Chapter 3
Water Level Notifier
If you live in the midwestern part of the United States like I do, you know all about heavy rains and the effects they can have on a basement. Stories of sump pumps failing during torrential downpours are often punctuated with “Had I only known how quickly the water level in my sump pit was rising, I would have had more time to move my stored items out of the way.”
Imagine another scenario, where someone needs to use a dehumidifier to remove dampness in a cellar. Inexpensive dehumidifiers often stop working when water reaches a certain height in the condensation bucket. Some models may include an audible alarm or flashing light when this shutdown occurs, but such alerts are ineffective because the dehumidifier is typically installed in an infrequently visited area.
Wouldn’t it be more convenient to receive an email from your house when the water levels in these containment areas exceed a certain threshold, alerting you to take action? (See Figure 1, Have your house email you.) Let’s get our feet wet, so to speak, and build a system that will provide this helpful notification service.
Figure 1. Have your house email you ...when water levels rise precipitously to give you enough time to prevent flood damage. This project can also be used to monitor water levels in dehumidifiers, air conditioners, and similar devices.