I was in a hurry and I forgot to turn my pump back on after feeding on Saturday. I was gone for about 12 hours. I lost 3 5" L200 plecos and 2 discus. I'm lucky I didn't loose everyone. Another 20 or 30 minutes and it would have been all over. It was a horrible sight.
So... Never Again!
I have built a Return Pump Time Delay Failsafe and I am sharing the plans with you so you can avoid my mistake. All it takes is once...
This is very simple, and although not free, it was certainly cheaper than the fish I lost. I documented the build with pictures and posted them below with my comments/instructions for the project. I went a little overkill on the directions and pictures. But hopefully these should satisfy the needs of all skill levels.
Here are a set of step by step direction to build a Return Pump Time Delay Failsafe:
You need 3 items. A timer, something to mount it on, and some sort of extension cord.
Timer: Intermatic Springwound Timer, Model FF32H, Cost: $34.47
This is a Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) switch, which allows us to have the pump normally on, and then temporarily switch it off. Most switches are default off, temporarily on. I couldn't find this at a regular place like Home Depot or Lowes. If you are in Southern California, I found this at Consolidated Electrical Distributors Inc. (CED) in Anaheim.
Wall mount switch box: Home Depot for $5.97
There are many styles available. So you will want to chose the type that works best with your setup.
Extension cord with remote power switch. Lowes for around $5 or $6.
I had previously been using this to turn off the pump during feedings. It is a basically a pass-thru plug like on Christmas tree lights with a long cord with a switch at the end. It was laying around, and made it very simple for me. You could make this with a regular extension cord as well, but it would be a slightly different layout. If anyone is interested, I can draw it out later upon request.
Total cost: ~ $50
Time to build: 15 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
A closeup of the timer.
Here is what comes in the box.
A closeup of the wall box I used.
The cord I used. Notice that you plug your pump directly into the back of the plug. It only runs one of the two wires for AC out to the switch and back. My pump is not grounded (2 wires only). The design would be different dealing with a motor with a grounded (3 prong) plug. Post if you would like a diagram for this.
Step 1: Cut the SWITCH part off of the rest of the cord. Then strip the wires to 1/2 inch. There is a stripping guide on the timer you can follow. You can figure out where you want the switch box mounted and measure how much cord length you will need. Then cut accordingly. You may also want to leave some extra cord on the switch part if you would possibly reuse it.
Closeup of the screws that come with the timer.
Step 2: Insert the stripped wire into the Line 2 and Load 2 terminals. It does not matter which wire goes into which terminal, only that they are both on the (2) side. Nothing will be inserted into the (1) side. The default (off) setting for the switch (timer) is line/load 2. This is why we are hooking up the pump to this side (so it will stay running). When the timer is activated, it will break the circuit for a limited time switching to line/load 1. You could technically hook up something else to the timer to have running while the pump is off.
Step 3: Tighten the screw/washer down over the wires in the terminals.
A closeup of the Line 2 terminal opening.
A closeup of the assembly.
Step 4: Use pliers to remove an access tab from the box. Decide how you will be mounting the box and running the wires and choose the tab to remove accordingly.
Step 5: Gently bend the tab back and forth and it will break free.
The silver plate on the right will be mounted to the wall, the white box screws into it.
The assembly mocked together.
Mock Assembly. Showing which screws go where. These come with the box assembly.
Mock Assembly. Adding the cover and showing the nut that holds it on.
Mock Assembly. Adding the nut.
Mock Assembly. Adding the knob.
Mock Assembly. Side view.
Step 6: Mounting the plate. Make sure that your screws are not longer than the wood is thick or they will poke out the other side and ruin your finish.
Step 7: Connect the top part of the box to the back plate making sure to run the wire through the hole. There are 2 supplied Philips head screws that connect to the base.
A closeup of how the box is connected to the base.
Step 8: Use the supplied slotted screws to connect the timer to the box.
Step 9: Add the cover using the supplied nut to hold it on.
Step 10: Add the knob.
The finished product.
Step 11: Run the wires. Make sure to plug the pump plug into the back of the plug connected to the timer. The pump will be running when the timer is in the off position. Turn the knob clockwise to turn the pump off. Each mark is approximately 5 minutes of time that the pump will be off.
PLEASE TEST YOUR SYSTEM. It is not my fault if you have a defective part, or build this incorrectly. I take no responsibility for anything bad happening, please use good common sense. This works for me, and I wanted to share it with you. You may need to make modification for it to work for your system. This timer/switch is rated for up to 1 horsepower (745 watts). See the intermatic website if you have a larger pump.
Disclaimer:
I am a Ph.D. student in Economics, not an electrician. I consider myself somewhat intelligent. However, if you die, or your house burns down, or worse, your fish die, I am NOT responsible. (I don't mean to scare anybody, but I already have enough student loans, and don't need to add being sued to my debt. I think this should be a really easy and safe build.)
If you have any questions, please post them here and I will do my best to answer them.
-Eric
So... Never Again!
I have built a Return Pump Time Delay Failsafe and I am sharing the plans with you so you can avoid my mistake. All it takes is once...
This is very simple, and although not free, it was certainly cheaper than the fish I lost. I documented the build with pictures and posted them below with my comments/instructions for the project. I went a little overkill on the directions and pictures. But hopefully these should satisfy the needs of all skill levels.
Here are a set of step by step direction to build a Return Pump Time Delay Failsafe:
You need 3 items. A timer, something to mount it on, and some sort of extension cord.
Timer: Intermatic Springwound Timer, Model FF32H, Cost: $34.47
This is a Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) switch, which allows us to have the pump normally on, and then temporarily switch it off. Most switches are default off, temporarily on. I couldn't find this at a regular place like Home Depot or Lowes. If you are in Southern California, I found this at Consolidated Electrical Distributors Inc. (CED) in Anaheim.
Wall mount switch box: Home Depot for $5.97
There are many styles available. So you will want to chose the type that works best with your setup.
Extension cord with remote power switch. Lowes for around $5 or $6.
I had previously been using this to turn off the pump during feedings. It is a basically a pass-thru plug like on Christmas tree lights with a long cord with a switch at the end. It was laying around, and made it very simple for me. You could make this with a regular extension cord as well, but it would be a slightly different layout. If anyone is interested, I can draw it out later upon request.
Total cost: ~ $50
Time to build: 15 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
A closeup of the timer.
Here is what comes in the box.
A closeup of the wall box I used.
The cord I used. Notice that you plug your pump directly into the back of the plug. It only runs one of the two wires for AC out to the switch and back. My pump is not grounded (2 wires only). The design would be different dealing with a motor with a grounded (3 prong) plug. Post if you would like a diagram for this.
Step 1: Cut the SWITCH part off of the rest of the cord. Then strip the wires to 1/2 inch. There is a stripping guide on the timer you can follow. You can figure out where you want the switch box mounted and measure how much cord length you will need. Then cut accordingly. You may also want to leave some extra cord on the switch part if you would possibly reuse it.
Closeup of the screws that come with the timer.
Step 2: Insert the stripped wire into the Line 2 and Load 2 terminals. It does not matter which wire goes into which terminal, only that they are both on the (2) side. Nothing will be inserted into the (1) side. The default (off) setting for the switch (timer) is line/load 2. This is why we are hooking up the pump to this side (so it will stay running). When the timer is activated, it will break the circuit for a limited time switching to line/load 1. You could technically hook up something else to the timer to have running while the pump is off.
Step 3: Tighten the screw/washer down over the wires in the terminals.
A closeup of the Line 2 terminal opening.
A closeup of the assembly.
Step 4: Use pliers to remove an access tab from the box. Decide how you will be mounting the box and running the wires and choose the tab to remove accordingly.
Step 5: Gently bend the tab back and forth and it will break free.
The silver plate on the right will be mounted to the wall, the white box screws into it.
The assembly mocked together.
Mock Assembly. Showing which screws go where. These come with the box assembly.
Mock Assembly. Adding the cover and showing the nut that holds it on.
Mock Assembly. Adding the nut.
Mock Assembly. Adding the knob.
Mock Assembly. Side view.
Step 6: Mounting the plate. Make sure that your screws are not longer than the wood is thick or they will poke out the other side and ruin your finish.
Step 7: Connect the top part of the box to the back plate making sure to run the wire through the hole. There are 2 supplied Philips head screws that connect to the base.
A closeup of how the box is connected to the base.
Step 8: Use the supplied slotted screws to connect the timer to the box.
Step 9: Add the cover using the supplied nut to hold it on.
Step 10: Add the knob.
The finished product.
Step 11: Run the wires. Make sure to plug the pump plug into the back of the plug connected to the timer. The pump will be running when the timer is in the off position. Turn the knob clockwise to turn the pump off. Each mark is approximately 5 minutes of time that the pump will be off.
PLEASE TEST YOUR SYSTEM. It is not my fault if you have a defective part, or build this incorrectly. I take no responsibility for anything bad happening, please use good common sense. This works for me, and I wanted to share it with you. You may need to make modification for it to work for your system. This timer/switch is rated for up to 1 horsepower (745 watts). See the intermatic website if you have a larger pump.
Disclaimer:
I am a Ph.D. student in Economics, not an electrician. I consider myself somewhat intelligent. However, if you die, or your house burns down, or worse, your fish die, I am NOT responsible. (I don't mean to scare anybody, but I already have enough student loans, and don't need to add being sued to my debt. I think this should be a really easy and safe build.)
If you have any questions, please post them here and I will do my best to answer them.
-Eric
jk
