Patent ID: 8651824

Claim:
A pump control module for an HVAC system having a reservoir for collecting condensate water, the condensate water being pumped out of the reservoir via a pump impeller driven by a variable speed motor to a destination through an outlet of a drain line located at an elevation above the pump, wherein the control module comprises: a) a floatless water level sensor for detecting the level of water in the reservoir; b) a control switch for starting and stopping of the motor, and for controlling the speed of the motor; and c) a microcontroller for controlling the operation of the control switch, in response to the detected water level, the microcontroller implementing is configured to implement the steps of: i. monitoring of the water level sensor and detecting when the water in the reservoir has reached an intermediate level; ii. in response to the water reaching the intermediate level, starting the motor at a first low speed; iii. increasing the speed of the motor until the speed of the pump motor is sufficient to pump the water out of the reservoir through the drain line to the elevation of the outlet of the drain line; iv. monitoring the water level sensor while the speed of the motor is increasing; and v. setting the speed of the motor at the lowest speed reached when the water subsequently falls below the intermediate level.