Air Conditioners and Dehumidifiers Use Reed Sensors to Sense the Upper Limit of Their Reservoirs

Introduction

In the summer months, warm and humid air invades the area. This is the case in most regions of the world. Depending how close one is to the equator this condition may exist throughout the year. During this time, many businesses and homes are equipped with air conditioners and dehumidifiers to cool the air and reduce the humidity. A typical unit can accumulate up to 15 gallons (60 liters) of water in a single day. With this much water being produced, care must be taken with the reservoirs to prevent water overflow. Reed sensors provide a reliable way to detect maximum levels to either alert the user or turn on a water pump. 

Full application write up: Air Conditioner and Dehumidifier Condensation Water Level Detection using Reed Sensors

Features

• Magnet and Reed Sensor are isolated and have no physical contact by typically having the magnet mounted to a float and the Reed Sensor is mounted on the body of the casing close to the high point of the water and positioned to accurately pick up the magnetic field from the magnet in the float.
• The reed switch used in the Reed Sensor is hermetically sealed and is therefore not sensitive to rough, wet, moist environments
• The magnet is not affected by its environment
• Tens of millions of reliable operations
• Surface mount and through-hole packages available
• Cylindrical hole and screw fastening mounting
• Contacts dynamically tested