Bernard electric releaser

[mountain man maple]

I have a Bernard electric releaser made for a external pump. I put a submersible pump in a 4" pipe that is attached to it and also in vacuum. This year I used a vacuum pump that was capable of over 24" of vacuum. Once over 24" the float was very hard to adjust to get releaser to pump out. Has anyone converted these to using two level sensors? Either float switches or conductivity switches?

[GeneralStark]

Give some more detail of how this is set up and what type of submersible pump and float switch you are using. I don't see how the vac. level would affect the float's performance, but the pump's ability to pump out of the vacuum may be affected.

[BreezyHill]

My experience with conductivity switches has not been positive. If you must go this route then use a pot on your power source and have it triple plus your contactor voltage; like 48 and 12. Sap is a poor conductor.

Vac does affect float switches in funny ways and it seems to depend on what is in the float switch. Air, Helium, etc. The other factor on the float is any micro air leak under high vac will cause turbulence under the float and cause major issues. I found that reed switches and a stainless float is the best. the float is sub shaped and a missealed valve gasket will have little to no affect even at 28+ inches. My releaser is all glass so it is very easy to see what is happening and change the setup to remedy issues. The past two season it has worked superbly.

[mountain man maple]

Releaser is a standard 10x24" electric releaser with a square d pressure switch linked to a rod with a large blue releaser float. The problem I have is adjusting tension on the square d switch to keep float from slamming down and shutting switch off when it starts to pump sap out of releaser. At 24" it will cycle releaser from full to empty when pump starts. Pump is a starite dom 05221. Not a pump issue it will empty releaser if float spring is adjusted up but then switch sticks in on position.