Condensate pump -- please help!

May 23, 2007 6 Replies
A

Hi all,



I purchased a condensate pump from Amazon to use with the dehumidifier in my basement. When I looked at the product description at the Amazon web site everything looked simple -- the dehumidifier needs to be elevaited and drained into the condensate pump. When the water in the pump reaches a sertain level, the pump starts working, pumping out the water through the flexibal tube, and out of the house. It stops when water reaches another level. So it looks like the dehumidifier should never stop, except when reaching the given humidity level.



When the pump was delivered I was surprised to see two loose wires on it. I had no choice other than RTFM. The manual is just one small piece of paper. It has one paragraph related to electric connections, and it says something like Ithe wires need to be attached to the furnice safety circle (or similar -- I don't have the manual with me right now).



Obviously, I don't have anything on my dehumidifier to attach these wires to.



Should I just isolate them from each other? Connect them? Or anything else?



Thanks in advance for any help, Arkadiy



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E

Are the wires for power? If not, you can probably just tape them. My guess is the pump is designed to be used with a high efficiency furnace and that would give some control over the pump if the furnace is not running. .

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S

Tape 'em up. They are used for an overflow alarm or to shut down a furnace/AC unit.

If failure of the pump may cause damage from flooding, you could use those contacts to sound an alarm or to shut off the dehumid (via low-voltage relay).

Jim

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A

Does this mean there is a small voltage on them in the event of pump failure? Should I tape them up separately?

Thanks, Arkadiy

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S

No voltage; they connect to a switch operated by the float arm. Tape separately as a matter of practice.

Jim

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J

The wires do nothing in your application. Tape them up if it makes you feel better or looks neater but there is no power on them and they are perfectly safe.

In a furnace/AC application the wires are connected in series with the low-voltage wiring which allows the furnace/AC compressor to run. The wires are connected to a second float switch in the chamber and if the water reaches a point higher than normal suggesting that the pump is not working or the outlet is plugged the switch opens and shuts down the system preventing flooding.

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S

It's just a float switch. Isolate, or twist together. Makes no difference.

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