Measurement Expert Blog

Ultrasonic and radar level sensing technologies are usually described as competitors, pitted against each other, in a struggle for level-sensing supremacy. “Ultrasonic is better!” “Radar is the best!” The truth is that they are far more complementary than they are competitive, with each excelling in different situations. Anybody pitching either technology as a One-Tech-Fits-All level measurement solution isn’t telling the whole truth about the technologies and their products.

A float switch is a type of contact liquid level sensor that uses a float to operate a switch. Float switches are commonly used to control other devices such as alarms and pumps when a liquid level rises or falls to a specific point. While there are some mechanical float switches (similar to the float in a toilet tank that turns off the incoming water when the tank is “full”), this article will focus on electrical float switches, floats that are used to open and close (i.e., turn off and on) electrical circuits.

There is a tendency to pit ultrasonic level sensors and radar level sensors against one another when in reality each sensor has advantages and disadvantages that give each sensor its own place. In this blog, we will look at the differences in how these two technologies work and will cover the applications each sensor is best suited for.