pump tank alarm wiring

[250]

I'm installing a high water alarm in a septic pump tank, with the alarm box about 50 ft away from the float sender. The alarm paperwork says the float signal is 12 vac. I'm looking for information on the wire gauge needed for the 50ft run. Recommendations/tips appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[Sokoloff]

I suspect that 18 gauge (or even smaller) wire would be fine. There is not much current that needs to flow for a switched signal to drive an alarm. For reference, most doorbells are on 18 gauge wire. A more key spec for the alarm is the current draw (and whether that all flows through the high limit switch or not). It's probably in the well under an Amp range, which would also push me towards 18 gauge being "plenty" electrically.

You probably need to be more concerned with physical issues, such as "is the insulation and overall physical strength suitable for local conditions?" [whether direct buried, in conduit, run across the lawn, etc].

 

[yatg]

Mine uses 14/2 UF.

 

[wanderer]

Need to know amperage but my guess is fractional amperage. If so you can run whatever you want, but I would use something normal for it, 14ga maybe.


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[like2wheel]

Mine has 14 nmb.
I wasn't happy about it, but 25 years later it's still fine.

Probably just jinxed myself there...

 

[BreeStephany]

Generally, in the alarm / controls I have wired, I run a 3/4" PVC conduit between the control box and the tank float j-box and then pull #12 THHN between, even if it is just low-voltage / control wiring.

The advantage of running a conduit is you can always easily repull conductors if a conductor was ever to fail or your control/alarm requirements were to change.

Just my two cents.

 

[walta]

I thought the low cost solution is a bright strobe light that you will see from the house.

Do you really want an alarm telling you about a problem a 2 AM?

Walt

 

[dw1]

Generally, in the alarm / controls I have wired, I run a 3/4" PVC conduit between the control box and the tank float j-box and then pull #12 THHN between, even if it is just low-voltage / control wiring.

The advantage of running a conduit is you can always easily repull conductors if a conductor was ever to fail or your control/alarm requirements were to change.

Just my two cents.

X2- That's exactly what I did on my septic system that I installed when I built my house last year.

 

[DFB]

X3

that's how my tank wiring is done also. I have dual pumps so a bit more wire and using 3/4" just made it