[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by mvadg

I am not sure an electro-mechanical device (stabilizer) can protect a TV. By the time the stabilizer reacts to the overvoltage your TV will be fried. A spike buster can help somewhat.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

A CVT will be and overkill. Spike-buster is a good idea though. I opersonally have never used an electro-mechanical stabilizer.

Curious stuff about the uselessness of stabilizers, didn't know that.

Anyway, fluctuation is more of an issue than high surges where I live, so what's a viable option to protect electrical/electronic hardware? I use a stabilizer for the fridge and TV, while personal gadgets are connected to Belkin surge protectors. Not enough?

[sgiitk]

Once I checked some servo stabilizers. I found all of them (>5 years old) u/s. The only exception was a 25 year old Aplab.

[Sebring]

Our TV got fried once even though a V Guard stabilizer was used. I think spike busters from a reputed company is the way to go.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Curious stuff about the uselessness of stabilizers, didn't know that.

Anyway, fluctuation is more of an issue than high surges where I live, so what's a viable option to protect electrical/electronic hardware? I use a stabilizer for the fridge and TV, while personal gadgets are connected to Belkin surge protectors. Not enough?

I think you can use a stabilizer with a high voltage cutoff and then connect a spike buster to it, connect the TV to the spike buster. This will work much better. Long term high voltage will be cutoff by the stabilizer and a spike will be suppressed by the spikebuster. Get one with an indicator that tells you when the spikebuster has sacrificed itself (LED).

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by saket77

Yup, it has been working fine since then.
I think your device's fuse blew off for a reason. You may have replaced it with a slightly higher rating which did not blew off on time and in turn, some electronics got fried. That is the most logical thing I can understand!

Regards,
Saket

After all the smoke, everything other than the microwave part worked fine. Mine was 10+ years old so I think the magnetron or the HV transformer died.

[rajeshsundaram]

Any suggestions for a Juicer?

- It should be reliable
- Easy to clean
- I prefer function over form, so need not be eye-catchy.
- Checked out mixer grinder combos, but not to my liking. So it should be a pure juicer.

[diyguy]

Guys, need some urgent advice. My sump motor and the foot valve have been giving me a lot of grief over the past year. Over the past 2 months, I have changed the foot valve of our sump 5 times, 4 times in a one week period and 5th time yesterday. I am not in town and wife had to call the plumber.
This time I got him to install a filter after the foot valve to prevent debris getting in and spoiling the ring. The foot valve is frequently getting spoilt - first time due to sand in the tank, due to heavy rains, the sand lying around near the sump cover seems to have gotten in somehow. The next two times it was a small twig. And yesterday it was a plastic piece of a bottle cap. All of this seems to be coming in the Metro water in our area.
I want to know if any of you have done anything to prevent dirt spoiling your inlet foot valves. This is quite bothersome apart from being expensive. I've spent close to 5K on plumbing costs and spares. The foot valve has cost be 350-375 rs each time, apart from the coupling, PVC pipe, cement etc and 500 rs per visit by the plumber.
I've had to change the plug and the socket twice due to melting when the motor has run dry.

I also want a suggestion for dry run protection. Can I use a B10 Mini MCB as the switch for the motor? Will it trip on heat build up?

Here's two pics of yesterday's burnout

[Thad E Ginathom]

It's hard to tell the scale, but is that a 15-amp plug? If it is the smaller, 5-amp plug, it is nowhere near enough. I'm not sure that even 15-amp is enough for a pump. Better tell us the size of the pump, then one of the experts can suggest. Actually, our sump pump is hard-wired, with a breaker switch, but I am running a 0.5hp waste-water pump off a 15-ampl plug.

Using an MCB as 'dry-run' protection does not make sense. Your pump motor will not be drawing any more current, at least not until the pump seizes.

Your foot valve should be several inches off the bottom of the sump. There should be room for some stuff to collect on the bottom. We have to replace foot valves because they corrode --- but this takes a year or more, not days . I can imagine your frustration.

Our system incorporates dry-run protection, but it is part of an automated, level controlled switch. Its level and dry run sensors are installed in the overhead tank.

[ksmrsm]

Originally Posted by diyguy

Guys, need some urgent advice. My sump motor and the foot valve have been giving me a lot of grief over the past year.

Few things that you could follow:

1. Install the foot valve about 6 inches from the floor of the sump. This would ensure that sand and other debris would not enter.
2. Use a wire mesh to cover the foot valve. Use a mesh with small holes, like a mosquito net but a metal one. This would ensure that debris like twigs would not get sucked into the foot valve. Metal to ensure that the mesh itself doesn't get sucked in.
3. Use a 15 amps socket, preferable a three phase connection.
4. Use an Automatic Level Controller with cut off in the overhead tank. This would ensure that you don't have to switch on/off the motor manually and will also ensure that the motor doesn't run dry.

Note: A good foot valve wouldn't need a replacement for at least 4 to 5 years if maintained well.

Hope this helps.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

..but is that a 15-amp plug?

Using an MCB as 'dry-run' protection does not make sense. Your pump motor will not be drawing any more current, at least not until the pump seizes.

Your foot valve should be several inches off the bottom of the sump.

Our system incorporates dry-run protection, but it is part of an automated, level controlled switch. Its level and dry run sensors are installed in the overhead tank.

Thanks for the reply, and yes this is my mistake. I changed the plug to 5a the last time the 15a burnt out. Our pump is a 1HP one.

The foot valve was last installed about 1.5 ft from the bottom due to the multiple failures and that helped it last the 40 days or so, since the last incident.

I have realized that the plugs and sockets tend to burn only when the motor has been left to run dry for an hour or two. I wanted to use the Thermal properties of the MCB to trip it if the wires heat up to such an extent that the plug and socket burn. Is this a wrong expectation? Is there any device that can cut a circuit when the wires have heated up?

I get the idea now of the automated switch and sensors preventing dry run, but thats a bit elaborate, however I will consider this as one solution. I was looking for an electric technology based solution to prevent this plug/socket meltdown.

Originally Posted by ksmrsm

Few things that you could follow:

1. Install the foot valve about 6 inches from the floor of the sump.
2. Use a wire mesh to cover the foot valve.
3. Use a 15 amps socket, preferable a three phase connection.
4. Use an Automatic Level Controller
Note: A good foot valve wouldn't need a replacement for at least 4 to 5 years if maintained well.

Thank you ksmrsm for your thoughts.
Your points 1 and 3 were already in place, though the last change I made the mistake of using a 6a plug and socket. I will investigate the automatic level controller. The plumber has installed some sort of filter now and I hope it is as good as the wire mesh solution that you describe. I am out of the city on work and am yet to go back and see what has been done. I fail to understand why the plumber has not done this himself as he has seen the multiple failures and why I had to think up of a solution with my limited experience. sigh!

We do clean the sump every 4-6 months and frankly this situation is wearing me out. I live in rented accommodation and I may just up and leave this place due to this irritation.

[sgiitk]

@diyguy; Was by any chance your plug having two piece pins. They are a pain, and I have been fine ever since I went over 100% to single piece pins. These plugs are expensive but given the aggro and hassles, not really.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@diyguy; Was by any chance your plug having two piece pins. They are a pain, and I have been fine ever since I went over 100% to single piece pins. These plugs are expensive but given the aggro and hassles, not really.

Sir I believe the plugs were only one piece pins - pin and a screw for each wire. Is this what you are referring to?
The 15a plug earlier was an Anchor and so was the recent 6a one.

[archat68]

Originally Posted by diyguy

Thanks for the reply, and yes this is my mistake. I changed the plug to 5a the last time the 15a burnt out. Our pump is a 1HP one.

The foot valve was last installed about 1.5 ft from the bottom due to the multiple failures and that helped it last the 40 days or so, since the last incident.

I have realized that the plugs and sockets tend to burn only when the motor has been left to run dry for an hour or two. I wanted to use the Thermal properties of the MCB to trip it if the wires heat up to such an extent that the plug and socket burn. Is this a wrong expectation? Is there any device that can cut a circuit when the wires have heated up?

I get the idea now of the automated switch and sensors preventing dry run, but thats a bit elaborate, however I will consider this as one solution. I was looking for an electric technology based solution to prevent this plug/socket meltdown.



Thank you ksmrsm for your thoughts.
Your points 1 and 3 were already in place, though the last change I made the mistake of using a 6a plug and socket. I will investigate the automatic level controller. The plumber has installed some sort of filter now and I hope it is as good as the wire mesh solution that you describe. I am out of the city on work and am yet to go back and see what has been done. I fail to understand why the plumber has not done this himself as he has seen the multiple failures and why I had to think up of a solution with my limited experience. sigh!

We do clean the sump every 4-6 months and frankly this situation is wearing me out. I live in rented accommodation and I may just up and leave this place due to this irritation.

I'd suggest to connect the motor directly to the switch omitting the plug in between. Also, installing the footvalve inside the sump facing upward direction (the inlet of the footvalve should face upward) may prevent sucking in the debris. You can install a simple water flow sensor built with a transistor and LED to the water inlet of the overhead tank. Readymade kits are also available in 300-400 Rs like this:
http://www.ebay.in/itm/321832525657?...84.m1439.l2649

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by archat68

.. motor directly to the switch omitting the plug in between.
facing upward direction (the inlet of the footvalve should face upward) may prevent sucking in the debris.

water flow sensor built with a transistor and LED to the water inlet of the overhead tank.

Thank you, that's simple and brilliant to eliminate the plug!!
I will try the reverse foot valve thing the next time I face this issue

My over head tank is built like 20 feet above the terrace which is the third floor. It's very difficult to get to the top of the tank as there are no steps or ladder of any sort. Nuts but can't help it as it is rented accommodation.

[Aroy]

After a spate of similar burnouts in our AC's, I have moved to Crompton metal clad industrial sockets. These usually come in a metal box with an MCB.



The reason for burnout of sockets is more to do with loose fitting between the plug's pin and the sockets prongs, than with current flowing through it. That is why a high quality plug/socket combination rarely burns out.

For the foot valve
. Get a brass one, rather tan a steel one.
. Install it at an angle (90 degrees is best), so that the valve is positioned sideways rather than down.
. The opening of the foot valve should be at least 15cm above the floor.
. Check the thickness of sediment in your tank. It should not be more than 10cm. If it is more, then empty then tank and get the sediments cleaned up. In fact in cases like yours, annual cleaning would solve most of your problems. Otherwise every time the water enters the tank it will loosen the sediment, which will enter the foot valve and jam it.