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ItsMeOK's avatar
ItsMeOK
Explorer
Jul 06, 2022

Sequential use of small water jugs with pump

Searched and searched for this but came up empty.

I want to have several plastic jugs for water (jerry can size)
I want to have all connected to the same hose and T'd off connected to the same pump.
But I don't want them all to be used at the same time and have the levels go down evenly. I would like for it to use one tank fully, then the next tank, etc. This way I can just take out 1 or 2 empties and fill and replace.

I am trying to come up with something that wouldn't take a CPU and programing to accomplish.

I was thinking of solenoids, but they take constant power depending on either always open or always closed. I see there are electronically controlled ball valves that seem to be the right road, with a ball valve at the top of each jug.

Then I was thinking of a switch that would sense if the preceding tank was empty and to then open the next tanks valve.

This is where it gets confusing. If the 1st one is open and empty, then trigger the 2nd one's ball valve. But now there is still the 1st one that is open and empty so the pump would suck in air too, right?
Is there a type of check valve that would allow water but not air?

How would one sensor trigger its valve to close then next one to open?

Has then been figured out already?
Is there a simpler way?
An existing product that I just don't know the name of?

Thanks

Edit. OR
What if I just had each tank have a tube that ran to the bottom and then to the top of the next tank. The water pump could pump out of the first tank.

Then have and air pump on the last tank and pressurize the last one so that it forces the water out and into the next tank and repeats causing the first tank to end up with all the water and the others are empty?

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