Well, the reviews mentioned possible problems with the ebac 2650 float 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 been some under the unit. But it was impossible to remove the tank at the angle required by the opened front cover without spilling some. So there are clearly issues with the design. Everything else about the unit is very good however.

I suppose it would be possible to angle the unit carefully as the tank 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 without angling it.

The design is as follows.
There is a prong sticking out of the unit behind the tank. When the prong is pushed in the unit activates, so when the tank is removed the unit switches 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 tab 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 which 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 tank is so full that it cannot easily be removed without spilling

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

3. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it restricts the float moving upwards to some extent resulting in the tank filling too high 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 sturdy - unless a plastic piece that would serve to reduce friction against the float has already broken off the end of the prong !

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

Simon.

On Thu, 23 Oct 2014 16:57:10 -0700 (PDT)
sm_jamieson wrote:

Well, the reviews mentioned possible problems with the ebac 2650
float 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 been some under the unit. But it was
impossible to remove the tank at the angle required by the opened
front cover without spilling some. So there are clearly issues with
the design. Everything else about the unit is very good however.

I suppose it would be possible to angle the unit carefully as the
tank 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 without angling it.

The design is as follows.
There is a prong sticking out of the unit behind the tank. When the
prong is pushed in the unit activates, so when the tank is removed
the unit switches 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 tab 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 which 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 tank is so full that it cannot easily be removed without spilling

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

3. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it
restricts the float moving upwards to some extent resulting in the
tank filling too high 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 sturdy - unless a plastic piece that would serve to reduce
friction against the float has already broken off the end of the
prong !

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

Simon.

What are we discussing here?

--
Davey.

Davey wrote:

What are we discussing here?


Google it yer daft bugger.

Bill

On Fri, 24 Oct 2014 05:32:52 +0100
Bill Wright wrote:

Davey wrote:

What are we discussing here?


Google it yer daft bugger.

Bill

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

--
Davey.

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

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Davey" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Oct 2014 16:57:10 -0700 (PDT)
sm_jamieson wrote:

Well, the reviews mentioned possible problems with the ebac 2650
float 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 been some under the unit. But it was
impossible to remove the tank at the angle required by the opened
front cover without spilling some. So there are clearly issues with
the design. Everything else about the unit is very good however.

I suppose it would be possible to angle the unit carefully as the
tank 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 without angling it.

The design is as follows.
There is a prong sticking out of the unit behind the tank. When the
prong is pushed in the unit activates, so when the tank is removed
the unit switches 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 tab 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 which 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 tank is so full that it cannot easily be removed without spilling

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

3. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it
restricts the float moving upwards to some extent resulting in the
tank filling too high 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 sturdy - unless a plastic piece that would serve to reduce
friction against the float has already broken off the end of the
prong !

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

Simon.

What are we discussing here?

--
Davey.

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

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"sm_jamieson" wrote in message
...
Well, the reviews mentioned possible problems with the ebac 2650 float
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 been
some under the unit. But it was impossible to remove the tank at the angle
required by the opened front cover without spilling some. So there are
clearly issues with the design. Everything else about the unit is very good
however.

I suppose it would be possible to angle the unit carefully as the tank 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 without
angling it.

The design is as follows.
There is a prong sticking out of the unit behind the tank. When the prong is
pushed in the unit activates, so when the tank is removed the unit switches
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 tab
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 which
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
tank is so full that it cannot easily be removed without spilling

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

3. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it restricts the
float moving upwards to some extent resulting in the tank filling too high
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
sturdy - unless a plastic piece that would serve to reduce friction against
the float has already broken off the end of the prong !

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

Simon.

On Friday, October 24, 2014 8:34:17 AM UTC+1, Brian Gaff wrote:
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

--

It does not seem a reliable method to me either. There is a separate plastic 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 actually takes to operate the float.

Simon.

In article ,
sm_jamieson writes:
Well, the reviews mentioned possible problems with the ebac 2650 float 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 been some under the unit. But it was impossible to remove the tank at the angle required by the opened front cover without spilling some. So there are clearly issues with the design. Everything else about the unit is very good however.
I suppose it would be possible to angle the unit carefully as the tank 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 without angling it.
The design is as follows.
There is a prong sticking out of the unit behind the tank. When the prong is pushed in the unit activates, so when the tank is removed the unit switches 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 tab 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 which 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 tank is so full that it cannot easily be removed without spilling
2. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it stops the float moving upwards at all, preventing the unit switching off
3. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it restricts the float moving upwards to some extent resulting in the tank filling too high 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 sturdy - unless a plastic piece that would serve to reduce friction against the float has already broken off the end of the prong !
I could possibly make the float switch operate at a lower water level by modifying the float switch tab.
Simon.

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.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On Friday, October 24, 2014 9:55:14 AM UTC+1, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
sm_jamieson writes:
Well, the reviews mentioned possible problems with the ebac 2650 float 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 been some under the unit. But it was impossible to remove the tank at the angle required by the opened front cover without spilling some. So there are clearly issues with the design. Everything else about the unit is very good however.
I suppose it would be possible to angle the unit carefully as the tank 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 without angling it.
The design is as follows.
There is a prong sticking out of the unit behind the tank. When the prong is pushed in the unit activates, so when the tank is removed the unit switches 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 tab 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 which 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 tank is so full that it cannot easily be removed without spilling
2. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it stops the float moving upwards at all, preventing the unit switching off
3. The pressure of the prong against the float is such that it restricts the float moving upwards to some extent resulting in the tank filling too high 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 sturdy - unless a plastic piece that would serve to reduce friction against the float has already broken off the end of the prong !
I could possibly make the float switch operate at a lower water level by modifying the float switch tab.
Simon.

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.

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