ebac 2650 spillage

[sm_jamieson]

Well, the reviews mentioned possible problems with the ebac 2650 float swit ch. I just had a spillage. The tank was basically full to the brim, and I a m not sure if the float switch was about to switch the unit off or not. I d id not see any leakage before I removed the tank, but there may have been s ome under the unit. But it was impossible to remove the tank at the angle r equired by the opened front cover without spilling some. So there are clear ly issues with the design. Everything else about the unit is very good howe ver.

I suppose it would be possible to angle the unit carefully as the tank is r emoved in order to remove the brimming tank without spilling, or find a way of removing the front cover completely so the tank can be removed without angling it.

The design is as follows. There is a prong sticking out of the unit behind the tank. When the prong i s pushed in the unit activates, so when the tank is removed the unit switch es off - this switching proves that the switch itself works. When the water level rises the float in the tank is pushed up which pushes the external t ab the other side of the pivot downwards. When the tab is pushed downwards far enough it will slide past the prong and thus stop pushing the prong whi ch will then spring outwards thus switching off the unit.

At this point all I can say is the design failure is either:

1. The float switch mechanism when working as designed activates when the t ank is so full that it cannot easily be removed without spilling

1. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it stops the fl oat moving upwards at all, preventing the unit switching off

2. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it restricts th e float moving upwards to some extent resulting in the tank filling too hig h before it switches off.

I will have to do some tests putting in an almost full tank to examine the issue further.

I cannot see how the prong or float tab could break since they both seem st urdy - unless a plastic piece that would serve to reduce friction against t he float has already broken off the end of the prong !

I could possibly make the float switch operate at a lower water level by mo difying the float switch tab.

Simon.

[Davey]

What are we discussing here?

[Bill Wright]

Google it yer daft bugger.

Bill

[Brian Gaff]

Sounds like the latter two reasons ar the problem to me. I've come across this sort of mechanism before, and they are prone to get stuck. It is simple, but has too much friction for the size of float to operate after a time. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Well the mechanism as described is the way a lot of de humidifiers alert when their tank is full.

Brian

[sm_jamieson]

It does not seem a reliable method to me either. There is a separate plasti c cover piece over the float and pivot, which might be removable. If it is, I suspect I will try fixing another float below the float inside the tank, so that the mechanism operates with a lower water level, and also has more buoyancy. I need to test the unit under the tap and see what level it actu ally takes to operate the float.

Simon.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Similar design on an ebac look-a-like, and the fault was that although the microswitch operated mechanically in terms of a click, the electrical contacts did not change. This failure is just occasionally, after some 10 years of use.

[sm_jamieson]

switch. I just had a spillage. The tank was basically full to the brim, and I am not sure if the float switch was about to switch the unit off or not. I did not see any leakage before I removed the tank, but there may have be en some under the unit. But it was impossible to remove the tank at the ang le required by the opened front cover without spilling some. So there are c learly issues with the design. Everything else about the unit is very good however.

is removed in order to remove the brimming tank without spilling, or find a way of removing the front cover completely so the tank can be removed with out angling it.

ng is pushed in the unit activates, so when the tank is removed the unit sw itches off - this switching proves that the switch itself works. When the w ater level rises the float in the tank is pushed up which pushes the extern al tab the other side of the pivot downwards. When the tab is pushed downwa rds far enough it will slide past the prong and thus stop pushing the prong which will then spring outwards thus switching off the unit.

he tank is so full that it cannot easily be removed without spilling

e float moving upwards at all, preventing the unit switching off

s the float moving upwards to some extent resulting in the tank filling too high before it switches off.

the issue further.

m sturdy - unless a plastic piece that would serve to reduce friction again st the float has already broken off the end of the prong !

y modifying the float switch tab.

On the ebac, the same switch action is triggered by the float or by removin g the tank, and assuming that the micro-switch prong does manage to slide o ff the float tab, there is plenty of space for it to move into, so it is un likely the switch triggers differently for the two activation methods. Thus if removing the tank activates the switch, the float should activate it to o (notwithstanding any intermittent fault). Simon.

[Davey]

I did, of course, but some hint in the OP title would have been useful.