Muhendis

Looking at the web site, this is the interesting part https://www.daddee.co.th/17073644/ไดอะแกรมปั๊มซับเมอร์สdcbl-แบบคอนโทรลแยก It clearly indicates the float switch connections. The fact that your installer tried it and decided that the wires from the tank sensor to the control box were too long indicates quite a bit of current is needed to do the controlling bit. I would fit a power relay in the control box and use it's N.O. contacts to connect to the control box. The current to drive the relay would come from a small power supply also added into the control box. the circuit would then be from the relay coil down a 1.5mm² cable to the tank sensor and back to the small local power supply. Power from the solar panel could be used for the local power supply (solar panel Voc needed). If the solar panel output is not suitable then a small dedicated solar panel can be added. Some design and verification work is required but it is not complicated.

I am now in the habit of fitting unions up stream and downstream of anything that might need to be changed/repaired in the future.

The efficiency has more to do with available space for mounting solar panels rather than the costs. You would need twice as much roof space for the same power output if the panels were only 10%

Probably coming to a village near you soon. Governments and their big business pals are bad losers.

A word of caution to all. Check the power input rating of your inverter charge controller and, after taking into account the thermal derating factor, make sure your solar panel output does not exceed this. I differ a bit from others inasmuch I apply a derating of 10% which gives me a fair margin that I happen to be comfortable with. The worst case conditions are: 1. New panels. 2. Spotlessly clean. 3. Sunlight perpendicular to the surface of the panels. 4. A goodly breeze to waft some of the heat away from the panels. Another very important point is to make sure that your maximum panel string* voltage (Voc) does not exceed the maximum permitted input voltage of the inverter charge controller. If it does, damage will occur and you will get some of @Crossy magic smoke. Solar panels will loose 1%/annum of their rated output so after 20 years your output will be down to 80% of new. There are some new techniques which improve on both the maximum output and longevity (25 years) but the regular panels are still at around 20% output which is to say that if 1kW of sunlight is shinning perpendicular to a 1 metre² panel, the panel will produce 200W of power. * A string of panels is a number of panels connected in series so that their voltages are summed.

Sounds like the woman's got more than half a brain.

That is worrying. It sounds like it may be a one off put together by a local "company".

Not only UV either. One of mine was indoors and the wretched thing did it all on it's own.

Inside the control box there will be a drive circuit for the pump and a solar-to-system DC converter of some sort. There will probably be a processor to control the power going to the pump. Inputs to the controller should include a tank water level switch probably isolated by a low power signal relay. If the isolation is by a relay then we are talking in the low voltage (24V) milliamp range which a water level float switch is easily good for. The relay contacts, on closing due to water level high, would send a signal into the processor to tell it to stop powering the pump. After water has been used from the tank, the float switch would operate due to low level detected and the signal relay contacts would change over telling the control processor to power up the pump and send more water to the tank.

I didn't actually suggest that the pump control box contains a contactor. My thinking is that the control box probably has a means of electronically disabling the power to the pump using volt free contacts. Granted 400 Meters of copper could be pushing it a bit but if there is negligible current flow then it should not be a problem. eg 1.5mm² cable is about 12.1mΩ/Metre so at 100mA the voltage drop would be about 0.5V so if the control box system voltage is 24V, the switching voltage would be 0V - 23.5V which is fine for most systems. Best hold fire on that until we have seen the specs. though.

On reflection. Have a look at the pump control box. They usually have an input specifically for a tank float switch in which case a relay will not be necessary. Just run wires from the switch to the control box. Do you have the control box spec? If you do, post it on here so we can see where to make the connections.

How unpleasant for the frog. I think it's a tree frog.

It might be an idea to not fill those tanks for a few weeks to give the concrete time to get to maximum strength.

You can get a simple float switch arrangement with both high and low level floats on a piece of cord. The switch can control an A.C. pump directly. Since your pump is D.C. and 200 meters away then, as sometimewoodworker said, a control relay and a very long wire between float switch and pump would be required. My own setup is vastly more complicated because I have two sources of water and additional failure/safety features but it started off the same as yours but on a smaller scale.

Into every life beach a little rain must fall. Such is the nature of beauty spots. Everyone wants to see them thus spoiling the view. I see Buriram beach didn't quite make it onto the list this year.

Yeah. I can sympathise with that. My builder wanted to place a pillar about 3M in front of the front door. I had him resolve that at the design stage.

Is he really 100% Thai? He's on your side. But It's you that's spotting the problems, not him.

I'm curious about this. Why use the telephone at all? Does Lloyds not have a chat room on their website?

I wonder what will happen to the people who did the bribery. If their names are on the documents discovered I would hope they will also be investigated, charged accordingly and any tax owed claimed.

When are you expecting delivery of this new tank and how many litres is it good for? That is one very super-strong base.

Those are low voltage reed switch types. You can use them to operate a relay to turn your pump off/on. I have several in my auto tank level system. They need replacing after about 5 years for some reason.

Not scaremongering at all. Simply repeating Sky News. But what the heck. If I am only scare mongering then things are looking up.

I spotted this news item in the UK news media and thought it might be important for anyone whose passport needs renewal. For the next five weeks the UK passport office will be on strike. https://news.sky.com/story/passport-office-workers-strike-five-week-walkout-begins-today-in-row-over-pay-and-pensions-12848615

Minor correction if you would excuse me Garbage In = Garbage Out²

Maybe do that after tomorrow.