Introduction

Water scarcity and wastage are major challenges in residential, agricultural, and industrial areas. Manual operation of water pumps often leads to overflow, dry running, and unnecessary power consumption. To overcome these issues, this project presents an Automatic Water Pump System that intelligently controls the pump based on real-time water level measurement using an ultrasonic sensor and an ESP-12F (ESP8266) microcontroller. The system automatically switches the pump ON when the water level is low and OFF when the tank is full, ensuring efficient water management.

FOR FULL PROJECT:

https://electronicsworkshops.com/automatic-water-pump-control-system-using-esp-12f/

Objectives

To automate water pump operation based on tank water level

To prevent water overflow and dry running of the pump

To reduce human effort and electricity wastage

To implement a low-cost and reliable water management solution

To demonstrate IoT-capable control using ESP-12F

System Overview

The system continuously monitors the water level in the tank using an ultrasonic sensor. The ESP-12F processes the sensor data and controls a relay module connected to the water pump. Depending on predefined water level thresholds, the pump is turned ON or OFF automatically.

Working Principle

The ultrasonic sensor is mounted at the top of the water tank. It continuously measures the distance to the water surface. The ESP-12F calculates the water level from this distance. When the water level drops below a preset minimum threshold, the ESP-12F activates the relay, turning the water pump ON. When the water reaches the maximum level, the ESP-12F deactivates the relay, switching the pump OFF. This process runs automatically without human intervention.

Block Diagram Description

Ultrasonic Sensor → ESP-12F Microcontroller → Relay Module → Water Pump

The ultrasonic sensor sends water level data to the ESP-12F.

ESP-12F compares the data with predefined limits.

Relay module receives control signal from ESP-12F.

Relay switches the water pump ON or OFF.

Circuit Diagram

This circuit is an automatic water pump controller based on the ESP-12F (ESP8266) where the microcontroller acts as the main control unit and operates at 3.3 V supplied through onboard voltage regulators. A 6 V input is stepped down to 5 V using AMS1117-5.0, and then further regulated to 3.3 V using AMS1117-3.3, ensuring stable power for the ESP-12F and sensors, with capacitors used for filtering and stability. The ultrasonic sensors are connected to the ESP GPIO pins to measure the water level by calculating the distance between the sensor and the water surface. Based on predefined upper and lower level thresholds, the ESP-12F processes the sensor data and controls a relay module, which safely switches the water pump ON when the tank level is low and OFF when the tank is full. A buzzer provides audible alerts during critical conditions such as low water level or pump operation. Reset, boot, and user buttons are included with proper pull-up resistors and debouncing capacitors to ensure reliable startup, programming, and manual intervention. Overall, the circuit enables fully automatic, safe, and efficient water level monitoring and pump control with provisions for programming, protection, and future IoT expansion.

This circuit uses a logic-level N-MOSFET (Q1) to safely drive a 5 V relay (K1) from a low-power control signal labeled “relay”: when the control signal goes high, current flows through R8 into the MOSFET gate, turning Q1 on and allowing current to flow from +5 V through the relay coil to ground, energizing the relay; diode D3 is placed across the coil as a flyback diode to clamp the high-voltage spike generated when the relay turns off, protecting Q1, while the relay’s contacts (pins 3 and 5) are routed to connectors J1 and J5 to switch an external load independently of the control electronics.

PCB Files

3D Files

Conclusion

The Automatic Water Pump Control System using ESP-12F provides an efficient, reliable, and cost-effective solution for water level management. By automating pump operation, the system minimizes water wastage, prevents pump damage, and reduces human intervention. This project demonstrates the practical application of embedded systems and sensor-based automation in real-life scenarios.

FOR FULL PROJECT:

https://electronicsworkshops.com/automatic-water-pump-control-system-using-esp-12f/