New YAPP 1 of 2 - Logger of when bilge pump runs

[Andrew G]

I suspect that commercial units may exist but what I am looking for is a self contained device that logs how often and for how long an electrical device has operated. I'm thinking it may as well be a generic device but my first usage would be my bilge pump. I leave it on Auto - to be triggerd by a solid state level switch. If I'm off the boat for say a week or a month I'd like to know how often it ran and probably just the total time it ran for (others may suggest enhancements/complications). Simple specs so far:
- LCD (possibly only 1 or 2 lines) to show number of times it ran and total time it ran - since it was last zeroed (I'm capable of writing in a log when that was)
- button to zero it
- generic but first use bilge pump
- minimum of re-wiring to connect it to a circuit
- able to record for say a month (or more if easy)
- self powered or fed off the target circuit.
I'll leave it to the head YAPPer (Angus) but is there any interest?
Andrew

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I suspect that commercial units may exist but what I am looking for is a self contained device that logs how often and for how long an electrical device has operated. I'm thinking it may as well be a generic device but my first usage would be my bilge pump. I leave it on Auto - to be triggerd by a solid state level switch. If I'm off the boat for say a week or a month I'd like to know how often it ran and probably just the total time it ran for (others may suggest enhancements/complications). Simple specs so far:
- LCD (possibly only 1 or 2 lines) to show number of times it ran and total time it ran - since it was last zeroed (I'm capable of writing in a log when that was)
- button to zero it
- generic but first use bilge pump
- minimum of re-wiring to connect it to a circuit
- able to record for say a month (or more if easy)
- self powered or fed off the target circuit.
I'll leave it to the head YAPPer (Angus) but is there any interest?
Andrew

Too many other YAPPs on the go to start another at the moment. I'm sure the Raspberry Pi-men could come up with a solution.

 

[Graham_Wright]

I suspect that commercial units may exist but what I am looking for is a self contained device that logs how often and for how long an electrical device has operated. I'm thinking it may as well be a generic device but my first usage would be my bilge pump. I leave it on Auto - to be triggerd by a solid state level switch. If I'm off the boat for say a week or a month I'd like to know how often it ran and probably just the total time it ran for (others may suggest enhancements/complications). Simple specs so far:
- LCD (possibly only 1 or 2 lines) to show number of times it ran and total time it ran - since it was last zeroed (I'm capable of writing in a log when that was)
- button to zero it
- generic but first use bilge pump
- minimum of re-wiring to connect it to a circuit
- able to record for say a month (or more if easy)
- self powered or fed off the target circuit.
I'll leave it to the head YAPPer (Angus) but is there any interest?
Andrew

I have a Celectron Bilge watch. On ebay it was around £50-60 I think. Monitors 8 pumps and does what you describe.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I have a Celectron Bilge watch. On ebay it was around £50-60 I think. Monitors 8 pumps and does what you describe.

It costs £180! There's very little to it.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I suspect that commercial units may exist but what I am looking for is a self contained device that logs how often and for how long an electrical device has operated.

Combination of a counter and an engine hours meter?

 

[bendyone]

http://www.sendtech.co.uk/Mobi_control.shtml

Note cheap but will do a lot of alarms via SMS.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have a simple 12VDC electro mechanical resettable counter that tells me how many times my bilge pump has run while I am away. If the number increases over a given time I have leak that is increasing and need attention.

Simple as that.

http://www.crouzet.com/english/cata...24-with-manual-reset-Part number-99777825.htm

 

[Graham_Wright]

It costs £180! There's very little to it.

I've just read the spec;- it seems pretty comprehensive. What do you think is missing?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I've just read the spec;- it seems pretty comprehensive. What do you think is missing?

I don't think anything is missing, I think it's a simple device for the price. It's got a custom LCD and non-waterproof plastic enclosure, but apart from that, the internals can be very cheap, even the software.

 

[nigelmercier]

I did once consider building such a device for my fridge, Just a read out of the mark-space ratio was all I wanted, but it would be simple to give times.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I did once consider building such a device for my fridge, Just a read out of the mark-space ratio was all I wanted, but it would be simple to give times.

I did the same for my fridge using 2 of these.

http://www.taiwantrade.com.tw/EP/saintwien/products-detail/en_US/29377/HOUR_METER/

Unlike most hour meters it has a run input that I connected to the fan run contact on my danfoss fridge compressor and a reset input to zero the timer displays. The second timer was continuous running.

A reset button connected to both timers to reset in unison.

 

[ShinyShoe]

Too many other YAPPs on the go to start another at the moment. I'm sure the Raspberry Pi-men could come up with a solution.

Defo possible with a Pi.
Power consumption of the Pi would be my concern!
In theory you only need a RasPi v A but I'd go for vB as it has easier networking which makes programming easier (just putty over to it from a normal machine). So thats £30. You need an SD card £5 will get you one with NOOBs pre installed which saves you any effort.
You may want a case but may have some place safe to mount it. Cases cost from £5
Power supply - needs a 800mA mini USB supply. £5 if you don't have one.
LCD £5 on fleabay plus a bit of soldering etc - probably easiest with a board that'd cost £4.

Then I'd simply take a feed from the pump sensor via a relay (Pi doesn't like 12V!!) and use the relay to join GND (3rd from right on front of GPIO) to Pin 23 (6th from left front on GPIO).

Bit of python:

import time
import RPi.GPIO as io
io.setmode(io.BCM)

pin = 23

io.setup(pin, io.IN, pull_up_down=io.PUD_UP)  # activate input with PullUp

while True:
    if io.input(pin):
        print("ALARM!")
    time.sleep(0.5)

You'd want to replace the print ("ALARM") with some code to output to the LCD - I just don't have the LCD code handy... adafruit will have something to use...

 

[FullCircle]

I have a Celectron Bilge watch. On ebay it was around £50-60 I think. Monitors 8 pumps and does what you describe.

I have one of those and paid £29 off ebay from the manufacturer.

Good unit, does what it says.

 

[Andrew G]

Belated thanks to those who contributed. I have made up a simple 9V Jaycar counter kit which is fed by one of two 12V relays (it gives the number to 999 of times that it runs). The second relay drives a spare AA battery analogue electric clock mechanism that gives me the elapsed time. Once again the jiffy box was the most expensive single item.
All that done and now I know that my bilge pump never runs - the joys of an aluminium boat! Cheers, Andrew

 

[John_d_Smith]

Sounds like you're sorted now but if you want to build something I'd be happy to let you have details of one i built which is based on a pic processor.

 

[Andrew G]

John, thanks for the offer and I'd really appreciate any assistance as I am trying to teach myself how to develop PIC projects. As an aged Civil Engineer I'm finding it "challenging". I'll PM you shortly. Andrew