Customer Spotlight: Carl
Our first user profile will have us learning more about Carl’s home project. We are able to provide indicators and levels for a multitude of uses, some that we do not even think about. Carl was able to use a standard single level indicator (LS-204 and LS-208) in order to monitor a basement sump water level and signal if the water level gets too high or if the pump is malfunctioning. The pump float trigger can jam or fail and that will create a very costly issue.
The float sensor is connected to a Raspberry Pi, which is an inexpensive minicomputer that is well supported by the community of programmers and very widely used. The Raspberry Pi plays a critical role in his project. It was programmed with a Python script, a relatively simple language. The purpose is to use the float switch to detect high water levels and the purpose of the Raspberry Pi is to send an email alert to Carl whenever something is not correct, whether that be low or high water levels. Commercial water detection sensors and connections to an alarm system are very expensive to set up and even then you will need to pay a monthly subscription to receive emails or text alerts. Carl’s ingenious use of these two cheaper products will give him lifetime email alerts and ease of mind about the status of his sump water level.
Not only does it email Carl, but it has been set up to include reset switches and LED indicators in order for the system to automatically return the system to an untriggered state, which is ideal for any homeowner who may leave their house. This gives Carl the ability to rely on his system to maintain control even when is not home.
Carl chose to purchase his items from Innovative Components because it was the “only place I could find this type [of parts] and they were reasonably priced.” There are more expensive water levels that were available, but “these float sensors were more practical and cheaper, allowing more than one to be used.”
He wants to continue to add to his project, but one day having a log of the water levels by adding a multi-level sensor within the system.
