Wireless Float Switch Review

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Introduction –

Okay, I’ve written a whole lot about our solar well and lightening problems; some here, some on a DIY solar website/forum. Bottom line…twice in 4 years we were hit with lightening transient voltage that blew up our control module for the solar powered well. Yeah, $600 for the first one $500 for the second control module. Simply put…unacceptable!

Yes, I installed all the appropriate grounding and surge devices but it turns out that it was the 700’ of signal wire between the water storage tanks and the wellhead that was acting like a giant antenna absorbing very small amounts of voltage (in the ground, from lightening) and sending it into the control module’s computer circuit board. Zap!

AND!!!! Along the way I found out that I didn’t need the control module to begin with!! Yup, that really ticked me off…$1,100 down the drain. So much for retailers selling customers what they need vs higher profit.

The “fix” turned out to be 2-stages; 1) get rid of the signal wire problem, 2) replace the control module including the very sensitive electronic circuit board with something more stable and safer. This review/article will be only about the signal wire issue.

I first tried to figure out how to protect the signal wire from the transient voltage. Long story…very long story…made short, I couldn’t do it in a manner that I felt was safe, reliable, and realistic. Plan B turned out to be simple…eliminate the signal wire altogether. And that turned out to be a wireless float switch system.

The float switch itself is a simple device that monitors the water level in the storage tank. When the water level drops it sends a signal to the well pump to turn on. When the tank is filled it sends a signal to the well pump to turn off. My problem was the 700’ of buried signal wire between tanks and well. A wireless system is just that…wireless…no wire buried in the ground to pick-up the transient voltage.

The signal is transmitted via a radio signal between a transmitter and a receiver. Everything else pretty much operates the same. Problem solved…installed it last week.

Summary –

Let’s make this easy for you. I will give you the bottom line right here and then you can read the rest if you want to…or if you need some reading material to fall asleep by.

After weeks of research and searching there was only one real option: RPS Solar Pumps’ Wireless Water Tank Sensor for Remote Pump Shutoff, the 24-hour version. Price $729 (on sale), about $800 all in with shipping and tax.

 

So here is the bottom, bottom line…It Works!

Unpacking & Problem –

You know, after getting sold the wrong pump by a retailer that didn’t really know what they were doing, and getting sold a control module that was 100% not needed…and then buying another control module that was 100% not needed I was very skeptical about the actual ability of this unit to do what it was advertised to do…and the price it was being sold for…and the ease of installation that the company was touting. I think you can understand that.

So the box arrives in decent time and apparently undamaged. I set-up for a video to show the unboxing as the first step in a longer video covering the install. “Action!” The box was packed well with plenty of protection around each solar panel and the attached transmitter/receiver units. Out comes the transmitter unit…nice. Next comes the receiver unit…nice. Ahhhhhh…that’s it…nothing else in the box. First thought that ran through my head…here we go…scammed again!

I double checked what was supposed to be in the box vs what was actually in the box. I was missing the float sensor, the antennas, the hardware, etc. More defeatist thoughts start rolling around in my head.

I checked to make sure I saved the video, pulled up the company website, and called customer support. Now this is where it could have been the end of the last of my faith in humanity. Thankfully I couldn’t have been more wrong. The CS rep was incredibly friendly and helpful. She listened and verified the missing equipment. She said she would get an order placed immediately for the missing parts. Then the other shoe dropped…”Do you have any pictures of what was in the box?”

Yup, first thought…they want verification that stuff was actually missing, thinking I was scamming them. But, thankfully, “Mam I took a video from the time I set the unopened box down on the deck through pulling out each piece that was there and then showing the empty box.” I guess that sealed the deal…order placed.

So on with the results of the unpacking…

Issue #1 – Safety : Exposed terminals on both batteries. Yeah, not a good thing. On both solar panels there was an attached battery. The battery had both the positive and negative terminals fully and completely exposed. Meaning…had a piece of metal touched both terminals it would cause a dead short in the battery…and that cold cause a fire. Very, very bad thing when shipping. All rechargeable batteries come with terminal protection when shipped. Someone at the RPS plant didn’t put the terminal protectors back on after assembly. And, the folks in the shipping department missed it as well. Not a good thing at all.

Issue #1.5 – Incompetence : Yeah, kinda harsh but factual. The order should never have left the warehouse without all the parts in the box. It is not hard to ensure all the parts are there in the box…not hard at all. But, RPS does get a compliment for their customer service and quick response to get the missing parts to me.

Received Missing Parts –

About 4-days later the missing parts showed up. Yes, I was skeptical all over again. Video rolling, box opened, all missing parts were no longer missing…all was good. Too bad they weren’t in the original box in the original shipment. The shipping department seems to have a bit of a problem. Solution: Have a pre-printed list for each different unit, the shipping guy goes down the list, the part goes in the box, it gets checked off the list, when complete, take a picture of the signed-off list, put the original list in the box, seal & ship. Problem solved.

Installation –

The installation was straight up and pretty simple. However, the installation video put out by the company is completely unrealistic in terms of time it takes to do the installation. Plan on 20 – 30 minutes per each unit, potentially more depending on your situation.

Issue #2 – Installation : The battery is located poorly. The battery adds weight in the wrong place, it is unbalanced. The battery should be closer to the base of the mounting bracket lowering its center of balance and gravity.

Issue #3 – Installation : The battery is located poorly #2. The battery is located too closely to the plastic box containing the circuit board. It makes it difficult for a person with large hands to get the antenna screwed in. Locating the battery closer to the mounting base would give more room to attach the antenna.

Issue #4 – Installation : The battery is semi-permanently attached to the mounting bracket. Trying to fix issues #3 & #4 I attempted to move the battery. Ah, no. It appears there is a large zip-tie holding the battery to the mounting bracket making it simple…slid the battery closer to the base of the mounting bracket…two problems solved. It did dawn on me that it seemed pretty lame to have the battery held on by nothing more than a zip-tie. When the battery wouldn’t slid down I noticed a double-sided foam piece of tape between the battery and the mounting bracket frame. No moving it. So, it is nice to have a little better mounting system for the battery…too bad the battery is located in a poor location and can’t be moved without major effort.

Issue #5 – Installation : There is a signal wire “pig tail” on both the transmitter and receiver units. RPS also includes a splice kit to attach the float switch signal wire to the transmitter unit and a signal wire between the receiver unit and the well pump. Why? Any splice is a potential point of failure of the system. Also, adds considerable time to the installation process. I simply opened the circuit board box, removed the pigtail wire, and then place the signal wire directly into the connection ports on the circuit board. Poof! Problem/issue solved…no more potential source of failure and time saved.

Issue #6 – Battery : Yeah, this is a fairly minor issue, but one that should not exist. Attaching the wire terminals to the battery “blade” style terminals wasn’t any fun. The first couple of attempts by hand were unsuccessful. And the battery being so close to the circuit board box didn’t help any. I finally had to use my pocket knife, separate the wire terminals a little bit, then use needle nose pliers to get a solid connection on the battery. Seems a bit unneeded and easily addressed at the factory. And, to make matters worse, the battery terminals and wire connections/terminals are open to the weather.

Overall –

Pros –

      • The float switch is not a mechanical float switch at all, it is a sensor. That fact makes it much more useful and functional…and I am thinking it will also last longer.
      • Solar panel appears to be of good quality and plenty large enough to do the job.
      • Battery appears to be of more than sufficient capacity to do its job.
      • The plastic box holding the circuit board is top notch and appears to be plenty weather proof.
      • The circuit board itself looks to be quality and well built.
      • There are 3 status lights in each unit. “Tank Full”, “Power”, and “Com”. The last one shows the unit is transmitting or receiving a signal to ill the tank.
      • The angle of the mounting bracket places the solar panel at a good compromise angle for winter or summer sun.
      • The mounting bracket itself is stout enough to do the job pretty dang well. The base holes are sufficiently large enough to do the job accommodating lag screws/bolts.
      • The antenna appears to do the job. Good thing is, if the antenna is too short, the circuit board box has a universal antenna connection…simply buy a better/longer antenna and connect it if needed.
      • The signal wire on the tank float probe/switch is long…and I mean long. Supposedly 100′, but I didn’t measure it. Great to have so much wire to work with.
      • Overall, it was easy to get up and running within a reasonable amount of time.
      • 2-year warranty and lifetime support.

Cons –

      • The wires connecting the circuit board box to the battery are really, really lame. While they are of sufficient size for volts/amps, their quality appears to be used on an interior space, not sufficient quality to be exposed to weather. It would have been very simple to use a weather rated wire.
      • The terminals on the wires that connect to the battery are even more lame than the wires themselves. The wires, while crimped, are not sealed against weather, dust, etc. A simple solution would be to use a heat-shrink terminal. Or, use a short piece of heat shrink after crimping the terminal.
      • The terminal on the battery and the terminal connections on the wire are completely exposed to the weather. Any weather can easily infiltrate the connection…potential point of failure.
      • The magnetic base on the antenna sucks. Yeah, meaning the magnet used is super weak. I mounted the antenna base on a 1-1/4” wide piece of steel…we’ll see how long it lasts once the windy season starts.
      • The included screws for the mounting bracket base appear to be adequate for mounting on metal. But, if mounting it on a the top of a post, such as a 4”x4”, those screws are wholly/totally inadequate.
      • Last but not least…mislabeled or missing part…again? So here is a picture of the water level sensor. Read the label…again. “Yes, two sensors are included and interchangeable.” Yeah, I unrolled the 100′ of wire and saw the sensor, the silver probe. So where is the other “sensor”? Notice the other wording…”Tank Full / Low Well” Ah, how do they know that my well has low water level?

click to enlarge

        • The two sensors are located in the silver probe; 1 sensor is “tank full“, the other sensor is “tank fill“. There are not two separate sensor unit, they are both located in the probe.
        • “Low Well“??? How in the heck could they know my well is low on water when the sensor is located in the storage tank!?! So a bad case of mislabeling. A bit weird if you ask me.
Kinda Weird –

So I bought the unit on rpssolarpumps.com. If you read everything on their website it sounds as if they make, or at least assemble, the unit themselves. Ah, no. When the unit showed up the instruction manual was from “Back 40 Solar”. And the overall instruction manual left a lot to desired.

The unit is actually made by a company called Back 40 Solar (https://www.back40-solar.com/). So RPS is just the distributor not the manufacturer. But don’t try to buy direct from Back 40 Solar…they apparently only sell through their distributors.

And “rpssolarpumps” is actually Rural Power Systems (ruralpowersystems.com). So there appears to be a bit of an identity crisis going on here. But, I am not particularly worried…the unit worked even if RPS was a little dysfunctional fulfilling the purchase.

Yeah, I have no idea why I thought the Back 40 Solar vs RPS issue was “weird”. I think it just caught me by surprise that RPS was selling a Back 40 product. But hey, why not. Now I just have to figure out how to get this review to Back 40. Yeah, another interesting little tidbit…Try to find a way to contact Back 40 Solar. On their website I couldn’t find any email address, no phone number, no physical address, no mailing address, no contact form, nothing. Okay, there was a form you could fill out if you wanted to become a dealer. No, I don’t want to become a dealer. I did find an email address embedded in the html code of one of the pages so I will send them this review at that email address.

Anyone else find this weird or is just me? It appears that Back 40 Solar wants to stay hidden for some reason; they want no contact with actual customers. I wonder why. The distributor, RPS, does seem to be responsive so maybe it is no big deal…we’ll see.

Recap –

As I stated at the beginning…it works. Yup, that was the main goal…it needed to work which in turn eliminates 700’ of signal wire. And that hopefully eliminates the stray transient voltage that was frying my controllers. And it appears it will do just that…mission accomplished.

Here is a big whine on my part…price. Yeah, this thing ain’t cheap…retail is $949…and that is some serious coin. In October they were running a sale…$729 until 10/30. I bit the bullet and bought it a couple days before the end of the sale. Yeah, well, a week later I went back to the website page to get some info and it was on sale once again for $729 until11/30. Gee…perpetual sale. Just kinda throws up a red flag for me. Yeah, not sure why…just does.

Did I mention that the unit worked? Yup, sure does…mission accomplished…I’m happy…so far.

Sad part is, if they increased the quality of materials and construction just a bit, it would be a great unit vs a good unit. The total cost of the improvements would probably be less than $5…at most. And then add in the shipping department fix…BINGO! A great product and a better purchase experience.

I won’t, or at least shouldn’t, complain about the price. If I figured the cost of 700’ of shielded signal wire plus trenching cost/time the $729 would probably be right in the ballpark of a good deal. Throw in the cost of two burned up controllers and even the $949 price would be reasonable…staggering, but reasonable all things considered.

Now for a reality check…whether $729, but especially for $949, it is not acceptable to have half the parts missing. It just ain’t right. But, they did step up and make it right…but, there should not have been such an egregious/simple mistake to begin with. But, well done on fixing the missing parts issue. And the RPS customer support person was amazing!

Once again…bottom line…It works! It spanned the 700’ distance between the storage tanks (float switch) and the wellhead (pump controller) with no issues. Now here is the real test…Would I buy it again? Absolutely!! Another test…would I pay the $949 full price vs the sale price? Yeah, probably, I would begrudgingly buy it…but clearly I would whine a lot more about it. But it works!! And that is what really, truly matters.

Side Note: I am wondering if I should start videoing all unpacking of purchases made online. You know, anything expensive to document exactly what is going on…damage, missing, etc.

Related Articles –

 

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Oh my gosh…and Amen!

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I would like you to watch the video posted below. I mean really listen to the words, the message, with your mind, heart, and especially your spirit. You might even have to watch/listen to it more than once.

 

 

This country of ours is in such a wreck right now. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been going quickly downhill since the 1950’s, accelerated in the 1970’s, and crashed in the early 2000’s. It’s not Trump’s fault, it’s not any single President’s fault, it’s not Congress’s fault. All of it is to blame…all of Washington, all of the politicians, all of the bureaucracy, all of the lobbyists, all of the political parties, all of the donors…all of us. Blame to one degree or another rests with it all.

But our current political environment is so toxic it defies all description. No, not a single person or politician, not a single party, not a single anything…it is ALL toxic…and getting worse day-by-day, hour-by-hour.

I am begging you, pleading with you, to become aware enough to prepare yourself, prepare your family, prepare your congregations, prepare your community…please!

Once you become aware then don’t dwell on it, don’t obsess over it, don’t allow yourself to become depressed over it. Just prepare and pray…at this point that is all we can do. The forces at work to destroy are greater than virtually any single person…this is God’s fight…and Him alone. And He will win…yes, He will win.

Folks, listen…I’ve been providing hardcore facts and evidence about where we are as a country and where we are headed…I can’t give you much more. You either get it or you don’t. I hope you get it. But more than anything else…I hope and pray you are preparing.

The battle right now is one of good vs evil…and evil can easily deceive and it has many disguises. No one is perfect, but we should be seeking perfection…at least that which is within reality. Please, please don’t acquiesce to evil, or those who promote it, just because it is expedient or the lesser of two evils. That is one of the main reasons that we are in the horrible situation we now face.

Embrace correct and righteous principles…then seek out those people who feel the same and will work hard to advance those righteous principles.


Personal note: I truly wish MTG would have stayed in Congress, fought the good fight, continued to work towards promoting justice and correct principles. But sadly, I understand why she would want to leave that toxic environment and unfathomable betrayal. A person can only take so much, we are all only human. I hope at some point, when/if it is right for her, that she jumps back into the fight for the right. If she would move to our area I would gladly work hard for her to get elected to any office she desired.

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without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
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MCB Interlock

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My experience with an MCB Interlock device has been a total success so far.

I needed to build a control box for my solar well. My solar well pump can directly accept AC or DC power. Part of the box build included an AC inlet for my genset and the incoming DC power from the PV array. I needed to make it easy to switch between power sources quickly and safely. And ensure that power could not come from both sources at once. Although highly unlikely that would ever be attempted, I wanted to ensure it as an impossibility. Hence, the “interlock” concept.

I first heard about their existence here on the forum, I don’t remember which thread. I purchased an interlock device off Amazon along with two Mollum MCBs; 20aAC and 25aDC. They arrived, and it didn’t work.

Problem: Mollum MCBs are not compatible with the interlock I purchased. Mollum breakers have the flip lever in the vertical middle of the unit. The interlock won’t slide with that configuration. So I purchased two Chtaixi MCBs after doing a bit of research (i.e. opening my eyes); its flip lever is located towards the bottom of the unit.

I Slid everything onto a DIN rail and it worked just as advertised.

So let me show you how it looks in my control box build…

AC power…

DC power…

But, here is a cool feature that I just stumbled upon…

Yup, when you want to lock out all incoming power from the genset or the PV array it turns into a “lock out”. Yeah, yeah…I know there is no place for a true padlock or even a tag to prevent sliding the interlock into operational capability. But, for me it is just a cool feature for added safety…not ultimate safety.

So, for a total of $48 I have the circuit breakers I need to disconnect power and protect the wire AND I have a device to safely and easily switch between power sources. Not a bad deal in my book.

If this is something that interests you…

The interlock: https://amzn.to/43JeNWI

AC MCB circuit breaker: https://amzn.to/3K7z29S

DC MCB circuit breaker: https://amzn.to/3Ko7xZH

Tough one to respond to…

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This is a tough post for me to make. Why? The person that sent this comment is a friend of mine. I hope I don’t lose a friend over a difference of political opinions.

My post < click here to read > Here is her response…

“Can’t say that I agree with you on this one. https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/11/20/video-calling-for-military-ignore-orders-from-undermines-good-order-and-discipline/“

To her credit she was polite and friendly without contention. I hope and pray my response will come across as simply matter-of-fact and not contentious.

I read the article you linked to. Here are my observations:

  • The author is a hard right-wing conservative pro-war lawyer. He has not served in the regular military, he was part of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, U.S. Navy as a reserve officer. There is no record of him even attending Navy boot camp. And in 2007 he was forced to resign from his pentagon political appointment position for statements he made 2006 – 2007.
  • He chastises the video folks for encouraging military members to “refuse illegal orders”; stating “…they should be ashamed of themselves and retract their insubordinate, ignorant, and politically motivated diatribe.” Problem…military members are taught and trained to do just that…refuse illegal orders. So he contradicts actual military training. But, I do agree with him that the video was politically motivated…but then again…so was his article.
  • The author then goes on to question why any service member would ever question the legality any order. His statement is in direct opposition to the law, the UCMJ, and the Constitution.
  • Then he goes on to say that military members are not under stress. Ah, one only has to look at the retirement rates, the drug and alcohol abuse stats, the divorce rates, the suicide numbers, and actual statements from active duty, reserves, and recently retired members to understand the true nature of the stress being felt.
  • What amazes me is he actually criticizes them for not mentioning Trump by name! Well, maybe they were trying to just make the statement regardless of who is President. Amusingly, if they had mentioned Trump by name…he would still be upset, probably more so.
  • He also states “Service members are required to follow lawful orders.” This is exactly what the folks are saying…so evidently he agrees with them.
  • He then states “…military personnel are already trained—and the Department of Defense Law of War manual clearly states—that military personnel have a duty not to comply with orders that are clearly illegal.” Once again, he is saying exactly what the video says. And again…he evidently agrees with them.
  • He then says “These lawmakers’ actions and words undermine good order and discipline in the armed forces by encouraging U.S. military personnel to question the orders of the commander in chief of the armed forces for no good reason, based on nothing more than mere political disagreement.” But, he provides no proof, or even any vague evidence, of any undermining.
  • What I find interesting is he absolutely goes off his nut against the video folks…and then he doesn’t make a single comment about the off-the-wall comments by Trump calling them horrific (and untrue) names and clearly indicating that Trump supports hanging them (yeah, death sentence). Seems a bit one sided for a man that sounds as if he should not only be educated but also experienced and intelligent. But then again…political bias and pride can sink even the best of us.

Okay, enough of my responding to the article. This article is written by a hardcore ideologue and a no-questions-asked Trump mega-supporter. He comes from the far-right life-time government employee sector of society. The tone of his article is almost hysterical.

But all that being said…the main points of my article was this (directly from my post)…

  • Trump uses the terms “seditious” and “traitors”. Then he takes it one step further…”hang them” in a re-post.
  • So why did he use the terms “seditious” and “traitors”?
  • Is there anything in this behavior and call to action by Trump that can be defended? Can anyone find anything decent or befitting to the office of President in his message? Is there anything at all about Trump’s message that is justified or even legal? Are you willing to ask the hard questions about Trump?

And my bottom line…my call to action was…

“Eyes open! Minds open! Hearts softened! That is my encouragement to you. And pray…our country in on the brink…ask God to bring us back from the brink of destruction.”

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Really wonder about this one…

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Well, this is certainly weird and does raise some questions…at least it should.

So some Senators and Representatives make a video. In that video they point blank tell US military service personnel and intelligence service personnel not to follow illegal orders. And, I believe all but one was a military veteran, the other was a former CIA officer. Those of us that have been in the military were taught that point…you don’t have to, and you have a duty not to, follow illegal orders. I think it is mostly to prevent war crimes and the illegal use of the military against US civilians. And as a former US federal employee I took an oath, above and beyond by military oath, to follow the law. Absolutely nothing wrong with that message…nothing at all…period!

Now, I will say that a case could be made that the point of the video was to warn military personnel not to follow Trump…if Trump issued an illegal order. Nothing illegal about delivering that message…nothing at all. Those of us with any common sense know that those lefties, veterans or not, were trying to sway the US military in their beliefs and support for Trump. Well, in all reality there is nothing illegal in what they did or the way they did it. They didn’t mention Trump by name, they did refer to his administration. Again, nothing wrong with that…they were expressing their opinion.

Let’s test this video. Let’s say the video was released during the Obama presidency…would you outraged at it? How about during Clinton’s or Bush’s presidency? Yeah, kinda had an idea most reasonable people would see it.

So the video is not illegal and the folks did nothing illegal and their message was not illegal. So where is my concern?

Really? Fist off…there was NOTHING illegal about the video at all…NOTHING! Actually, it is protected speech under the First Amendment. Now, if their video would have called for violence or open physical rebellion, that would have been a different story. But what they did was reiterate what is in their oaths and exactly what they are trained to do, or not to do. And then Trump uses the terms “seditious” and “traitors”. Then he takes it one step further…”hang them” in a re-post.

Oh my God…Trump just demonstrated one of three things…

1 – He is mentally ill and has lost control over his emotions or mental facilities.

2 – He actually believes what he is saying and is actively and purposefully acting against the Constitution and calling for the deaths of Congressmen.

3 – He is playing some very sketchy and totally inappropriate version of dirty politics that could have lethal consequences…and far beneath the dignity and station of the President of the United States.

So why did he use the terms “seditious” and “traitors”? Because that supposedly gives him, as President, extra-constitutional powers (powers outside of those allowed by the Constitution) to go after those Congressmen. Yeah, to any extreme measure he decides.

Then combine that with his re-posting of the call to kill those Congressmen…DAMN! Trump is WAY off-base and crossed the line. But more than anything else…it shows his true nature, character, and current mental state. And that should scare the hell out of you and me!!

Is there anything in this behavior and call to action by Trump that can be defended? Can anyone find anything decent or befitting to the office of President in his message? Is there anything at all about Trump’s message that is justified or even legal? Are you willing to ask the hard questions about Trump?

Trump just put this country on the path to some very, very troubled waters…and ratcheted up the call for violence in a way that could bring about an event that none of should want.

Eyes open! Minds open! Hearts softened! That is my encouragement to you. And pray…our country in on the brink…ask God to bring us back from the brink of destruction.

 

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without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
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Well Control Box Schematic

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I am including the well box schematic below. Anyone’s input would be greatly appreciated…ANY! Yup, that means questions, concerns, issues, warnings, safety problems…and even compliment 😉

I am actually in the process of building the box right now…hurry, feedback needed.

Thank you !

  ( click image to enlarge )

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Off-Grid Problems/Issues/Challenges…Part #1

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I really want to write a little series of articles that, when combined, show a couple points that bug the crap out of me. But…I’m really not sure on where to start. Let me touch on the general points first, then maybe a starting point will manifest.

 

 

 

 

Points to Ponder –
  • You gotta know a bunch of stuff to go off-grid and/or work a homestead…or you need to be willing and able to learn.
  • Businesses are usually stupid…or don’t really care that much about their customers.
  • The simplest solution is usually the best/right solution.
  • There are some really great products out there…but they are usually really well hidden.
  • Don’t ever trust salesmen.
  • Mother nature rules…and can trash mankind whenever she wants.
  • Trying to be self-sufficient is a pain in the a$$…and expen$sive.

Yeah, you kinda get an idea of just how frustrated I might be?

Let me start all the way back at the beginning…

We bought our place 10 years ago…and I can’t express how grateful we are for God bringing us here. Fortunately for us it already had a well on it. Yup, that is an expensive necessity around these parts. Once we closed on the place I contacted a local well company to pull the pump and test the well…and refurb it if needed. We got lucky…the well was in great shape and needed no work on it.

There was no power at the well to run the pump and the pump, although working fine, was 30 years old and 220vAC. I went to a then local well supply house, outlined my situation, they recommended a new pump set-up, and we bought it. I installed it myself a couple years later and all was fine…till we needed to irrigate the garden, yard, and small orchard.

So we found out…not enough storage, not enough pump flow, WAY inconvenient to use a generator to run the pump…just not the right way to supply our water needs. So again, I contacted a now local solar business guy that I was friends with for advice. “Solar pump!!!” was his suggestion and he supplied me a quote. More money than we wanted to spend…but it “would cure our problems.”

I installed it myself and all was good…kinda. We weren’t getting the flow we needed (amount of water pumped out of the well) and we could only run the well during the day when the sun was shinning. And then disaster struck…a thunderstorm. “ZAP!!” A nearby lightening strike took out the well control module. It was under warranty but we had to send it in. Ahhhhhh…it would take at least a week, probably two, to get it back. Solution from the company…”buy a back-up controller”. Another $500 down the drain…but we kept on pumping.

Turns out that when the nearby lightening strike hit there was transient voltage that spread out towards our place and was absorbed by the signal wire between the well control module and the storage tank’s float switch…700’ in between. The hit wasn’t bad enough to show any damage on the controller’s circuit board…but enough voltage to kill the display board which in-turn killed the operational ability of the module.

Transient voltage refers to quick and very temporary spikes in electrical voltage, 
typically lasting only a few milliseconds. The spikes can be caused by near-by lightning strikes, 
switching operations, or electrical faults. And they can potentially damage sensitive electronic 
equipment such as circuit boards.

Float switch is a unit that floats in the water tank and tells the well pump 
when to turn on and send water to the tank and when to turn the well pump off
so the tank doesn’t overflow. 
Basically, and on/off switch controlled by the water level.

So a little time goes on and we expanded the orchard and garden and yard…now way too little water to irrigate. So, another storage tank. Fortunately a decent and reputable local company gave us a deal, installed the tank myself, back in business with plenty of water to irrigate.

Another thunderstorm…we noticed tanks overflowing sometimes. Three months of troubleshooting later…problems with the new well control module. Yeah, from you know what. Fixed it ourselves…back in business. Well, kinda. (no pun intended). We still had a problem getting enough water to irrigate the orchard, garden, berry patches, grass, and the new pine trees. Began a slow process to think about a better solution.

Another thunderstorm with a near-by lightening strike…a dead well control module…the new module now dead. No problem, I had a back-up on the shelf (the original control module), installed it, contacted the company, they said send in the dead unit. Turns out the unit was dead as a door nail…completely bricked. $500 down the drain. And the control module now on the well was the “repaired” unit from the first lightening strike and was/is limping along on borrowed time.

Fed up with the situation I decided I better get thoroughly educated on all aspects of the solar well set-ups and what exactly was causing our problems. Two months later I finally had a handle on it. The problems:

  • The well control modules were getting zapped by transient voltage from nearby lightening strikes.
  • That transient voltage was coming in through the 700’ of buried signal wire between the storage tanks’ float switch and the well. Basically the wire was acting as an antenna collecting the voltage and shooting it into the electronic circuit board inside the well control module.
  • No off-the-shelf solution was available that wasn’t cost prohibitive. Meaning…at a least couple thousand dollars to install an applicable and reliable solution.

But…here is the ugly part(s)…

  • The original local dealer sold us a pump that didn’t meet our water supply needs when he could have if he had simply listened to us when we talked about the well depth, water needs, etc.
  • AND…the same dealer sold us that control module that was completely unneeded. There was a much less expensive and far simpler way to control the well pump.
  • When we worked directly with the pump manufacturer, who sold us the 2nd control module directly, they sold it when it was completely unneeded. Again, there was a much less expensive and far simpler way to control the well pump.
  • Neither the local dealer or the manufacturer had any solution for our situation.

But is gets worse. I accepted the situation for what is was and knew I had to figure out a solution myself…so the research began. I found a wireless float switch that would eliminate the 700’ of signal wire that was collecting the lightening transient voltage…$800. But there still a problem with the well control module and it was going to breakdown at some point. Along with that bad news was some really good news…the pump itself was very high quality and had really great options. However, the control module we had/have couldn’t access those truly useful options.

Yes, I ordered the wireless float switch. Wanna hear some irony? 
The box with the new equipment arrived, a week after I made the purchase. 
I made time to start work installing it on the existing module for a test run. 
I set-up my camera to video the unboxing to post later. 
I pulled out the first two pieces of equipment...ah, that was all there was. 
The antennas, the tank probe, and some hardware were all missing!

Fortunately, I had the video. 
I called the company, explained the situation, told them about the video, 
and the really great customer service person created an order for the missing parts.
 They shipped the next morning.

A very awesome and needed option for the pump was…for basic operation the pump could run off solar panels or a generator very easily with nothing special needing to be done. The current well control module had no ability to implement that option. But, the well control module had options that meant absolutely nothing to me and were completely unneeded. After weeks of research, and a dozen emails back and forth to the “manufacturer” (turns out they were a distributor) I now understood how the pump worked, options for operation, and basically how it functioned overall. Interestingly enough…the pump itself was not “made” by the manufacturer, it actually was made in Italy and then private labeled by this company in Arizona.

The part that ticked me off the most…I could have had more than twice the pump/flow rate with the same type and quality of pump if the local guy had known what he was doing. He sold us a pump for a 750’ deep well vs. a pump for a 220’ well. Another model of that pump provides more than twice the flow rate for the same money for a 300’ well. Nothing I can do about that now…just move on.

So here is what I needed/wanted to control my well:

  1. Earlier in the day pumping and more water in the storage tanks during the summer months.
  2. A safe and reliable way to control the pump.
  3. An easy way to be able to run the well from the solar panels or a generator.
  4. A reasonable and realistic way to protect a control module and the well pump from lightening strikes.

Obviously there is no way to protect from a direct lightening strike, at least one that is affordable, but I could expect protection from the transient voltage issues that was burning out the existing control modules.

PROBLEM!!!! I couldn’t find anything to fit those requirements…nothing!

Come on…was I being unreasonable? I can’t be the first guy to run into this. And, it isn’t complicated. One limiting factor was my existing pump…I was stuck with it and its limiting flow rate. To replace it was simply too expensive. So I had to figure this out on my own. And I did!

I will write another article on what I am building for a solution…but, that isn’t the point of this article. Here I just want to point out the back-story and the lessons learned. I will do a “Part #2” that will be the lessons learned. Part #3 will be the overall solution to the problems/issues/challenges.

 

Related Articles –

 

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Something to think about…

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You might be hearing of all the poor, starving, and destitute federal workers not getting a paycheck. Well, I think we should all get together and create a special welfare fund to pay all their bills. Yup, those poor homeless and hungry federal workers need our help!!!! Oh, wait a second. They are eligible for unemployment. Just saying…

But isn’t it nice that the Feds can line up at food banks and get plenty of free food from those kind and generous folks who donated it…instead of those folks who are truly and desperately in need getting the food they need to feed their families.

So how bad of a blood bath is it for federal workers? Well, think about this…

Average US federal government worker makes on average:

  • If they work in Washington DC…they make $137,000 per year.
  • Outside Washington…they make over $101,000 per year.
  • Oh, and that doesn’t include their additional 42% or more in benefits.

So how bad are their fairing versus the average US worker? Well, those federal workers must be having a VERY hard time compared to the average American worker…who happens to average $48,000 per year and who had virtually zero benefits compared to federal workers.

And just one more tidbit of info…federal law requires that federal employees receive back pay for the time the government is shut down. So they will get their full salary and benefits for the time they are sitting at home surfing the web or fishing or taking scenic road trips. So in a way…would I be out of line that instead of a “government shut down” we call it a long paid vacation for government workers?

So how do I feel about the US federal shut down finishing up its first month…

May it continue another month…and another month…

There’s only one problem…Representatives and Senators continue to get paid no matter what! Yup, the ruling elite (a.k.a. criminals, perverts, liars, malcontents, etc.) ensured their paychecks keep coming while their peon workers don’t get paid.They passed a special law ensuring their paycheck keep coming. Nice, eh?

Yup, those Congressional folks keep making their $174,000 – $193,000 salary. Oh, plus the perks and benefits…normally 100 – 300% of their salary (depending on their position).

So how do I feel about those deadbeat creeps in Congress continuing to get paid…

I guess I just have unrealistic expectations of federal workers…I would think federal workers making 2 – 3 times what the average American workers does would have enough savings to pay 1 – 2 months of bills without having to eat from a food bank…or live in a homeless shelter. Silly me!!

Note: I apologize for the term “federal workers”…I know it is an oxymoron…and probably insulting to people who actually work for a living.

Has anyone seriously thought about maybe, just maybe, our system is broken?

 

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Short Story: Message & Warning – Author’s Endnote

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I actually wasn’t going to make the ‘endnote’ a posting to the short story, I was just going to leave it in the PDF book. However, I later Thursday I felt that I should go ahead and post it. Here you go…

Author’s Endnote 

This was an odd story for me to write. In the story’s “Introduction” I shared ‘how’ my writing the story came to be, I still don’t entirely know the ‘why’ part of writing it. The story seemed somewhat out of character for me, especially so when you consider my previous stories and books.

I believe that the United States has entered a very new phase of its existence, quite possibly its last. We had the birth phase pre-1790. That was truly an amazing miracle of history in every aspect. A rag-tag bunch of farmers, business men, tradesmen, and explorers…along with some very brilliant minds…banded together and defeated the most powerful military in world and overcame oppressive tyranny and heavy taxation imposed by the strongest country in the world. And did so with principles that politically changed the world.

The next phase lasted until 1860…the growth phase. This time period saw a young country grow, expand, and find its place in the world. A force to be reckoned with, once again defeating that same powerful tyrannical country and soundly defeating its immense professional military. The awe inspiring geographical vastness of our country began to truly impress itself upon us along with its potential.

Starting in 1890 the United States saw the implementation both of good and evil. Universities and colleges came into being, but the US Army massacred hundreds of Native American men, women, children, and infants at Wounded Knee…a ‘battle’ it wasn’t, a merciless slaughter it was. Industry flourished, inventions were plentiful, and the population was growing significantly. In 1892 the “Pledge of Allegiance” came into being…originating from a flag manufacturer that wanted to sell more flags to schools. The pledge itself written by a man who was a socialist, a racist, and an advocated for a powerful authoritarian federal government. Movies were invented, unions began their rise to power, cars came into existence, the Gold Rush began, 1898 was the beginning of the militarization and expansionism of the United States, and the Anheuser-Busch brewery company was established. But all of this was just the precursor for that phase’s evils that earnestly began in 1910.

Starting in 1910 we saw the part of that phase that ushered in the birth of the authoritarian federal government (i.e. police state) of the United States. The beginning of the destruction of state’s rights, the legalization of the government forcibly taking people’s hard-earned income, the US joining a world war that wasn’t ours to fight, the creation of the FBI, the Federal Reserve, the first step in destroying the 2nd Amendment, and so much more evil. This phase lasted through to the beginning of the Cold War after World War II. We also saw the election of the first socialist President.

In the post-WWII phase we saw the creation of the oppressive police state tools such as the CIA, ATF, and DEA. We saw the US dollar taken off the gold-standard and its downward value spiral, the US facilitating the rise of Communist China, our loss in the Vietnam & Korean Wars, and world-wide military expansionism of the US. We also saw the election of a CIA operative as President.

The 2000’s phase we saw the refinement of the police & surveillance state and the lock-down of freedoms in the US. We saw the elimination of personal privacy and two wars that we lost. And the complete polarization of the US electorate and an illegal immigrant invasion by the 10’s of millions. We also saw not only the election of the first Marxist as President but another who demonstrated that he was clearly authoritarian.

And that is where we are today.

Now, don’t get yourself all worked up, I know there were some amazing things accomplished along the way. The US finally abandoned slavery, women got the right to vote, and the medical advancements were nothing short of miraculous. The Civil Rights Movement, though long overdue, started the correction of some major societal ills. The US played a major role in the defeat of Nazi Germany, and we saw the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union. And yes, much more in the spirit of positive events.

And it really isn’t the negative/evil events that took place that is the point…it is all of them collectively in succession. You see we got where we are today in the US not by a single major event, or two or three…but by a long string of major and minor events spread out over the span of 135 years. Those events collectively changed the federal government to be an all-powerful authoritarian entity vs a restricted and limited federal government designed by the Founders and legally documented in the US Constitution. Those collective events virtually eliminated many of the rights outlined and protected by the US Bill of Rights. The events brought us to the point where personal privacy is virtually unknown in today’s world. The events made it possible for over half the of citizens of the US to pay no income tax (i.e. live on welfare)…as is also case with the super-rich…while the middle-class and lower upper-class pay the bills. And all levels of government now collectively claim the right to, and forcefully collect, an average of nearly half of all wages earned by middle-class US citizens. And the same middle-class has been dramatically shrinking over the last 55 years.

How did this happen? Slowly, one step at a time, sold to us by unscrupulous and corrupt politicians (both parties) and corporations over the course of the last 135 years.

What does this have to do with my short story “Message & Warning”? Everything. You see, in the story the US federal government just took the next step that is inevitable. It is the trajectory that the government is on in today’s world. Ask yourself…Based on where we are in today’s world here in the US, and the trajectory of our last 135 year history, what is the next logical step for the government?

And don’t fool yourself with short-term anythings. The US is on a trajectory that will not, cannot, be stopped. No one with enough power will, or has any desire to, stop the natural progression the US is on. Granted, there are some who believe that a civil war or another armed revolution can right this ship. No, neither option can. Either would produce a horrific disaster of immense proportions…the likes we can hardly even imagine. And in all reality, either course of action will simply expedite the accomplishment of their ultimate goal…a totalitarian state.

The short story I wrote was to show an alternative. Romans 12:21 “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Here is the issue for many…they don’t believe in God or they we don’t have enough faith. Try this…if there is a God, then Jesus came to earth, and the messages of the Bible’s New Testament are true, therefore the message in Romans 12:21 is true.

Please consider the option of fighting evil with good.

Don’t misconstrue the meaning or misunderstand the message of which I speak. I am not saying lie down and allow yourself to be abused. I am not saying not to defend yourself. I am not saying that the 2nd Amendment is null and void. I am not saying that self-defense is not a natural God-given right. And I am not saying the Bible is incorrect when it tells us to defend our families. And trust-me, I am not saying our Founders did the wrong thing by beating tyranny and oppression with force of arms.

What I am saying…at this point in time, in this phase of US history, with this national situation we find ourselves in…will violence solve the problems of society and government?

I believe in God, I believe in His Son Jesus Christ, I believe in the Plan of Salvation through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I believe in heaven…I believe. And since I do, I also believe that if I choose the right it will be better for me in the long run…whatever that ‘long run’ may be and how it plays out.

As I now see it, my short story was to create a dialog within ourselves. To listen to our heart, to reflect on our beliefs and faith, to consider a more heavenly, more Celestial option. An alternative course of action that might be more in keeping with the teachings of Jesus Christ…and therefore ultimately successful in the end.

As a believer I have faith there is a life to come after this brief, momentary blip of life on earth. My choices here on earth matter…somehow, someway. May each of us search our hearts and souls to find the answer for ourselves what those choices are and then the strength to carry them out. Please find the message meant for you.

 

Chapters –

 

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Short Story: Message & Warning – Chapter 4

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Introduction:  This is the third chapter of my short story “Message & Warning”. If you haven’t read chapters one & two yet or the ‘introduction’ you can do so here:

I hope and pray that you will read the story and feel the message that is meant for you. Then share the story with others as you feel prompted to do so.

 

Chapter 4

The blackness vanished in a moment. I was approaching this almost sheer warm creamy white curtain that shimmered with silver threading. Yes, I recognized it at once. Almost unbelievably Rick was there. Rick had shared the gospel with me and led me to God when I was 21 years old and a seasoned US Navy sailor. Rick was just as I remembered him from 50 years ago, young, straight, with a head full of blonde hair. He smiled at me with a deep brotherly love. He shook my hand, warmly embraced me, and he pulled the curtain back for me to pass through. I stepped into the room…that glorious room I had been in before.

The first person I saw was the one who had talked to me in that room some months before. But this time he hugged me and welcomed me home. He didn’t say a single word my ears heard, it was more as if I could hear his spirit talk to mine. I instantly recognized him from pictures long ago discovered in a lone beat up box from my childhood home’s basement. The pictures were of a man in the early years of World War 2, working on a P-40 fighter plane in Africa. A thin man, not very tall, weathered from the African sun, sporting a rakish mustache, and thinning hair. My father stood before me.

Then my wife, now a beautiful and enchanting young woman in her mid-20’s, ran into may arms and hugged me as I’ve never been hugged before. Again, spirit to spirit she told me how much she had missed me, hugged me tighter and told me everything was fantastic and was going to be even better now. She was excited for me to meet all of her family and our children, but that would come later. For now, she said, there are things you must do and your father will guide you.

My father took my hand, something he had never done when I was a child, and led me to the far end of the room. He turned, looking me straight in the eye, and let me know he was very sorry he had left me at such a young age, that had never been his intent. I had been only 17 at the time and a sailor fresh out of boot-camp. The sickness was too much for his body to endure at his older age of 72 when he had passed. We simply smiled at each other, all was forgiven, all was good, this was my father and I knew he loved me without conditions.

As we left the room we stepped into the soft, warm, quiet clouds…

< Chapter 3                        Author’s Endnote >

< click here to download the book in PDF format >

The PDF book also contains the “Author’s Endnote” that explains why I wrote this story…about 1400 words. It contains some interesting insights into today’s world and how it relates to the message of the story. I think you would enjoy it.

Chapters –

 

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without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
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See Content Use Policy for more information.</p