Why Reliable Backup Level Detection Matters — And Why Opti-Float Excels Where Traditional Floats Fail
In lift stations across the U.S., operators rely on a range of level-sensing technologies to keep wastewater systems running safely. Some of these tools are electronic. Others are mechanical. And while each method has its place, they all share one unavoidable truth:
Traditional level-sensing devices are susceptible to failure.
The Problem
Because of this, critical lift stations are typically designed with redundancy. A pressure transducer may serve as the primary level-control device, while mechanical floats act as the backup.
On paper, it seems like a reliable system. But in the field, the story is very different.
When a pressure transducer fails, which it will eventually do, the control automatically switches to the backup floats. But by the time that moment comes, the floats have already been quietly deteriorating.
Why?
Because even as “backups,” traditional floats are still flexing, bending, and cycling along with the water’s movement. Inside the float, copper wire weakens over time. Breakage can occur even when the float hasn’t technically been in use.
So when the system needs those floats the most… they’re already dead.
The result?
A complete station shutdown, unexpected alarms, backups, panic calls, and avoidable emergency repairs.
This isn’t a rare occurrence; it’s been an industry-wide problem for decades.
The Opti-Float® Solution
Early in the product’s development, one of Cox Research’s customers immediately recognized the potential of Opti-Float® as a true fail-safe backup. They saw what set it apart:
No copper wire
No electricity running to the float
No flex-fatigue failure point
No corrosion
No unexpected dead-on-arrival backups
Instead of relying on fragile mechanical components, Opti-Float® uses fiber-optic light transmission inside a fully sealed, 100% polyurethane housing. That means no internal wires to break, no moisture intrusion, and no cycling fatigue.
So when the pressure transducer finally fails, and the system switches over, Opti-Float® is there ready, reliable, and fully operational. Opti-Float® is the backup engineered for modern wastewater environments, one that doesn’t just wait in the background, but stands ready without degrading over time.
Explore Opti-Float® as a backup solution here