A dull-witted sensor?

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I bought a new dehumidifier. Like every other one I have owned, water from the air is extracted into a bucket. If the bucket is full, the machine stops dehumidifying. And the same thing happens if you remove the bucket, say, to empty it.

But, unlike with any other dehumidifier I have owned, with this one, that doesn't happen right away. In fact, I have time to carry the bucket to the sink a few feet away, empty it, and put it back in place before the machine stops dehumidifying! I find this behavior baffling. The mechanism that detects the bucket is gone must work almost instantly, mustn't it? And then it's got to be sending a signal electronically to the "brain" of the machine. Did the manufacture intentionally build in a delay? Why in the world would one do that? Could the cost of starting up the dehumidifying process be high enough to justify a long delay like this?

Silas? Ken? Any other engineers out there?

Comments

  1. Ken B9:32 AM

    Haven't a clue. Mostly sensors like this are automatic, interrupting a circuit, so I can only assume as you suggest this is deliberate behavior from a 'brain'. Does it drip in that time?
    It is not unusual in sensing to require more than one event detection to cause an action, to prevent stray things causing problems, but then you set the sampling rate higher: the idea is more accurate sensing not less.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ken B9:33 AM

    Here's an idea. Look at the UL plate on the back and see if it says "Inspected by Major_Freedom". That would explain it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bob Murphy10:44 AM

    That's ironic, Gene, my buddy rob was just telling me about a dull-witted censor.

    BOOM!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ken B11:10 AM

      Irony, thy name is Murphy.

      Delete
    2. Samson Corwell5:40 PM

      "Your joke is bad and it should make you feel bad."

      Delete

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