Systems and methods for a connected sump pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11838992-B2
Application number	US-202217821718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2022
Priority date	Oct 31, 2018
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring operation of a sump pump are provided. A method includes connecting a power adapter to the sump pump and a float-switch. The power adapter includes a controller positioned within a housing, prongs in communication with components coupled to the controller, a first receptacle and a second receptacle. The controller is configured to establish a wireless connection to a first wireless network, and transmit a message to a remote server over the first wireless network. The controller is further configured to determine a power status of a float switch and control the pump based on power status of the float switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring operation of a sump pump via a remote server, the system comprising:
a power adapter, comprising:
a housing;
a controller positioned within the housing, the controller establishing connection with the remote server via a first wireless connection to a first wireless network;
prongs extending away from the housing and in electrical communication with components coupled to the controller, the prongs configured to receive electric power from electric power inputs;
a first receptacle positioned on the housing and configured to accept a float-switch input and electrically connect the float-switch input to the controller and the electric power inputs; and;
a second receptacle positioned on the housing and configured to accept a sump pump input of the sump pump and electrically connect the sump pump input to the controller and the electric power inputs.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute computer-readable instructions to:
determine a power status of a float switch electrically coupled to the power adapter at the first receptacle;
provide power to the sump pump;
sense a current provided to the sump pump;
determine a time value that has elapsed; and
control the pump based on comparing the current and the time value.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the power status of the float switch is either a float switch on configuration or a float switch off configuration.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller operates the pump based on the time value using a method comprising:
determining that the float switch is on;
providing power to the sump pump;
determining that the float switch is off;
continuing to provide power to the sump pump for an amount of time equal to the time value has passed since the determining that the float switch is off; and
ceasing to provide power to the sump pump.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a mounting hole oriented to accept a screw for insertion into a duplex wall outlet to affix the power adapter to the duplex outlet.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a tab extension configured to be inserted into the mounting hole and a second mounting hole, the second mounting hole configured to accept the screw for insertion into a simplex wall outlet to affix the power adapter to the simplex outlet.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power adapter further includes a secondary float switch coupled to high water switch terminals that can detect when a water level reaches a predetermined height and indicate a potential flood condition.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second receptacle is provided in the form of a switch receptacle having three terminals.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an input device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein activation of the input device is designed to initiate a factory reset process, a manual pump operation process, a local mode of the power adapter, or clear a fault.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller performs a health test comprising the steps of:
running the sump pump for a predetermined time period;
receiving operational data from the power adapter;
generating a health test report based on the operational data; and
outputting the health test report to a user device.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power adapter further includes an indicator system.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the indicator system is provided in the form of a first indicator and a second indicator that can be configured to change based on operating conditions of the system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first indicator is positioned between the first receptacle and the second receptacle, and the second indicator is positioned on a top surface of the housing.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the indicator system is illuminated in a solid red configuration during a locked rotor state, a dry run state, a relay event, and a high water state.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the indicator system is illuminated in a solid yellow configuration during an over current state, an excessive run time state, a current sensor event where the sump pump is stopped, a float switch event where the sump pump is stopped, and an offline event where the sump pump is stopped.

17. A system for monitoring operation of a float-switch controlled sump pump via a remote server, the system comprising:
a power adapter, comprising:
a housing;
a controller that establishes a first wireless connection to a first wireless network and transmits a message to the remote server over the first wireless network;
prongs extending away from the housing and in electrical communication with components coupled to the controller, the prongs configured to receive electric power from electric power inputs;
a first receptacle configured to accept a float-switch input, the float-switch input in electrical communication with a printed circuit board upon insertion into the first receptacle; and
a second receptacle configured to accept a sump pump input, the sump pump input in electrical communication with the printed circuit board upon insertion into the second receptacle.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the float switch is on;
provide power to the sump pump;
determine that the float switch is off;
continue to provide power to the sump pump for an amount of time equal to a predetermined time value has passed since the determining that the float switch is off; and
cease to provide power to the sump pump.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the power adapter communicates directly with a user device over a Bluetooth or a WiFi connection.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the message comprises at least one of an average weekly motor current, an average motor current per cycle, a longest cycle length, a shortest cycle length, a total number of cycles, a total pump run time, an average power per week, an average power per cycle, a power factor, a number of cycles between a previous health test, a time of one or more health tests, and a voltage measured by the power adapter.

Assignees

• Pentair Flow Tech Llc

Inventors

• Khalid Hassan
• Sgambelluri Nicola
• Broga Brian
• Boothe Brian
• Featherstone Dan

Classifications

• H04W84/18 Primary

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• F04B23/023

  only the pump-part being immersed, the driving-part being outside the reservoir · CPC title

• G06F1/3209

  Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections · CPC title

• G07C3/02

  Registering or indicating working or idle time only · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title