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paulz
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 06:20pm - Edited by: paulz
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My water tank at the cabin is filled by a dedicated Briggs powered generator in the well shack a few hundred feet away at the bottom of the hill. When I know it needs topping it up I’ll fire up the genny when I drive in. Takes an hour or two to fill the tank. And when I see water coming out the top I have to scramble down the hill and flip the kill switch. I’ve been dreaming of a way to turn it off without going down there. If it were 12v it would easy enough to add a remote but it’s not, and no power in the shack. It’s just a pull start genny with a toggle switch, magneto I guess. Is there a remote powered by the mag or just some AA batteries that would work? Rather not dedicate a 12v battery just to save my lazy butt the hike. All the genny at the cabin are 110 so I can’t just run a cord down the hill, we’ll pump is 220.
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DRP
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 07:12pm - Edited by: DRP
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When the float rises it closes a switch grounding the spark plug?
edit, with a story... So as a young married couple we went down to the in-laws place on the redneck riviera. My FIL was using a gas powered pump on the floating dock to jet in new sections of seawall. I hopped into the canal and proceeded to help. The ladies called for our presence at some point and being helpful and all, I reached up out of the saltwater and pushed the ground kill on the frame to plug. In that instant I learned the true meaning of "electricity takes the easiest path to ground". My FIL thoroughly enjoyed it  .
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paulz
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 07:17pm - Edited by: paulz
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No, there’s just a toggle switch on the cover above the pull start that shuts it off. I assume it grounds the mag, or opens the wire coming from the flywheel. Never had the cover off.
And yes, I could just run it out of gas but I like to keep the tank full, about 5 gallons, just in case. And if I leave it running after full the extra water runs toward the cabin, in addition to wasting water and gas.
Funny one DJP! When we rode mini bikes as kids it was pretty common to reach down and get juiced by the kill tang if you saw a cop.
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DRP
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 07:21pm
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That switch goes on the float.
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Grizzlyman
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 07:24pm
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https://a.co/d/ddnCbtu
$20
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 08:18pm
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Quoting: DRP That switch goes on the float.
There’s no wiring or anything unusual going to the carb.
Griz, thanks. I think I see where you’re going. Wire it to the genny AC output on the input side but somehow I have to get it to the switch.
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Fanman
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 09:34pm
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Break into the generator's kill switch wiring to add a float switch in parallel so that when the tank is full, the switch closes and stops the generator.
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DRP
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 09:40pm - Edited by: DRP
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Ah my fine tech writing at work
A float in the water tank, that rises when the tank is full could have a normally open switch connected to the float so that the switch closes when the water tank float rises. The switch is connected from one terminal to the spark plug. The other terminal to engine frame (ground). When the switch closes the spark current bleeds off to ground and the engine dies.
And slow writing, what he said 
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paulz
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2025 10:17pm - Edited by: paulz
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The water tank (500 gallon) is 25’ above the cabin, for gravity feed to flush the toilet, pump for showers. The generator is down the hill at the well, probably 350’ crow fly, steep hill side. The road zig zags down.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 07:39am
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Quoting: DRP When the float rises it closes a switch grounding the spark plug?
I knew what you meant and thought it was a great idea. Although that is a long run for Paul to do it.
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paulz
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 07:58am - Edited by: paulz
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After sleeping on it, couple options;
1. Leave as is. I only have to fill the tank a couple times a month unless I have some unusual need. Or teach the dog to flip the switch,
2. Move the genny up to the cabin and run a 220 cord down to the well shack and pump. Long way to run 220 but more convenient for genny maintenance and gas.
3. Get one of those remote switches Griz showed. I could keep a small 12v battery in the well shed to power it. Or try an AC one. The genny also has 110 plugs, I could hook one to that, and while running hit the remote to turn off the run switch. Assuming the switch will stay off long enough to kill the genny.
4. Put a float in the tank and run wiring all the way down to the genny. But if I do that, might as well forget the float and just put a toggle at the cabin.
Again not a big deal, just make things a little more convienent. I’ll start working on the dog today.
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travellerw
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 11:38am
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Quoting: paulz 3. Get one of those remote switches Griz showed. I could keep a small 12v battery in the well shed to power it. Or try an AC one. The genny also has 110 plugs, I could hook one to that, and while running hit the remote to turn off the run switch. Assuming the switch will stay off long enough to kill the genny.
You can overcome the timing issue with a large capacitor. We used this technique on portable generators. Those were 12V systems so the cap we used was a 4700UFD 25V cap. It kept the relay closed for 2 extra seconds after power down (as a safety). We sold 1000s and never had a complaint about the remote kill not working.
I suspect a 4700UFD 120V cap would work on a 120V system.
This would be the way I would go as its cheap, simple and convenient.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 12:50pm
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Why don't you just connect a twisted pair wire to the kill switch and bury it up to the cabin to another switch? When the tank starts overflowing, hit the switch in the cabin to connect the plug to ground. After it stops switch it back and you're reset for the next arrival. No batteries, no fancy stuff, just KISimple.
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paulz
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 01:51pm
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I mentioned that in 4 above, not a bad idea. In this photo from the cabin you can make out the shop below and the well shack is across the flat area by the gate, you can just make out the roadway at top of photo. I already have wiring running from shop up the hill to cabin, would just have to get across the flat yard. I could hang it above ground..
But I already did the hard part. ;) I ordered one of Grizs remote doodads off amazon. And after reading Travs post about a solenoid that makes a lot of sens. I have a box of solenoids already. Best part is I can try that setup right at the genny, no hiking involved.
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paulz
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 06:21pm
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Had to get some rebar out of the shop today so played with the water genny. I pulled the on off switch, it has three wire terminals, one to ground, one to the plug coil and one goes behind the flywheel, magneto coil must be. Why it takes an extra wire not sure. Guess just grounding those two does the job.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 07:50pm
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My guess it that the switch doesn't do anything with the magneto to coil wire other than be an inline connector. The system is shut down by just grounding it via that grd wire, just like when we used to push the metal (grounded) tang down onto the plug.
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paulz
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 08:27pm
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Probably right. In run mode it connects the two and in stop mode it sends one to ground. I’ll ohm it out and figure out which one.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 08:58pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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There is a wire from magneto to the coil
Paul, this float switch is from a septic surge tank, has a plug on it already, take a female extension cord end, pigtail it off the gennie using the 2 circuits I mentioned earlier. Then just dangle the float. Tether can be as long or short as you need it. When its laying flat or out, its off (open), any lower closed or on. URL below will do it. So you need to open the wire from mag to coil and hook each end to the float switch.
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paulz
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2025 09:27pm
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Looks good, so it will just open the mag to coil wire when laying flat.
Why does the stock switch have a third terminal going to ground if you just need to open the circuit?
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Grizzlyman
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2025 05:43pm
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You could use the remote switch you bought for the ground cable that kills it. Just hook the ground up as if it was going to kill the generator. Then cut it wherever you want and install the remote switc h between. Then when you activate the switcn it connects the two ground poles and the klll is activated.
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paulz
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2025 08:42pm
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Yep, sounds good. Remote dingus arrived today. Unfortunately I’m back at the grid, but I was looking at the genny before I left and it has magnets on the outside of the flywheel that pass under the coil, so that where the spark comes from, just like all those old engines. And it’s a tecumseh powered generac not Briggs. So that left me with the odd 3 prong on off switch, and after some internet figured out the third wire goes to an oil sensor, so if it runs out it will shut off.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2025 08:49pm
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Quoting: paulz Why does the stock switch have a third terminal going to ground if you just need to open the circuit?
That is made to plug a pump motor and the switch just hooks inline. I am certain the ground has nothing to do with the switch, just carrys ground to pump motor.
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paulz
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2025 08:55pm
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I looked and looked for a model number of the generac but can't find a thing, stamped or sticker. There are a million generacs.
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