It is written for secretaries and facility managers of societies, hostels and small commercial buildings in Pune and Maharashtra.
What a water level controller actually does
A controller does three jobs.
- Sense. It finds out how much water is in the tank, and sometimes in the sump below.
- Decide. It compares the level with a start and a stop level, and on a bigger site decides which tank fills first.
- Act. It starts the pump when water is needed and stops it when the tank is full or the source is empty.
The simplest version is a float switch wired to a starter. A fuller version adds wireless links, motor protection, valve control and a phone app. What separates good from poor is what happens when something goes wrong: a dead sensor, a lost link, a tripped pump, a power cut.
A controller does not replace your motor starter. The starter and its overload relay carry the motor current and protect the motor. The controller tells the starter when to run.
The three common failures in societies
Most complaints about tank and pump management come down to three problems.
1. Overflow
The pump keeps running after the tank is full. Water goes down the overflow pipe, and the electricity bill grows with it. The usual causes are a forgotten switch or a float that has stuck or been tied up.
A controller prevents it by stopping the pump at the full level, every time, with no person involved. Keep a mechanical overflow line on each tank as well, so overflow never depends on electronics alone.
2. Dry run
The pump runs with no water at the inlet. The borewell may have dropped, the sump may be empty, or a foot valve may have failed. Without water the pump loses cooling and lubrication, and the motor or seal can be damaged within minutes.
Dry-run protection can work in different ways. Some systems use a float in the source tank. Others watch the motor current, because a pump with no water draws less current than a pump moving water. Good systems may use both. If a vendor says "dry-run protection" without saying how it detects the condition, ask.
3. Manual pump duty
In many societies one watchman or technician switches pumps by hand. Water is late when he is late. Tanks overflow when he is distracted. Nobody knows whether a pump ran at 3 a.m., or for how long.
Automation removes the dependency on one person. It helps most when the system also records when each pump ran.
Sensor types compared
The sensor decides how much the controller can know. This table compares the common types in general terms. Real products vary.
| Sensor | What it tells you | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Float switch | One level point per float (for example full, or low) | Simple, cheap, no power needed at the float | Moving parts can jam, tangle or corrode. Gives steps, not a percentage |
| Electrode (conductive probe) | Whether water touches each probe | Several levels with no moving parts | Scale and corrosion build up on the probes. Needs water that conducts |
| Ultrasonic | Distance from the sensor to the water surface | Contactless. Gives a continuous level | Condensation, foam, and obstructions in the tank can disturb readings. Needs a clear line of sight to the surface |
| Pressure (hydrostatic) | Pressure of the water column, which converts to depth | Continuous level in percent or litres. Sits under the water, unaffected by foam | Needs correct calibration to the tank. The sensor is submerged and must be installed with care |
No single type suits every tank. Empty / Low / Mid / Full may be enough for a small tank. A society that wants litres usually wants a continuous reading.
Wired or wireless between the tank and the pump room
The tank is usually on the terrace and the pump in the basement or a pump room. A wired controller needs a cable between the two. In an existing building that means conduit, drilling, and a long cable that can be cut or pick up electrical noise.
A wireless link removes the cable. Long-range radio such as LoRa is built for low-power, low-data links across a property. It is not the Wi-Fi in your flat.
Wireless raises one question: what does the pump do when the link drops? A good design stops the pump and does not restart until the link is confirmed again. A poor one keeps running on the last command, or restarts on its own.
What to check before you buy
Use this checklist with any vendor, not only us.
- How does it detect dry run? Ask whether it uses motor current, a float in the source, or both. Ask what happens after a dry-run trip: does the pump restart by itself?
- What happens if the Wi-Fi or internet goes down? Tank and pump logic should keep working on site. The internet is for monitoring and alerts, not safety.
- What happens if the tank-to-pump link fails? The pump should stop and stay stopped until the link is back.
- Does it work with your starter? Ask about direct-on-line, star-delta, submersible panels and soft starters/VFDs. Ask whether your overload relay stays in the circuit as the primary overload protection.
- Can you still run the pump by hand? A manual switch should work even if every electronic part is off. Ask to see it.
- What does the phone app allow? Stopping a pump is a safety feature. Starting one remotely is a risk unless the system checks conditions first. Ask who may do what, and whether the system can refuse a request.
- How are you alerted? Ask which channels work today, and what triggers an alert: pump trip, lost link, low source, silent controller.
- Does the app show the age of its data? A green tick on a stale reading is worse than a clear "no data".
- Who commissions and supports it? Ask whether every pump, valve and sensor is tested end to end before automatic mode goes live, and who answers when something trips.
- How is it priced? Price depends on tanks, pump rating, starter type and tank-to-pump distance. Be wary of a fixed price quoted without a site visit.
How AquaFlow approaches it
AquaFlow is GIZMO's water level controller and pump controller, built in Pune. It is made of four devices that talk to each other over long-range LoRa wireless:
- Site Controller. Holds the site's configuration and decides which pump fills which tank, and when. It connects to the cloud over Wi-Fi for monitoring, alerts and requests.
- Tank Node. Measures the level in each tank, with a hydrostatic sensor (percent and litres) or float steps (Empty / Low / Mid / Full). A solar option exists for tanks with no supply.
- Valve Node. Opens and closes a motorised valve and confirms from the valve's limit switches that it actually moved.
- Pump Guard. Closes the control coil of your existing starter and never switches motor power. Your starter's overload relay stays in the circuit. Pump Guard watches motor current, and motor temperature and vibration with its sensor head, and trips the pump on dry run and overcurrent.
A few design rules matter to a committee:
- A pump runs only after its valve is confirmed open, and is stopped before the last open valve closes.
- If Pump Guard stops hearing the Site Controller, it brings the pump to a controlled stop and does not restart by itself.
- Authorised users can stop a pump from the app, or ask it to run for a set time or open or close a valve. The Site Controller checks every request and can refuse it. If the network drops, the site keeps running on its own, and a timed run still ends on site.
- Filling and pump protection keep running on site without the internet, and the switch at the panel always works, even with every AquaFlow device off.
- Alerts reach you on Telegram and email, and the app shows how old each reading is.
AquaFlow works with direct-on-line, star-delta, submersible and VFD / soft starter panels, single or three phase, from 0.5 to 20 HP. Water usage, leak and wastage alerts, and water quality sensing are add-ons that need extra hardware fitted at the site. AquaFlow does not measure supply voltage, phase angle, power factor or water pressure.
Frequently asked questions
What is an automatic water level controller?
An automatic water level controller reads the water level in a tank and starts and stops the pump without anyone switching it by hand. It fills the tank when the level is low and stops at the full mark. Fuller systems also protect the pump and send alerts when something trips.
How do I stop my overhead tank from overflowing?
Use a controller that stops the pump at the full level every time, based on a sensor in the tank. Keep a mechanical overflow line as a second layer, and check what the controller does if its sensor or link fails.
How does dry-run protection work for a borewell or sump pump?
The controller stops the pump when it detects it is running without water. It can watch motor current, since a dry pump draws less, or use a float in the source tank, or both. Ask which method is used and whether the pump restarts by itself after a trip.
Can a water level controller work without Wi-Fi or internet?
It should. Filling and pump protection must run on site, and the internet should only carry monitoring, alerts and app requests. In AquaFlow, they keep running on site if the internet is down.
Is a wireless water level controller reliable between the tank and the pump room?
It can be, if the design handles a lost link safely: the pump stops and does not restart until the link is confirmed. AquaFlow's devices talk over long-range LoRa wireless, and Pump Guard brings the pump to a controlled stop if it stops hearing the Site Controller.
Will the controller work with my existing starter and pump?
Ask the vendor. AquaFlow connects to the control circuit of your existing starter (direct-on-line, star-delta, submersible panel or VFD / soft starter) and leaves your overload relay in circuit. It is listed for single or three phase pumps from 0.5 to 20 HP.
Can I start or stop the pump from my phone?
Stopping is the safer action. With AquaFlow, authorised users can stop a pump from the app, or ask it to run for a set time or open or close a valve. The Site Controller checks every request, such as tank full, source low, pump fault or valve fault, and can refuse it.
How much does a water level controller for a society cost?
The price depends on the number of tanks, the pump HP, the starter type and the distance between tank and pump, so it cannot be fixed in advance. AquaFlow hardware, installation and service are quoted per site after a free site assessment.