Homemade Electric Sap Extractor

[Tmeeeh]

Here's a short video of the extractor we built and are using this year. It works well. Have had minor problems with relays in the control box. I was using an old relay I found around here. It hung up. I replaced it with a new one and it's working fine now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxmWkmdBkwM

[GeneralStark]

Very cool Tim and thanks for the video.

[The Sweet Spot]

Awesome, looks great too. Thanks for the video!

[DanE.]

Very nice!

Can you tell us what pump you are using and go into a little detail about the switches and relays?

Thanks Dane.

[Tmeeeh]

I used a Goulds ITT SE0511 1/2 hp submersible pump. The switches are short float switches that close when the sap lifts them. They are wired to two relays such that when the bottom switch closes..nothing happens. When the top switch closes, the coil on the first relay is energized which in turn energized the power relay that turns on the pump and at the same time it sends power to the bottom switch so that it keeps both relay coils energized even after the top switch opens. That way the coils remain energized and the pump runs until the bottom switch opens. I have an extra one or two of those pumps if anyone wants to buy one. $100 each.