source.
-- In the end, in order to bypass all that stuff, I think I'd use a so-called self-heated thermistor and the heat capacity of water as a sink for that heat and detect the change in resistance of the thermistor when water came in contact with it and lowered its temperature.
source.
First thought yes! But then think it through. Not too good for a hot water leak in the laundry! I've forgotten what OP wanted to test for, but if it's a water leak I don't think temperature style sensing is going to cut it.
I've had the hot water service let go in two flats (units, apartments) I lived in over the years, first about 30 years ago, other one quite recently, but I caught it before major flooding. First one I came home from work to find an inch of steaming water on the kitchen floor.
Landlords here don't bother changing the sacrificial anode in electric HWS, and the replacement HWS put in here last year doesn't even have the anode fitted, only larger units have that now (according to the brochure). They pop about once per ten years, require replacement, it's a reasonably quick job.
But then, back to thermistor, you might argue any sudden change from steady state R would indicate a problem? Other places needing moisture sensing like automatic watering systems would need to cope with the drying out of the sensor. But I think humidity sensing has improved since I looked at it a while back.
Grant.
Beyond me, the couple times I touched a 4046 it didn't :( So I ignored
4046 for years and years ;)Yes, problem we (the company I worked for around 1980) were worried about was corrosion, making green stuff near the electrics, as the application was for a cheap water misting system for ferneries[1]. No budget for a decent humidity sensor back then
[1] We have pockets of southern cold rain forest with lovely old ferns, people tend to transplant these ferns to suburbia which kills then 'cos they need very damp conditions, virtually no wind, and they look great where nature put them. Not so good as struggling dried out stumps in the front garden.Grant.
I think we're missing the fundamental rule of water leaks... they only happen when you're not home, and are more likely to happen when you're on extended vacation ;-)
So they best solution is damage prevention:
Our washer/dryer stuff sits over a recess in the concrete floor. This recess has its own drain.
Likewise our hot water heater is in the garage... leaking, it simply runs out the garage door... not into the house.
So our only issue is the plumbing. It's under floor, so leaks can't destroy the house quite as easily... though it presents problems of its own... so-called "slab leaks" :-(
So the remaining problem is most likely toilets. There's where a leak detector could help... detect water and shut down a solenoid valve... fail-safe: power-off equals valve shut.
I believe you can also buy "smart" valves that shut off when they experience high flow. ...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Spice is like a sports car...
Performance only as good as the person behind the wheel.
That should be mandatory, I've flooded here once when the washer drain pipe was moved by accident.
No garage. But the mall flats/units I live in the HWS in is kitchen or bathroom, tiny 50 litre electric thing in a cupboard
Where I am now, at some stage the under slab mains waterworks gave way, and they had to run new pipes over the roof, and that cold water pipe can put out near boiling water in summer.
Toilets? My experience is the water fill cutoff doesn't and the things waste water, not a hazard. Never had the dirty business end give way.
Now these I have tried, and they're bitch when they go wrong, as impulse from washing machine can lock the mechanism up, and one needs to loosen the connection between the device and tap to let the water pressure out. A big spanner job. Only takes a second if you have the big shifter or stilsen wrench handy.
Turning off the tap doesn't help as it not release the pressure. Once the water trapped in there is released, the device resets. So I think they might've been a good idea, but the reality of lockups makes them useless. They need a bleeder or something to let water pressure out when tap turned off, rather than the solid block all the water.
Grant.
Never had a grandkid put a rubber ball down the drain ?:-)
Had to have a plumber come for that. My hand auger wouldn't cut up the ball :-(
I've not used those, but you'd think they'd have a "bleed" cap. ...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Spice is like a sports car...
Performance only as good as the person behind the wheel.
When we first moved in to our present house, wife was taking a LONG shower in the hall bathroom, when I walked in and found an inch of water on the floor! It was coming out from under the toilet!!!!
Seems that they had put in the plumbing fairly early, but left the cleanouts open. Dirt and gravel had fallen in, and the drain was pretty well blocked going out to the street. It took them a couple of hours with a roto-rooter to finally clear them out...
Of course, in the summer, we CAN'T take a cold shower. Our water feeds are all in the ceiling...
Charlie
Better than walking barefoot into the bedroom and discovering damp carpet :-(
The shower "pan" had failed.
Since tiling is one of my avocations I busted out the floor (concrete) myself to redo it.
Decided, harumph, I'm down to dirt, why not keep digging?
Made a Roman tub / shower combo ;-)
Saves energy :-) ...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Democrats are best served up prepared as a hash
Otherwise my dogs will refuse to eat them :-)
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