I'm working on a project utilizing a steam canister like the one pictured below. When the unit is filled with water, 120v ac is supplied to the connectors on the right and left sides. The current causes the water to boil creating steam.

The connector in the middle is a metal rod extending a couple inches into the tank and is used as a liquid level sensor. I need to buy/build/create a way to activate a relay using this existing connector when the metal rod comes in contact with the liquid water.

 

What do you want to happen when water reaches the third contact?

 

This is what you have. This unit is designed to be used with a controller. Page 10 of the link shows the overall drawing. Among the problems is this thing relies on the conduction of tap water to heat the water which leads me to believe the sensor probe detects AC mains power. I suggest you be real careful. My guess is on fill when the level reaches the sensor probe you have close to mains voltage and keeping in mind this thing draws over 11 Amps at mains voltage it can get very ugly very fast. The steam generator was designed to be used with a specific control board which is how it should be used. Personally I won't get any further as I figure I would violate a forum rule as to mains voltage and shock hazards.

Ron

 

I need to activate a relay which will close a solenoid valve. This is basically a water level sensor. When the water is below the sensor level the solenoid valve should open to refill.

 

I need to activate a relay which will close a solenoid valve. This is basically a water level sensor. When the water is below the sensor level the solenoid valve should open to refill.

Yes, I know how it works. The point is the forum has rules about working with mains voltage. I provided a link to the book so that is all you need to figure it out and if you can't figure it out you should not be screwing around with it. Maybe another member will have more but I am done.

Ron

 

This is what you have. This unit is designed to be used with a controller. Page 10 of the link shows the overall drawing. Among the problems is this thing relies on the conduction of tap water to heat the water which leads me to believe the sensor probe detects AC mains power. I suggest you be real careful. My guess is on fill when the level reaches the sensor probe you have close to mains voltage and keeping in mind this thing draws over 11 Amps at mains voltage it can get very ugly very fast. The steam generator was designed to be used with a specific control board which is how it should be used. Personally I won't get any further as I figure I would violate a forum rule as to mains voltage and shock hazards.

Ron

The control board this is designed to work with is irrelevant to my project. I'm re purposing the device.

Yes, I know how it works. The point is the forum has rules about working with mains voltage. I provided a link to the book so that is all you need to figure it out and if you can't figure it out you should not be screwing around with it. Maybe another member will have more but I am done.

Ron

Yah, that's about what I experienced the last time I was here for assistance. Individuals like Ron trolling the forum acting as if they have some kind of moral obligation to act holier than thou. I suppose it's hard for you to understand that someone can have issues with one aspect while having full knowledge and understanding of another. Ben Franklyn electrocuted himself with nothing more than a kite in a thunderstorm to bring us electricity. If you were there you'd probably have told him the same thing you're telling me. Why even bother posting anything just to tell me that you know how it works but you've passed judgment and I'm not worthy of your knowledge. Does it give you some kind of rush, make you feel important?

 

I am amazed such things are legal. I suppose its big advantage is that if it runs out of water while switched on, nothing bad will happen - no water, no heating.

 

The control board this is designed to work with is irrelevant to my project. I'm re purposing the device.

Yah, that's about what I experienced the last time I was here for assistance. Individuals like Ron trolling the forum acting as if they have some kind of moral obligation to act holier than thou. I suppose it's hard for you to understand that someone can have issues with one aspect while having full knowledge and understanding of another. Ben Franklyn electrocuted himself with nothing more than a kite in a thunderstorm to bring us electricity. If you were there you'd probably have told him the same thing you're telling me. Why even bother posting anything just to tell me that you know how it works but you've passed judgment and I'm not worthy of your knowledge. Does it give you some kind of rush, make you feel important?

Yeah right, your ignorance really hurts my feelings. I don't make the rules. You have an issue take it to a moderator. I have little time for fools.

"Ben Franklyn electrocuted himself with nothing more than a kite in a thunderstorm to bring us electricity".

Exhibit A

Ron

 

I've never seen a controller like that. The water flow is controlled by the current. The current is controlled by the conductivity of the water.

"note:
If the conductivity of the water is not within the 125 to 1,250 uS/cm range, the humidifier may run through a series of drain and fill cycles to condition the water into that range . This process may take up to 96 hours . See explanation of display panel, Table 4, and operating modes . "

Of course...he is not using it as such.

 

Are you going to try to heat water?

 

I am closing this thread pending moderator (staff) review.

 

@1ns0mnia

It is reasonable for members to assume that the sensor will be used as spec'd and correct for those members to point out that AAC does not permit discussions regarding AC direct-to-mains circuitry. You indicate you are 're-purposing' the device but you don't say to what purpose nor what voltages will be involved.

We'll reopen the thread so that you can give us more detail on your specific requirements for the device in question and hold off further member participation until we get some more information from you.

Regards,
JohnInTX
@Wendy

 

Ben Franklyn electrocuted himself with nothing more than a kite in a thunderstorm to bring us electricity.

What are you, 12? Wait, that can't be right; a 12 year old would know that Ben Misspelled didn't "bring" us anything, let alone a force of nature documented thousands of years earlier. He did come back from France with syphilis, but Columbus brought that over here over 250 years earlier.

ak

 

Gentlemen, let’s let the TS clear things up for us and then we’ll go from there.

 

"I need to activate a relay which will close a solenoid valve. This is basically a water level sensor. When the water is below the sensor level the solenoid valve should open to refill."

That could be done.........but what will close the solenoid when full?

 

CURRENT SENSING It cut's off the water when full heats as long as it senses current being used to heat the water
steam can peel the skin right off you. You need more then a relay turning on and off you need to control this thing.

 

If I would design such level sensor, I`d use a CMOS logic IC in the way shown here: http://www.joyta.ru/uploads/2009/03/upr_n.gif or here with thyristors http://www.времонт.su/images/stories/radiotehnika/shema-regulyatora-urovnya-vody.jpg or more sophisticated circuit for minimal and maximal levels indication with hysteresis http://www.votshema.ru/uploads/posts/2012-10/1350305446_ustr_kontr_urovnya_vody.jpg
- russians are quite strong in circuitry (probably because their components are so badly made that it arent working with bad circuitry), it is worth to compare their-bound circuits with google-bound. (Simply Google is not indexing 99% of russian web-pages written in `hieroglyphs`, therefore it must be searched by Yandex, what is `russian google`. And to pass the letterset problem I use a www.translit.ru what allows to create a russian letter out of normal Roman/English claviature. So their network is still searchable.)

 

I am commenting on the OP's use of this component........not used in humidifier or that control panel.....that's the way I understand it.

 

But if openly my opinion about `suicidal` warming technologies - the russian army and most of the prisons, even those where I worked one year, most of people who are not let to go free, uses for tea-making just two shaving razors in the 220V plug, and doing that thing year by year - are still alive (most of them). Other question is that chromium and nickel solute into their tea, but who cares about prisoners or soldiers life longevity, they are expendables.
Other thing is water vapour conductivity what is so large that no even microamperes will flow to the duct via vapour. Such system is in use, and if there is not possible contact between human and vapour it is not less safe than just any SMPS where primary side always are under the phase, if be rude to remember. Just all must be done that anyone may not come in contact with WATER while system is ON. And one of very good and highly recommendable supplementary safety measure be to use a phase control relay what now are in most of shops for just 5...7 Eur. They measure current in one wire (phase) and compare with current flowing back to second (nul) wire. If the difference is over 10...30 mA then in miliseconds relay is interrupted, so the human survives. I use it for my dusch boiler, and at least once it had saved me life when heater element got cracked.

 

RE:""water steam can peel the skin right off you""
That is solely partial true. It is true if there is pressure in cannister, then T may go up until extreme 370...380C at really high pressure. But at normal temperature and pressure it is just about 100 C what is in fact most widespread Finnish Sauna temperature (being between 95-135 C), what most of human may sit-in with a joy many minutes long, having no ANY skin-burn. My home water-vapour sauna has about 98C and I sit in about 15 minutes long in the dissipated flow of 2,2 kW electricity evaporated vapour about 30 cm afar from the skin, sometimes willing to arise the T somehow. I remember well one Swede with Finn`s blood who was very proud about `tough Finnish part` in him - he let me in his sauna at Stokholm behind him, thus I had no other way out as to jump over him, and he let the T over 135, looking with a unhidden interest when I shall capitulate. Need to say he was those jumping out first... because Latvian skin are not less strong. My view is that some only 20% of people are `weak-skinned` to have a skin-burn at 60 C and I am not sure do they are not simulating (fear have wide eyes).