Water shutoff switch wiring

[Rob]

I ordered a Little Giant automatic water shutoff switch. Anyone use
one of these? I'm supposed to plug my pump into it's plug, which in
turn plugs into my GFI outlet. Question is: with all that plugginess,
how am I supposed to close the cover on my GFI to keep the rain out?
It won't all fit.

Thanks...

[Granny Grump]

>I ordered a Little Giant automatic water shutoff switch. Anyone use
>one of these? I'm supposed to plug my pump into it's plug, which in
>turn plugs into my GFI outlet. Question is: with all that plugginess,
>how am I supposed to close the cover on my GFI to keep the rain out?
>It won't all fit.

GFI covers are not weatherproof according to electricians. Replace the
cover with the weatherproof covers that you can get at Lowes, Home
Depot, etc.

[Crashj]

On 3 Oct 2004 21:58:15 -0700, (Rob) wrote:

> Question is: with all that plugginess,
>how am I supposed to close the cover on my GFI to keep the rain out?
>It won't all fit.

You are Bob Nardelli and I claim my 5 pounds.
Oddly enough today's internet special at Home Depot is:
Weatherproof Outdoor Use Receptacle cover
Internet/Catalog # 331610
Store SKU# 305255
$10.29 USD
These are also available as doubles and everyone should have these. It
is the newer electrical standard - just something I learned here from
the resident electricians in the last week or so.
"Read all about it"
--
Crashj

[Bill Stock]

"Granny Grump" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> >I ordered a Little Giant automatic water shutoff switch. Anyone use
> >one of these? I'm supposed to plug my pump into it's plug, which in
> >turn plugs into my GFI outlet. Question is: with all that plugginess,
> >how am I supposed to close the cover on my GFI to keep the rain out?
> >It won't all fit.
>
> GFI covers are not weatherproof according to electricians. Replace the
> cover with the weatherproof covers that you can get at Lowes, Home
> Depot, etc.

I think he already has one, but he's saying it won't close anymore because
of the piggyback arrangement.

Perhaps a right angled extension cord would give you enough room to close
the door. So plug the right angled plug into the back of the switch and
close the door? Then wrap some plastic and elastic bands around the
pump/extension cord join. If not plug the extion cord into the GFI, close
the lid. Then baggy the cord/switch/pump connection. Hide it under a pot if
looks matter.

[Granny Grump]

>I think he already has one, but he's saying it won't close anymore because
>of the piggyback arrangement.

I assumed his GFI outlet had the same type of outdoor cover that mine
has, which isn't a true weatherproof cover, according to my
electrician.

[Rob]

Thanks for the replies y'all.

Granny, I have been using a bona-fide weatherproof cover (i.e., before
I've plugged in the shutoff switch).

It's actually much deeper than the one you specified, crash. A
right-angled x-cord would still be too much to fit in it.

Bill, covering everything with plastic and putting under a pot should
work, except when the city inspector comes over and frowns at it.

There must be a correct way to do this; I'll call Little Giant, the
makers of the switch, tomorrow, and see what they say. I'm not the
first to come up against this....

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

On 4 Oct 2004 20:26:42 -0700, (Rob) wrote:

>Granny, I have been using a bona-fide weatherproof cover (i.e., before
>I've plugged in the shutoff switch).
>
>There must be a correct way to do this; I'll call Little Giant, the
>makers of the switch, tomorrow, and see what they say. I'm not the
>first to come up against this....

I've got an automatic shut-off on my pump, goes into a 4 plug-in GFI
outdoor outlet and the box door not only shuts, but all 4 plug-ins are
still accessible. I got mine thru AES www.aquaticeco.com perhaps it is the
brand of shut-off that is the problem? AES calls them Mercury Flow
Switches. ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[Rob]

So Jan, how does your pump plug into the float switch? Does it plug
into the float switch's plug, or somewhere else?

[Artships]

In article >,
(Rob) writes:
> So Jan, how does your pump plug into the float switch? Does it plug
> into the float switch's plug, or somewhere else?

According to
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/11432/cid/2965

"Use these mercury float switches to automatically operate pumps or
alarms. They have 10' SJOW-A Class underwater-rated cable with a
piggyback plug so devices can be conveniently plugged into it at the
power receptacle."

Look at the pictures of a similar device here:
http://www.deanbennett.com/zoellerfloatswitches.htm

John
--
An entire village where nobody's prepared to admit to being root,
and everyone has to be addressed by number because both forward
and reverse DNS is broken. -- The Prisoner, described by Tanuki

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

On 5 Oct 2004 19:40:39 -0700, (Rob) wrote:

>So Jan, how does your pump plug into the float switch? Does it plug
>into the float switch's plug, or somewhere else?

It plugs directly into (behind) the switch's plug, and the switch's cord is
to the side. I plug it in so the cord is to the inside of the box (hope
that makes sense). ~ jan :o)


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>Look at the pictures of a similar device here:
>http://www.deanbennett.com/zoellerfloatswitches.htm
>
>John

Yup, the diagram of the plug is what mine looks like. ~ jan
~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[Rob]

This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's the same piggyback plug
my Little Giant Shutoff switch has. The question is how can I have
this piggybacked arrangement safely contained in a waterproof box? Is
there a box made that's that deep?..

[Rob]

>
> >So Jan, how does your pump plug into the float switch? Does it plug
> >into the float switch's plug, or somewhere else?
>
> It plugs directly into (behind) the switch's plug, and the switch's cord is
> to the side. I plug it in so the cord is to the inside of the box (hope
> that makes sense). ~ jan :o)
>
>

So if the cord plugs into the switch's plug, the added depth must come
to a total of about 3". How does that all fit into your box, and
still be weatherproof? Do you have an exceptionally deep box?

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>> It plugs directly into (behind) the switch's plug, and the switch's cord is
>> to the side. I plug it in so the cord is to the inside of the box (hope
>> that makes sense). ~ jan :o)
>
>(Rob) wrote:
>So if the cord plugs into the switch's plug, the added depth must come
>to a total of about 3". How does that all fit into your box, and
>still be weatherproof? Do you have an exceptionally deep box?

I guess I must, I didn't go box shopping with the guys when they went
shopping for parts. ;o) I do know that they brought one version home with a
clear cover, that wasn't deep enough to even close on a heavy duty
extension cord without a piggyback. So boxes must be out there. It says:
Red Dot Code Keeper on the door, perhaps that will help finding similar?
~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[Rob]

So boxes must be out there. It says:
> Red Dot Code Keeper on the door, perhaps that will help finding similar?
> ~ jan
>
> ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~


!!!Bingo!!! Just the info I've been looking for. Thanks so much Jan.
I'll go out and get one of those boxes today...

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>> Red Dot Code Keeper on the door, perhaps that will help finding similar?
>
>!!!Bingo!!! Just the info I've been looking for. Thanks so much Jan.
>I'll go out and get one of those boxes today...

You're welcome, good shopping. :o) ~ jan
~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~