REFLECTOR: Leaking sump float switch

[wurzel at alumni.caltech.edu]

Everyone, thanks for all the great advice and ideas (as always!)

> I still can't see any reason for a sump switch, unless it for the person
> that has faulty fuel level sensors in the mains and also refuses to
> calculate their fuel burn before and during the flight.

N570 has the visual sight gauges on both main tanks, and I
love them.  I also have a fuel totalizer in the EDM-700,
and I calculate my fuel burn before each flight.  During the
flight, it gives me great pleasure and confidence to see
that all three calculations are humming along in concert.
I like the totalizer... but looking over my shoulder and
seeing the fuel in the tubes is the final word.  (ie, if
my fuel caps were leaking and I somehow didn't notice,
my EDM-700 would be wrong, but my sight gauges wouldn't
lie.)

That said, I see your point about the sump low light being
a bit gratuitous.  What additional failure scenarios does
this really cover?  Is there any scenario with nonzero
probability that would stop fuel flowing from both main tanks?
If there were some kind of leak causing fuel to be dumped
overboard, I would imagine you'd have some other indication
long before the sump light turns on.

Hmmmm, maybe I should just glass over it and pretend it
never existed.  ;-)

Seriously, my switch is here and now I just need to figure out
a good way to store 30 gallons of fuel while I do the
repair.  :-(

                            -wurzel