water sensor to turn off air conditioner

I have a large portable air conditioner brand AMCOR model # PLM14000E. Because it is so humid I need to drain the pan of collected water almost everyday. I would like to have it drain into a bucket and shut off when it is full. I've found some water sensor schematics online and I'm familiar with dc circuits but I'm lost on how to kill the power to the AC once the circuit is tripped. Does anyone know a safe way to do this? Am I going about this the wrong way?

I believe it's a float switch in the control (thermostat) circuit.

Use a relay and make sure it's rated to power the motor which is an inductive load.

aminal82 said:

I have a large portable air conditioner brand AMCOR model # PLM14000E. Because it is so humid I need to drain the pan of collected water almost everyday. I would like to have it drain into a bucket and shut off when it is full. I've found some water sensor schematics online and I'm familiar with dc circuits but I'm lost on how to kill the power to the AC once the circuit is tripped. Does anyone know a safe way to do this? Am I going about this the wrong way?

Click to expand...

Create a small drain pipe line to discharge water to a nearby plant. it serves automatic watering.

mechanical solution

My dad did this years ago to a dehumidifier (the built-in sensor had quit working). First he spliced a on/off toggle switch into the power cord and then attached it to an assembly with one of the old round toilet tank floats. When the float got high enough, the back end of it would hit the toggle switch, cutting power to the dehumidifier. It wasn't the prettiest or most elegant solution but it worked.

Mez

PS - I should add that he had bent the float down so that it was a couple inches below the toggle switch.

Better idea I think would is to add a small boat bilge pump to the water pan and pump the water out. The bilge pumps have float sensors built in. Small ones are about the size of a pop can. Cycling on/off a AC is not good for the compressor