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Depth of water sensing 1

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alternety

alternety

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May 31, 2003
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I would like to monitor the water depth in well. Maximum depth is 500" and minimum is 0'.

I have been thinking pressure sensor but everything I have found is quite expensive packaged sensors.

Any ideas on other ways to monitor depth or sources of something I can use for a sensor in a 500' well.
 
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Now that's what I'm talkin about! I bet that gen just laughed at hail storms. Sucker was designed to take high speed shrapnel and blast.

Alt, u know what they say, if u want something done right...


 
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It had over heating problems and everytime the Power failed I had to dissasemble the carburetor that had gunked totally. Further more it needed 36V to start as it some how motored the generator to start the engine. And it needed a load applied to it or it wouldn't try to start.

I could get no manual for it...

I taught my son how to use a cutting torch on it...
 
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No,not the cutting torch... Such a sad way to go. You could have at least shorted out the outputs and run it till the flames got too high.{;->
 
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DOH!!

I must be getting old. I only ever retired my internal combustion engines by the tried and true; excessive RPM with no oil method... Dang.


I always wondered how many kw it really was... I should have run tests.. If it actually put out 10kW... Cripes it was the frame size of a 100kW, I might have preserved it.

After several, work-away-in-the-rain-with-a-flashlight to get it running only-to-have-the-power-come-back-on cycles my patience was null and void.
 
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Guess I need to add a bit of input to the N.E.T.(*) about
now; you finally got to something important. <g>

I once had a 400 cycle(!) 3-phase military surplus (probably
Air Force?) that pretty much fits that same description.
Came with its own axle. The windings and brushes were very
similar to what I am seeing right now on a 400 HP D.C. motor.
Wound rotor, IIRC. 37.5 hp horizontal 4-cylinder.
With an added exciter about the same size as a 10 HP.
1400 watts. Forever. Same carburator problems, with the
added bonus of a flakey fuel pump (with its own little
manual handle). Sure do miss it. NOT.

<als>
(*) Never Ending Thread


 
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I went to a military demonstration day in Seattle once. They had a full military field hospital set up and were, of course, running it with a generator. It was in a box about the size of classic military foot locker only twice as tall. The generator only occupied the bottom half. The doors were open. The prime-mover was a gas turbine. A little black hose about the diameter of your little finger snaked over to a tanker truck about 100 feet away. The turbine was probably 20" in diameter and 24" long and it was hooked to a generator that was probably 16" in diameter and 24" long. I estimated it was 5kW.

So I went over to the soldier overseeing it and asked him if it was 5kW.... I was shocked when he told me, "Nope it's 50kW" Seeing the surprise on my face he quickly added, "It's 400Hz".

Wow that was slick. If utterly useless. :)
 
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The 'NET' is approaching the next milestone: 250

I wouldn't call any small turbine powered device 'useless'.

Dispose of the 400Hz genny (not even a good anchor) and install the turbine into your inboard speed-boat. Impress the neighbours and thrill the children.

 
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Nah I doubt that turbine had enough torque to drive a boat. Better to have it power an electric boat motor. (something i've always wanted to do.)

Hey smoked, how's that Goodman holding up? Good heat, no failures? We're thinking of buying several for own house and properties.

 
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Well how's it holding up...

I has run probably 1.5 hours total. But it has greatly improved the comfort around here and the only thing I stuffed into the fireplace so far is the Christmas tree.

It has already had a failure....[banghead]

The control transformer spazzed out. It started humming so loudly that my better half had to call me at the office. I think the lamination had a problem but that is just a guess. So I figure what me worry? Simple straight forward warranty problem... WRONG!!! Upon actually attempting to find and work the warranty I discover I must fill out some PDF. Once I find it and read it.. it completely disavows Goodman from any warranty claims if the unit wasn't installed by a dealer. What a bunch of crap! How could a non-dealer installation cause transformer windings to fail in a few hours?!?!? The jerks.

So if you are going to install them yourself beware. If some licensed installer is going to do it then that's not a problem. Other than that it runs well. I ended up using the 40VA transformer that ran my old furnace' igniter.
 
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Congratulations.
1/4 of the way to a kilopost.

Anymore for anymore?

&quot;I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past.&quot; Douglas Adams
 
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I emailed Heat+Cool U and they said they will honor the warranty if Goodman won't replace a part. Guess u bought from the wrong place. ;)


A kilopost eh? Of course u mean 2[sup]10[/sup] posts, right. We need 4 more after this one to reach the quarter kP point.

--
There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary, and those who don't.
 
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Just an update. I will post this to the variable speed pump thread also.

Grundfoss just announced exactly what I needed.

A circulator with a PM motor, built in speed control, and pressure sensors to control the head across the pump. The timing sucks.
 
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Hi Keith

Yes, that is also my thinking. Shure would like to try one. But I suspect Grundfoss is not going to provide one to test. Last time I got information from my contractor, Grundfoss had the old pumps (original and one they told us to buy to test) but never actually reimbursed the contractor for the two rather expensive returned pumps.

If they actually have one for sale at this time, I am guessing it is going to be in the $600 - $1000 range. Just not going to do it now.
 
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