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HC8000 Electronic Level Switch

  • Model Number:

    Watcher HC8000

  • Product Name:
    HC8000 Electronic Level Switch
  • Manufacturer:
  • Series (4 Models):
Electronic Sump pump level switch
Model Number
Watcher HC8000
$76.00
HC8000

PumpBiz Watcher HC8000

STAK Sump Pump Switches are "electronic float" switches that are designed to work in sump pits that collect ground water from around the home's foundation. Unlike traditional float switches, the Sump Pump Switch has no moving parts that can seize up or get wedged between the pump and the wall of the pit and prevent the pump from running, or cause it to run continuously and burn out (See "Why Pumps Fail"). This makes the Sump Pump Switch many times more reliable than float switches and, because its electronic, it has features that just aren't available in mechanical switches, such as the alarms that are described below. Whether replacing a switch that has already failed or just being pro-active and avoiding the damage that will be done when the switch finally does fail, installing a Model HC8000 Electronic Sump Pump Switch just makes sense to prevent basement water damage. And it works with all brands of pumps, like Flotec, Simer, Wayne, Ace-in-the-Hole, Rigid, etc.

The HydroCheck Sump Pump Switch has a single sensor and a control module. Installation is simple and doesn't require any changes to your plumbing. The control module is plugged into a 120 VAC outlet and the pump gets plugged directly into the control module. The sensor is positioned in the pit where you want the pump to turn on and secured to the discharge pipe with the tie-wrap. Switch has a fixed 90 second run time. That's it. The rest is automatic. Note that the Sump Pump Switch is designed to work in"normal" sized pits that should be able to be emptied in 90 seconds or less. If your configuration is such that it takes longer than this to empty the pit, consider using our HydroCheck Hi-Lo Pump Switch, which doesn't have any run time restrictions.

Simple Installation

The HydroCheck Sump Pump Switch has a single sensor and a control module. Installation is simple and doesn't require any changes to your plumbing. The control module is plugged into a 120 VAC outlet and the pump gets plugged directly into the control module. The sensor is positioned in the pit where you want the pump to turn on and secured to the discharge pipe with the tie-wrap. That's it. The rest is automatic. View the Installation Instructions for more information.

Note that the Sump Pump Switch is designed to work in"normal" sized pits that should be able to be emptied in 90 seconds or less. If your configuration is such that it takes longer than this to empty the pit, consider using our HydroCheck Hi-Lo Pump Switch, which doesn't have any runtime restrictions.

How the Sensor Works The sensor senses water by measuring the resistance between it and the grounded pump motor. When the water is below the sensor the resistance is very high (Figure 1), but when water reaches the tip of the sensor, the resistance is relatively low (Figure 2).When the sensor detects the low resistance from the water, it triggers the control module to turn the pump on. Once the water drops below the sensor, it has no affect on the control of the pump until the next cycle.
 

Alarms and Indicators The HydroCheck Model HC8000 Electronic Sump Pump Switch has a number of built in alarms that warn of problems with the pump or discharge plumbing. The available alarms are described in the table below. Note that the alarms can be disabled by following the steps below:

  1. Unplug pump from control module.
  2. Lift sensor out of water.
  3. Unplug control module from 120 VAC outlet. Wait 10 seconds.
  4. Plug control module back into outlet. Wait 10 seconds.
  5. Unplug control module from 120 VAC outlet. Wait 10 seconds.
  6. Plug control module back into outlet. Wait 10 seconds.
  7. Plug pump back into control module
  8. Place sensor back into water
Alarm/Indicator
Description
Possible Causes
2 Beeps Can't turn pump on
  • Pump not plugged in
  • Float piggy-back plug not disconnected
  • Float switch not secured in "on" position (internally wired float switch)
3 Beeps High Level Alarm
  • Pump can't keep up with water coming in
  • Discharge plumbing blocked
  • Debris on sensor
Steady Slow Beep Motor current above normal
  • High motor current
Steady Fast Beep Motor current too high
  • Very high motor current
Steady Red LED Pump off, no water detected  
Flashing Red LED Pump off, no water detected, switch in short cycle mode
  • If, during the first Calibration cycle, the switch does not detect the drop in motor current indicating an empty pit, it defaults to a 6 second cycle time to protect the pump motor from being run dry
Steady Green LED Pump on, water detected by sensor
  • If this condition exists for more than 30 seconds the high-level alarm will be sounded
Slow Flashing Green LED Pump on, water below sensor, Timed cycle  
Fast Flashing Green LED Pump on, water below sensor, Calibration cycle  
More Information
Model Number Watcher HC8000
Series Pump Floats
Horse Power (HP) 1/2
Horsepower (IE .5, 1, 1.5, 20) 0.5000
Wetted Materials SS-Plastic
Voltage (V) 115
Voltage (Range) 110-120
Phase (Ø) Single (1)
Motor Frequency 60
Max Operating Temperature (F) 120
Other What the Control Module Does:
Once the sensor triggers the pump to turn on, the control module will run one of two different types of cycles: Calibration or Timed. Calibration cycles are run at fixed intervals or whenever there is a significant change in the water inflow rate. Timed cycles are run whenever Calibration cycles aren't run.
The purpose of the Calibration cycle is to determine the characteristics of the pit and pump and figure out how long the pump needs to run based on how fast the water is coming in and how quickly the pump can empty the pit. When running a Calibration cycle, the Sump Pump Switch uses the motor current to tell it when the pit is empty. It can do this because there is a characteristic drop in motor current when it transitions from pumping water to sucking air. When running a Calibration cycle the Sump Pump Switch times how long it takes to drain the sump pit. Once it has this time, it reduces it by about 6% and uses the shorter time value for the Timed cycles. The shorter time results in a little water being left in the pit, which helps the pump start up faster because it doesn't have to re-prime itself.
Country of Manufacture United States
Weight (Lbs) 3.000000

Supporting Docs

Supporting Docs
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