Level Sensors are used in a wide variety of industries and applications. usually, the aim is to avoid overfill that would cause potentially hazardous situations, so accuracy and reliability are of paramount importance. Our level sensors are designed, tested, and manufactured to the highest standards and trusted by our customers to measure and mitigate risk in applications as diverse as blood dialysis treatment, storage, and transport of volatile fuel and food-safe vending machines.
A float switch is a type of level sensor, a device most commonly used to detect the level of liquid within a tank or other receptacle. A float switch is one of the most simple, reliable and well-proven technologies for liquid level sensing and is available in many different types and configurations, each suited to different applications. For example, a float switch may be used as an alarm, as an indicator, to control a pump, or to provide a signal to another device. Like other switch types, float switches can be electrically either Normally Open (NO) or Normally Closed (NC). They can also be configured to have either single or multiple switching points. For applications requiring a repeatable signal indicating that fluid has reached a predetermined level, the float switch is often an excellent solution. Take for example a tank containing a fluid that must be maintained between a minimum and maximum level. When the fluid level reaches the minimum level, a float switch can be used to signal a pump to operate and replenish the tank. When the fluid reaches the maximum level, a float switch can be used to signal the pump to stop working. In this way, the fluid in the tank remains within the required level range.
This is a very simple example and it should be noted that float switches can be specified to provide significantly more complex level control options. However, if the sensor is required to do more than simply initiate an action at a specific level (or levels), then a float switch (or any point level technology) may no longer be the best solution and then a hydrostatic sensor level is preferred since can supply the value of the level at any position through an analog output signal.
CONTENTS
- Applications
- Considerations for Product Selection
- Vertical Float Switches
- Horizontal Float Switches
- Cable and Level Switches
- Optical Level Sensors
- Hydrostatic Level Sensors
- Control Modules & Accessories
- Custom Engineered Solutions
Learn more in our Level Sensor & Switches Selection Guide.