LevelGuard Z2480AA1Z - Electronic Sump Pump Switch w/ 30' Cord Wire Leads

3 Questions

Q: When I installed my LevelGuard, it did not empty all the water from the sump pit right away. The pump ran several times until finally the water level went below the lower switch point line. Is something wrong?
by Francis J from Illinois on July 31, 2014

A: No. When the LevelGuard is first plugged in, it initiates a 'sump calibration routine'. This runs as follows assuming the sump pit is full of water:

Runs pump for 15 seconds, then stops.
Runs pump for 16 seconds, then stops.
Runs pump for 17 seconds, then stops.
This continues, increasing the pumping time in 1 second increments up to 99 seconds or until the bottom sensor is reached.
The purpose of this routine is to protect the equipment from running continuously in the event of a failure of the LevelGuard to detect a change of state by the lower sensor. This might occur if buildup of foreign material on the LevelGuard occurs or an object such as a sock falls into the pit and clings/covers LevelGuard's sensor area.
by Jim, Product Expert

Q: The side of my sump pit gets covered with a scum build up that can get up to two inches thick. Will this cause a problem with this field sensing technology?
by Kurtis Y from Iowa on July 15, 2014

A: Thank you for your interest in Sump Pumps Direct. I brought your concerns up with the folks at LevelGuard and received the following response.

Yes, build up like that can definitely prevent activation of the LevelGuard sensors. This could particularly be of concern if the sump was filling and the LG fails to sense the rise in water level. Heavy build up of material on the LG surface can also cause false activation of the sensors but this is less of a problem due to the pump run-on prevention feature built into the software.
Regarding their "Peanut Butter Test" Video that we show on our site:
While this seems like a straight forward question the answer is highly dependent upon what the build-up material consists of. For a non-porous, non conductive material such as peanut butter the thickness would be 4 to 5 mm. For a material that soaks up water as it sits it would be considerably lower.

In addition, all manufacturers do recommend that you inspect your pumps, switches, batteries (if applicaple) and basins every 3-6 months to insure that the pumps and switches are operating correctly and there is no debris that might impede their operation. In addition, batteries should be checked for acid levels and terminals should be clean.
If you have additional questions, please let me know.
by Jim, Product Expert

Q: How does the level guard switch work
by Gary R from Ohio on May 03, 2014

A: Thank you for your interest in Sump Pumps Direct. The LevelGuard switch works based on Field Effect sensing technology that was developed by TouchSensors, Inc out of Wheaton, IL.
Field-Effect sensors are digital, solid-state electronic devices that can detect conductive materials such as water or the human touch. The sensor’s cell design uses an integrated circuit (IC) that switches its output state when the conductive target is sensed. A Field-Effect cell is comprised of three main elements, the IC, a unique sensing electrode geometry, and two tuning resistors. Moreover, Field-Effect requires no moving parts, floats, software, or any other mechanism to operate.
When 5 VDC is supplied to the sensor, a low power, invisible field is created. The field emanates directly through any protective dielectric barrier such as plastic or glass that may surround or cover the sensor. When a conductive object or material enters the field, the sensor detects the change and indicates an event has occurred with a corresponding output signal. The input stimulus to the field is typically water in most liquid level sensing applications, as is the case in TouchSensor’s™ LevelGuard Home Sump Pump Control product line.
by Jim, Product Expert