks to toilets. With that said, most don’t realize exactly how these devices work, and their importance to devices that can be found all throughout your home and also throughout businesses. Now, we’re taking a closer look at exactly how these devices function in all kinds of devices.
What is a Float Switch?
A float switch is a device that, at its base level, reads the level of a liquid in a tank. This provides feedback and allows either the system to react to the levels, or actually shows the levels to someone monitoring the tank. There are several different types of switches, and while some of them will engage or disengage a response when liquid rises or fall, some just report the amount of liquid within a tank. Float switches can be found in sump pumps, chemical tanks, food processing tanks, toilets, environmental monitoring systems, and more.
How Float Switches Work
Float switches work by just opening or closing a circuit as liquid levels rise or fall. Effectively, the switch itself floats upward or downward with the rising or falling levels. This movement then can trigger a switch which then causes other actions to occur. More specifically, the float comes closer to the leads, which are one of the components of the switch. When the float becomes within range, the leads become magnetized and come together, completing the circuit.
When this circuit connects, several things can happen. It can cause a pump to start that then pumps more fluid into the tank, or it can drain the tank of fluid instead. Maintaining levels of liquid is extremely important in numerous applications.