The Mac5 is a great wastewater float switch. When working with turbulent water or heavy slurry, accept no substitute!
Mac5 Wastewater Float Switch
Typically, when thinking of a float switch, we think of a small unit – the Mac5 is anything but! At over 20cm long, the float alone weighs more than 1kg. This float switch is for one job and one job only: specifically, to maintain stability in turbulent water or wastewater like thick sewage/slurry. I wouldn’t suggest using the Mac5 in any other situation – it just isn’t the right tool. However, when used in these situations – the Mac5 is the king of floats.
Every aspect of the Mac5 shows the attention paid during the design process: the clean surfaces, bulbous shape, integrated counterweight and, of course, cable options. The Mac5 is available in 5, 10, and 20m lengths with a cable material to suit all applications: PVC, H07RN-F and H07BN4.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Mac 5 is available as an ATEX (Appareils destinés à être utilisés en ATmosphères EXplosibles – or equipment for use in explosive atmospheres for those of us who couldn’t get their heads around French). The ATEX units are available in the same cable types and lengths as the standard versions.
Mac5 wastewater float switch installation example
The Mac5 can be used in much the same way as a conventional float switch. As demonstrated in this example, the Mac5 float switches are positioned (from left to right):
- Low level (dry run protection)
- Level 1 (pump on)
- Level 2 (pump off)
- High-level (Alarm / both pumps run)
With the low level being the dry-run protection for the installation and the high level being the alarm, or as in this case, the high level activating both pumps at the same time. This diagram would also apply to a setup using load sharing between the pumps or variable speed control via an inverter, like the Mac3 HydroController series.
You can also use the Mac5 to control a single pump in a simple on/off setup (for emptying or filling). To do so, create a pivot point on the cable (by using a suitable cable joint, fixing the cable to a point, or using a secondary counterweight). The pump will then behave as though it were using a ‘normal’ float switch.
For more information
Contact Jim, our Mac3 Technical lead. Jim and Tom have over 25 years of experience in Water Control Systems.
