HydroGuard: A Dry-Run-Protected Dual-Tank Smart Water Pump Controller for Homes using ESP8266 and Blynk IoT
Volume: 15 - Issue: 09 - Date: 30-09-2026
Approved ISSN: 2278-1412
Published Id: IJAECESTU513 | Page No.: 114-117
Author: Dakksheya Iyer
Co- Author: ,,,
Abstract:-Overflow of overhead tanks and dry running of pumps are common problems in homes where water is pumped from a sump to a roof tank by hand-operated switches. This paper presents HydroGuard, a smart home water pump controller that measures the water level in both the overhead tank and the sump with ultrasonic sensors and switches the pump through a relay and contactor driven by an ESP8266 NodeMCU. The control logic runs locally with a hysteresis band (start at 25% and stop at 95% tank level), dry-run protection (sump minimum 15%), a 30-minute maximum run timer and fail-safe handling of sensor faults, so that the pump remains protected even when Wi-Fi is unavailable. A Blynk smartphone application provides live levels, notifications, manual override and threshold settings. In calibration tests the level measurement had a mean absolute error of 0.89 cm (RMSE 0.91 cm, maximum 1.2 cm) over 10 cm to 80 cm. In a one-month field comparison with manual operation, overflow events fell from nine to zero, dry-run events from six to zero, and manual checks from about 30 to four, saving an estimated 800 litres of water per month. The prototype costs about INR 1,800.
Key Words:-Smart home, water pump controller, dry-run protection, ultrasonic sensor, ESP8266, NodeMCU, Blynk, IoT, water conservation.
Area:-Science & Technology
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