Bin Sensor

[EtzRon]

I recently purchased the bin sensor and I am very unhappy with it. My system takes the dust to a room above the workshop and then the dust goes down into the barrel which is in the workshop. From the cyclone I have an 8 ft drop to the barrel. My first installation of the bin sensor was at the base of the cyclone. While it worked, it only stopped the system for 5 seconds, and if I did not see the light or notice that the system flicked on or off, the 8 ft drop (6" metal pipe) clogged up. Since the whole reason I bought the sensor was to stop the filters from getting clogged, this did not work.

Then I installed it on the barrel, with the "eyes" directed through the flex pipe just above the barrel. While this worked when there was a small amount of sawdust, as soon as I ran the planer and a large amount of sawdust came through, the saw dust would collect on the inside of the flex pipe and continuously stop and start the whole system. Banging on the flex pipe worked, but it would immediately build up again. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to solve this problem?

In addition, as I see it, there is a flaw in the bin sensor. It should be wired to completely stop the dust collection system until the full barrel can be attended to. I am not talking about 5 seconds which is barely discernible. When I am working, say planing, I don't see the light or hear that the dust system has gone off and on again.

My electrician says he can rig it up so that the entire system will stay off until I manually turn it on again, but considering I paid $225 + for this, it should be built with it at the get go. 5 seconds is not much reaction time when you are dealing with the noise of the dust system itself, the noise of the planer (or any tool noise), and wearing earplugs. I am very frustrated since I really don't want my filters getting clogged again.

 

[Rushton]

EtzRon, have you called Clear Vue to talk with them about what you're experiencing? I've not yet installed my CV1800 with dust bin sensor so I can't comment on your experience. Perhaps McRabbet will chime in about this. Main suggestion, if you've not already talked with someone at Clear Vue, call Cathy Currier at (253) 880-2883. She's incredibly helpful.

 

[Manitario]

I don't have mine set up to turn off the cyclone; I have it just so that it flashes and the alarm goes off. This is helpful b/c if I'm planing something and the alarm goes off, I know that I can let the board finish and then go turn off the cyclone and empty the bin. Otherwise, if it turns off halfway through planing a board, I'd end up with a giant chip clog or shavings spewed all over my shop.

 

[Rushton]

I don't have mine set up to turn off the cyclone; I have it just so that it flashes and the alarm goes off. This is helpful b/c if I'm planing something and the alarm goes off, I know that I can let the board finish and then go turn off the cyclone and empty the bin. Otherwise, if it turns off halfway through planing a board, I'd end up with a giant chip clog or shavings spewed all over my shop.

Manitario, in your setup, how much chip capacity do you have left in your bin collector when the alarm goes off. Do you have enough capacity to finish that board without running dust into your filters? Or, is the bin full to capacity?

 

[McRabbet]

EtzRon,

As you may know, I designed, assembled and provided the Bin Sensor systems to ClearVue Cyclones customers from 2011 until January 1, 2017. I sold the rights to ClearVue and if they followed my original design and setup, then you should have 12 - 15 seconds of delay between the beginning of blockage of the sensor path until alarm status is reached (this was to insure that a "slug" of chips that may block the sensors for a few seconds on their way to the bin did not trigger the alarm). You are better off placing the sensors just above the bin as you have described so that you will detect when the bin is full (and not the bin and the long drop tube). I suggest you run a cyclone off test as follows to determine the blockage time: With the Cyclone off, turn on the Bin Sensor. Block the sensors with a piece of opaque cardboard or plywood and measure how long it take to trigger the alarm (you will notice that the Red LED on one sensor will flash and the Green LED oscillated in brightness when you do this). If the time is 12 - 15 seconds (not 5), then your unit is operating correctly. If you have the CV Electrical box, I recommend having your electrician wire the interconnection between the Bin Sensor T9A relay and the contactor in the CV Electrical Box per the documentation. In my original design, a Normal/Bypass switch is provided on the side of the Bin Sensor Control Box to allow the user to allow the user to bypass Cyclone shut down on alarm (as when planing a long board), and then when finished, switch back to Normal and the cyclone will shut down.

To service the full bin, the Bin Sensor and Cyclone should be turned off first and then the bin emptied. When replaced, the Bin Sensor can be restarted and then the cyclone.

Short-term blockage as you describe might be caused by leakage anywhere in the bin or its cover or in the pipe below the cyclone -- it must be free of leaks or dust and chips can be reentrained in the blower intake and pass into your filters. Likewise, if the down pipe is not vertical, it could get clogged (you are relying on gravity for the chips to fall into the bin). Report back your findings -- I suspect it is not your bin sensor.

Please note, I have not seen the 2017 versions of the Bin Sensor nor the documentation they provide; I am basing my response on pre-2017 versions of the system. I also encourac=ge you to contact Cathy Currier as Rushton has suggested. Hope this helps.