Sidemount Level Switches

WHAT THEY ARE

Side Mount Level switches are the horizontal version of a vertical liquid level switch. A side-mount level sensor can be installed on the side of a tank or reservoir at the desired actuation point, In a female threaded boss, or mating flange. In many instances, a typical vertical stacked float switch cannot be used because of the motors, pumps, valves, and filters occupying the space above the tank. Quite often the reservoir is shallow, such as is the case with many hydraulic fluid tanks, further reducing the practicality of using a vertical style level switch.

CONSTRUCTION

Equipped with a small lipstick-sized float which is able to pass through a ½” female NPT boss, these switches have a counter-balanced arm. This allows them to detect fluids with very low specific gravity such as liquified LPG. Many hydraulic fluids also possess low specific gravities, no problem for our counterbalanced floats. When your tank or vessel is shallow rather than deep, you should consider one or more side-mount level switches for your alarm contacts or warning systems. Their construction is modular, allowing many different mounting types. Flanges, metric threaded plugs, and SAE threaded plugs are just some of the different ways to enter a tank or reservoir. A typical situation calling for this happens when a sensor is installed in an SAE boss. The side mount switch stops rotating when the boss “makes up”, no additional rotation is allowed, as with a taper threaded plug; but the float arm must be vertical to operate properly. Our indexable bodies provide for the float arm to be rotated with an integral O-Ring to provide the correct vertical position. This feature can be ordered with any modular mount. Our side mount bodies are machined from solid stainless steel pipe, making them the most durable under conditions that include shock and vibration.

APPLICATIONS

Because of this, they are used in Railroad Right of Way equipment which uses vibration as a means of settling roadbeds. It is their ability to operate under these harsh conditions which are “normal” to that job. As a plus, they may include a thermostat, as in many hydraulic applications low level, as well as high temperature, are bad for the system and should be monitored. There are many other applications such as compressors, packaged generator sets, as well as many types of off-road equipment.

If you have these tough conditions, a side mount switch from National should be on your equipment.