How Does a Pump Controller Work? Improve Your Pump’s Efficiency and Integrity

In past blog posts for Antler Pumps, we’ve mentioned pump controllers as a relatively new type of pump technology embraced by New York City property owners and managers. If you’ve wondered, “How does a pump controller work?”, then this post will be helpful. We’ll explain what a pump controller does, tell you why it’s beneficial, and offer some tips for troubleshooting, which can be particularly useful if you are new to pump controllers.

The more pumps you have on your property for different functions, the more this information may change the way you manage your property.

What Is a Pump Controller?

Alternative to manual control

A pump controller is exactly what it sounds like: a control device for a pump. Rather than having to monitor and adjust the pump manually, the controller does it for you. This saves on manpower and catches situations early that could otherwise damage or destroy your pump, resulting in other system failures further downstream.

Pump controllers can be used on all kinds of pumps that manage sewage, water, and other fluids. There are models available for single-family homes and duplexes, large apartment buildings, commercial properties, and industrial facilities. In New York City, we commonly see them used for things like:

Controlling the disposal of sewage
Managing boiler systems for heat and hot water
Regulating water pressure in high-rise buildings or properties with rooftop tanks
Monitoring water volume for irrigation systems
Evaluating flow and pressure in cooling systems
Running other types of pumps, such as sump pumps

These pump controllers come with a wide range of features, including automatic shut-off and automatic restart, custom settings, and built-in gauges and digital displays for easy visual assessment.

What Are the Benefits of a Pump Controller?

Pump protection and more

The two prime reasons most property owners elect to use a pump controller overlap with each other. First, as mentioned above, a pump controller eliminates the need for constant manual oversight of the pump and adjustments when conditions change. This frees up staff for other tasks, which makes better use of your manpower. Pump controllers are particularly helpful at night, when staff levels may be lower but boilers and sewage systems are still operating at peak capacity.

Second, a pump controller protects your pump by detecting changes to the system even before a human might notice them. It makes minute adjustments or even shuts off the pump as needed, so the situation doesn’t escalate. This reduces the risk of damage to the pump and expensive equipment served by the pump. Typical problems that can be fixed or alerted by a pump controller include:

Overly high or low pressure
Overheating
Leakage or blocks in flow
Running dry
Broken valves
Cavitation

Both of the advantages of pump controllers described above can result in significant cost savings for you as a property owner. Pump controllers can reduce or eliminate wasted water and electricity, as well as prevent you from having to purchase a new pump and related plumbing or boiler parts.

For example, if your pump experiences cavitation when pressure quickly drops below the vapor pressure, the resulting bubbles and voids can cause pitting of the pump’s impeller and other damage that could ruin the pump. A precisely set pump controller could detect the loss in pressure that precipitates this disastrous scenario and shut down the pump before damage occurs.

A pump controller can sometimes save wear and tear on other parts too, not just your pump. If you are constantly using manual switches and other controls while trying to provide continuous fluid pressure or to adjust water flow, having a pump controller take over that task can extend the life of those parts.

What Are Some Pump Controller Troubleshooting Tips?

Help from the experts

If you’re new to using a pump controller, there are a few tips we’d like to offer to help make its use easier:

The pump controller won’t run or restart

Often this is due to an electrical issue. Make sure your pump or pump controller hasn’t tripped a circuit breaker and there aren’t any loose wires or connections. If your controller runs on a battery, be sure it’s fresh and properly installed. Also, look for any suction air leaks, accidentally closed valves, and blocked pipes.

The motor stopped

A pump motor that won’t run, even when the pump controller tries to reset it, could occur because of an electrical problem, as described above. It can also be due to a mechanical problem with the motor that could be fixed by a pump professional.

Sometimes a pump motor will stop running if it overheats. Give it a chance to cool off and try to turn it on again. This may mean lowering the ambient temperature, such as in a hot boiler room.

The pump is cycling too frequently

We usually see this happen because of one of two causes. Either a float valve somewhere in your system is malfunctioning, or you have a leak that needs to be fixed.

The pump doesn’t run long enough, or it runs intermittently

If this happens, check your fluid levels and make sure they’re not too low. Also, trapped air bubbles can cause this problem.

If you have a new pump controller that’s not working the way you expected, we’re always happy to come out and have a look at it. Often, the solution is a simple one, and you can get back to normal operation quickly.

Can You Install Pump Controllers on Your Property?

Call Antler Pumps

In most cases, we have found it’s relatively easy to add a pump controller to various systems. If you’re not sure if this is possible or how to get started, contact Antler Pumps today at 212-534-2500, or use our easy contact form to set up an appointment. We’re confident that once you start using pump controllers on your property, you’re never going to want to go back to manual pump control again.