Wireless Pump Control for Small Water Systems

Remote Wireless Pump Control is a pervasive requirement in many industries.

A common Remote Pump Control application is to control pump operation based on a remote tank level. Pump(s) are started and stopped or the pump rate controlled to maintain a level in an elevated tank or reservoir. High and low level switches or level transmitters are used at the tanks to monitor the level for control and alarming.

Dedicated and Lease Line Replacement for Remote Pump Control

Where the tank and reservoir is close to the tank, level switches or level transmitter were hardwired to the pump control panel using dedicated cable. Over time, the dedicated cable may become damaged becoming difficult or costly to repair.

In other instances where the tank and reservoir are located a farther distance from the tank,  leased telephone lines were used.  Lease telco line can become damaged;  obsoleted by the telco or become overpriced.

In both these instances, wireless technology is viewed as replacement alternative. Technologies that can be used including Wireless I/O Telemetry, SCADA, and Wireless IoT.

Wireless I/O for Small Water Systems

It has been our experience that for Small Water Systems, Wireless I/O Telemetry is by far the most cost effective and easiest technology to deploy and maintain for Remote Pump Control in Small Water Systems. This is especially the case for Dedicate or Lease Line Replacement for existing Elevated Tank or Reservoirs since there is minimum number of signals required to be transmitted. It could range from 1 (Analog Tank Level) to 6 (Hi Level Switch, Low Level Switch, Hi-High Level, Intrusion, & Analog Tank Level) signals.

Wireless I/O Telemetry is the replacement of existing wired signals with Wireless Technology to mirror the I/O signals –  be it Digital Contacts or 4-20 ma Analog Signals.  With use of  Wirelesss I/O Replication Technology, no other part of an existing Control system needs to be changed.  The existing pump control panel can be retained. Hardware relay logic can be kept. This can be important for Small Water System applications where towns or villages may not have the personnel to deploy and maintain systems that require specialized programming or IT knowledge if PLC, HMI, or SCADA Systems are deployed.

Even in new Pump Control applications, Wireless I/O approach may be the most simple and most reliable solution for transmitting tank level signals.

SCADALink Wireless I/O Replacement Solutions are preconfigured and operational out of the box without configuration.  In the case where the remote tank location has no line power,  SCADALink Solar Powered Wireless I/O packages are available.