Automated systems for protection against leaks on the example of the complex "Aquastorage"

The principle of operation of protection against leaks

"Aquawatch" is a set of devices that can detect the presence of water leaks in the house and eliminate them literally in a matter of seconds.

Such systems work as follows: special sensors are installed on the floor in places of possible leaks, which react to a significant increase in humidity, i.e. for a leak.

The signal from the sensors goes to the controller, which diagnoses a dangerous situation and completely shuts off the water supply to the part of the water supply system located in the apartment.

The water in the system dries up and the leakage stops. The flow of tap water is controlled using special ball valves installed at the inlet of the water supply to the apartment.

The system of protection against major emergencies and the smallest leaks will eliminate the need to repair yourself and your neighbors living below

The system is more than relevant where most of the time there are no residents, which does not allow a timely response to an emergency. Such automated complexes are not cheap, but it should be understood that repairing one's own housing and compensating neighbors for a flooded apartment will cost much more.

Some prefer a solution from the “cheap and cheerful” series. They just turn off the water on the riser every time they leave the apartment.

Not the most reasonable option, since the resource of the stopcock is not designed for such treatment. It will have to be replaced soon. If you believe the reviews of those who already use protection against water leaks, the aqua guard is a reliable and convenient system.

This diagram clearly demonstrates the principle of operation of the Aquastorage anti-leakage system, less than three seconds pass from the moment a leak signal is received to the actuation of the locking mechanisms (+)

Periphery

One of the main advantages of the Aquastorage anti-leak system is its modular structure. You can expand the functionality and number of sensors at any time. It is enough to purchase the appropriate equipment and connect it to the existing one.

We have already talked about the radio base and the remote opening / closing buttons, there are still three blocks left:

• Additional battery pack. Up to three battery packs can be connected to one controller. In a complete set on batteries, the system can work up to 9 years. But it is in standby mode. With each operation, the charge is significantly reduced, the time is reduced.
  Modular design is convenient
• A power expander can be connected to the Classic controller (no more than 2 pcs per controller). This is a panel through which you can turn on / off or open / close third-party devices powered by a voltage of not more than 220 V. A power relay is installed in this block. It can be connected to a load of not more than 2 kW.
• Star panel. This block allows for the Classic version to add the function of identifying a triggered wired sensor. Up to 12 water leakage control devices can be connected to one unit.

Additional blocks allow you to expand the capabilities of the system and increase its reliability.

Controllers

The control blocks of the Aquastorage anti-leakage system have a modular structure. To expand the functionality or increase the number of serviced devices, optional ones are added to the main control unit. Depending on the release version, 5 (Expert) or 6 taps (Classic) and an unlimited number of wired sensors can be connected to one block. To connect wireless, you need to purchase an additional "Radio base" unit and connect it to the main module.

On the front panel are LED indicators that display the status of connected wireless sensors. Still on the block control, it is possible to connect external smart home devices. The UPS is integrated into the case, which ensures continuous operation from three different power sources. In addition, the UPS itself, without extraneous power sources, ensures system performance for an hour. If no new sources have appeared during this time, a signal is generated to shut off the taps and the system goes into sleep mode.

Controllers look like small plastic blocks

In addition to the differences described above, the Expert version controller provides the following information:

• Control of open circuit of wired sensors and closing of taps in case of "loss". At the same time, the LED on the panel will light up, which is “tied” to a specific sensor.
• Wire break monitoring of ball valves and fault indication.

As mentioned above, both options - Classic and Expert - have a PRO variation. In this case, there is also a bistable power relay (220 V, 16 A), which, in the event of an accident, will turn off the power of a third-party device. This option is good for a private house. Through the contacts of this relay, power is usually supplied to the pump. So the system not only shuts off the water, but also stops the pump.

The valve damper position control function is available in any version. The condition of the locking ball is checked after each operation cycle (including after self-cleaning). If the position differs from the standard, the audible alarm is activated and all the LEDs on the panel blink.

Cranes

Aquastorage ball valves are made of brass and plated with nickel. They close and open with electric motors. They have plastic gearboxes. The Expert version uses metal gears, while the Classic version uses plastic gears. In addition, the valves differ in that in the Expert version they control the position of the locking element and transmit a signal to the controller. In order to be able to distinguish them, the “Expert” wire has a bright red stripe, the taps of the “Classic” version have a black one. They can only work with controllers of their own type.

Electric crane "Classic"

Power is supplied to the electric motors at 5 V, which is amplified when the capacitors are discharged up to 40 V.Moreover, this voltage is issued regardless of the state of the power supply. As a result, the taps close in 2.5 seconds.

Electric cranes and their characteristics

To ensure that the small force generated by the electric actuators is enough to turn the damper, additional gaskets have been added to the design of the crane, which reduce friction. This allows you to quickly turn the dampers with little effort. The gearboxes are covered with plastic caps that protect against splashes.

Electric taps are available for shutting off Aquastop water in three sizes - 15, 20 and 25 mm in diameter. Can be installed in both cold and hot water risers.

Installing leak sensors

Aquastop wire sensors are installed with open and hidden wire laying. Fixed and not fixed. Hidden wiring is done even after repair, the wires are laid in the baseboard or in the tile seam.

• the sensor wire is placed in the seam between the tiles;

• the bottom on the floor is fixed with a screw or double-sided tape;

a plate is fixed to the bottom;

The plate is fixed

and put on a decorative plastic cap.

plastic cap

Wireless sensors are convenient because they do not need wires, they communicate with the controller using a radio signal.

The sensors are laid out in places of possible leaks, and, if necessary, fixed to the floor with double-sided tape.

Installing the sensor on the floor

radio base

This is a small unit that connects to the main controller or any other peripheral device. It is intended for servicing wireless water leakage sensors.Up to 8 sensors can be connected to one radio base. They are scanned continuously at short intervals. If the sensor fails to communicate within 10 minutes, a command is given to close the valves.

Additional block "Radiobase" allows the use of wireless sensors

We memorize all the sensors one by one. So that when triggered there are no problems with identification, it is better to put numbers on the case, and write opposite the corresponding LED sensor installation location.

Characteristics of the radio base - a module for servicing wireless flood sensors

In normal mode, when powered through an adapter (there is a 220 V network), wireless sensors are scanned almost continuously. When powered by batteries or battery, there are two options for operation: active and energy-saving. The choice of mode is up to the user. To switch to power-saving mode, remove the corresponding jumper on the radio base. In this case, testing will occur approximately once a minute, so there will be some delay in case of a crash. But the charge of three batteries will be enough for about 3 years. With the active mode of operation and continuous testing of sensors, the batteries are discharged much faster.

How do leak protection systems work?

Such equipment has a specific name: it is SPPV - a water leakage prevention system. Without exaggeration, such a kit can be called the most effective way to deal with a nationwide "natural disaster" - a flood that happens unexpectedly.Constantly checking the condition of pipes and plumbing fixtures is not yet a guarantee that a leak will be detected on time, however, SPPV will help protect furniture, flooring, and give a chance to prevent “showdowns” with neighbors, which means it will save nerves and money.

There is a fairly large selection of such systems on the Russian market. Some are quite simple designs, therefore they have an acceptable price, while others, on the contrary, are more technologically advanced, therefore they are more expensive. In both cases, the principle of operation is the same: if moisture gets on the sensor, then the protective system manages to block the water supply within 2-10 (or more) seconds, so the owners manage to avoid “universal” flooding.

Device elements

In addition to sensors (round, rectangular) that signal an emergency, most protection systems have several more basic elements. These include:

• a controller (control unit or module) that receives and processes information from the sensor;
• faucets equipped with a servo drive (electric drive), they quickly shut off the water supply;
• a signaling device that notifies residents of a house or apartment about an emergency.

In some systems, there is a GSM module, it transmits an "alarm" signal to a mobile phone.

For the sensor to work, it must get wet, but a few drops of water are not enough for this. The surface of the device must be completely covered with moisture. After this happens, its contact will close, and the radio signal will begin to be transmitted to the controller.

The last device performs two functions at once: it turns on the electric drive and at the same time starts to notify about the leakage that has occurred.The control unit opens the taps again only when a signal is received from the sensors that they have become dry, which means that the accident has been successfully eliminated.

Devices can be wired or wireless. In the first case, the sensors are connected directly to the controller, so the device can "see" them. Wireless is more convenient to install, but the performance of such a protective system will have to be checked regularly.

Places of installation of protective systems

All elements are fixed in "their" places. Sensors are located where water can appear in the event of a flood: under the bathtub, sink, under the washing machine and / or on the floor behind the toilet, under potentially hazardous connections. The control unit is placed on the wall. If a wired design is selected, the distance between it and the sensors is limited by the length of the wires.

Cut-off valves are placed after the counters. Most systems can operate both from the mains and from a 12 V battery, there are only wireless models. The advantage of the latter option is safe use in “lawfully wet” premises, the universal one is the possibility of switching to autonomous operation in the absence of electricity.

Some features of popular systems

To highlight somehow its protection against water leaks, manufacturers are trying to improve reliability or come up with other moves. It is impossible to systematize these features, but it is better to know about them when choosing.

Features of one block

For different manufacturers, one control unit can control a different number of devices. So it doesn't hurt to know.

• One Hydrolock controller can serve a large number of wired or wireless sensors (200 and 100, respectively) and up to 20 ball valves.This is great - at any time you can install additional sensors or put a few more cranes, but not always such a reserve of capacity is in demand.
• One Akastorgo controller can serve up to 12 wired sensors. To connect wireless, you need to install an additional unit (designed for 8 pieces of "Aquaguard Radio"). To increase the number of wired - put another module. This modular extension is more pragmatic.
• Neptune has control units of different power. The most inexpensive and simple are designed for 2 or 4 cranes, for 5 or 10 wired sensors. But they lack a crane health check and no backup power source.

As you can see, everyone's approach is different. And these are just the leaders. There are even smaller campaigns and Chinese firms (where to be without them), which either repeat one of the above plans, or combine several.

Additional functions

Additional - not always unnecessary. For example, for those who are often on the road, the ability to control cranes from a distance is far from superfluous.

• Hydrolock and Aquatorozh have the ability to turn off water remotely. For this, a special button is placed at the front door. Come out for a long time - press, turn off the water. Aquawatch has two versions of this button: radio and wired. Hydrolock has only wired. The Aquastorge radio button can be used to determine the “visibility” of the wireless sensor installation location.
• Hydrolock, Aquaguard and some variants of Neptune can send signals to the dispatching service, security and fire alarms, and can be built into the "smart home" system.
• Hydrolock and Aquaguard check the integrity of the wiring to the taps and their position (some systems, not all). In Hydrolock, the position of the locking ball is controlled by an optical sensor. That is, when checking in the tap there is no voltage. Aquaguard has a contact pair, that is, at the time of checking, there is voltage. Protection against water leaks Neptune also monitors the position of taps using a contact pair.

The hydrolock can be controlled using a GSM module - via SMS (commands for switching on and off). Also, in the form of text messages, signals can be sent to the phone about accidents and “disappearances” of sensors, about cable breaks to electric cranes and from a malfunction.

Being always aware of the state of your home is a useful option

On the issue of reliability: power and other points

Reliable operation is not only about the reliability of cranes and controllers. Much depends on the power supply, on how long each of the blocks can work offline.

• Aquawatch and Hydrolock have redundant power supplies. Both systems shut off the water before the standby power supply is completely discharged. Neptune has batteries only for the last two models of controllers, and then the taps do not close when discharged. The rest - earlier and less expensive models - are powered by 220 V and have no protection.
• Neptune's wireless sensors operate at a frequency of 433 kHz. It happens that the control unit “does not see” them through the partitions.
• If the batteries in the Hydroloc's wireless sensor run out, an alarm lights up on the controller, but the taps do not close.The signal is formed a few weeks before the battery is completely discharged, so there is time to change it. In a similar situation, Aquaguard shuts off the water. By the way, the Hydrolock battery is soldered. So changing it is not easy.
• Aquawatch has a lifetime warranty on any sensors.
• Neptune has wired sensors installed "flush" with the finishing material.

We have considered all the features of the three most popular manufacturers of water leakage protection systems. In short, the worst thing about Aquastorage is a plastic gearbox on the drive, while Hydrolock has a large system power and, accordingly, the price. Neptune - Inexpensive systems are powered by 220 V, do not have a backup power source and do not check the performance of cranes.

Naturally, there are Chinese leak protection systems, but they should be chosen with care.

Additional Information

Aquaguard is equipped with wired and wireless sensors. It depends on the selected build type, and additional options. Such scanning systems can be combined and work simultaneously. The main controller checks all sensors for their presence in the working circuit, and if it notices a wire break or failure of the main segments, it blocks the fluid supply. In the extended configuration, the panel has additional LEDs that are responsible for the number of sensors and show in which part of the circuit a leak has occurred.

Ball valves are made of nickel-plated brass. They are closed and opened by a special motor. Plastic gearboxes in the extended version are replaced with metal gears.Also, in a more expensive configuration, the positions of the locking elements are controlled and transferred to the main base.

System remote on/off buttons

The ability to turn on and off not only from the controller, but also from other points, is implemented using special buttons. They are of two types - wired and wireless. They are usually located near the front door. This is especially convenient for owners of private houses who have the Aquastorage flood protection system installed in the basement.

For remote on and off

A wired button is very similar to a conventional two-gang switch. Each key is signed - "close" or "open". When pressed, the corresponding action is performed. If you hold down any of the buttons for a long time, the system will go into a “sleep” state and stop tracking signals. A wired button for remote shutdown of the Aquaguard is supplied complete with 10 meters cable.

The wireless button has one key. Pressing on the top of the system opens it, and on the bottom it closes. When pressed, a beep is heard. A similar signal confirms the execution of the command. This button can be used as a test button. Put it in the place where you plan to install a wireless sensor, check how well the commands are executed. If there are no misfires, you can put the sensor in this place.

Features of installation and installation

The design of the system is relatively simple and the installation process is a bit like assembling a children's designer. The most difficult stage is the installation of stopcocks at the beginning of the apartment's plumbing system.

These elements are very compact in size, so choosing a suitable place for mounting cranes is usually not a problem. After that, you need to assemble and hang on the wall in a suitable place the controller with the battery pack attached to it. Inside the block, of course, there should already be batteries.

This the diagram shows the installation order individual elements of the Aquastorage anti-leakage system. No repair work is required for this (+)

Now you should install wired sensors in places of possible leaks: under the bathroom, kitchen sink, near the toilet, etc. Where it is not possible to lay wires, wireless signaling devices are installed. Then the wire sensors are connected in series with wires, inserting them into the corresponding sockets. The wires are connected to the controller.

After that, the system with wired sensors can be considered ready for operation.

To connect wireless sensors, you will need to install a radio base and then perform the following manipulations:

• shortly press the “+1” button;
• wait for the flashing of the light indication indicating the cell intended for this sensor;
• close the contacts on the wireless signaling device;
• wait for a short beep, which indicates a successful setting.

By the way, if you purchased a ready-made kit with wireless sensors, you do not need to configure them, everything has already been done.

If an emergency situation does not arise, you can forget about the existence of the “Aquaguard” in the house, but it will remind you of itself in the following cases:

• if the batteries of the backup power supply or the wireless sensor are exhausted and need to be replaced;
• if communication with one of the wireless sensors is lost;
• if a wire break is detected.

These signals should be responded to accordingly, otherwise the system will regard the situation as an emergency and turn off the water even in the absence of an obvious leak.

If an accident does occur, the controller will beep. An alarm sound will also be emitted by all wireless sensors. The sound can be turned off, but you should not open the taps until all sensors are drained, otherwise the system will again go into an emergency state. Luckily, there are two features that allow you to disable the sensors for one hour or for 48 hours.

The first option is convenient if there is no time to dry the sensors or the house is being wet cleaned. The two-day shutdown mode is used for situations where contact with water may be longer. In any case, the system will automatically turn on the sensors after the set time has elapsed.

Cranes

Aquastorage ball valves are made of brass and plated with nickel. They close and open with electric motors. They have plastic gearboxes. The Expert version uses metal gears, while the Classic version uses plastic gears. In addition, the valves differ in that in the Expert version they control the position of the locking element and transmit a signal to the controller. In order to be able to distinguish them, the “Expert” wire has a bright red stripe, the taps of the “Classic” version have a black one. They can only work with controllers of their own type.

Electric crane "Classic"

Power is supplied to the electric motors at 5 V, which increases when the capacitors are discharged up to 40 V. Moreover, this voltage is supplied regardless of the state of the power supply. As a result, the taps close in 2.5 seconds.

Electric cranes and their characteristics

To ensure that the small force generated by the electric actuators is enough to turn the damper, additional gaskets have been added to the design of the crane, which reduce friction. This allows you to quickly turn the dampers with little effort. The gearboxes are covered with plastic caps that protect against splashes.

Electric taps are available for shutting off Aquastop water in three sizes - 15, 20 and 25 mm in diameter. Can be installed in both cold and hot water risers.

Disadvantages of the Aquastorg leakage protection system

Unfortunately, there are no ideal systems. Everyone has flaws, and Aquaguard flood protection is no exception. Almost all of the minuses have already been voiced, but we will repeat them again. This will make it possible to evaluate them more clearly.

• Plastic gear drive in both versions and gears in the Classic version.
• Small effort applied to turn the valve of the electric crane.
• Additional gaskets in ball valves reduce friction, but reduce the reliability of the system - more points of possible leakage.
  Special structure of cranes
• A small number of wired sensors that can be connected to one unit. Branched "branches" - not the best way out.
• The need to install an additional unit to use wireless water leakage sensors.

Closing taps when the sensor is lost does not seem appropriate to everyone. But here you can argue and everyone determines for himself whether it is good or bad.

Installation

The principle of installation of the Aquastorage system is demonstrated in the official video.

Despite the ease of installation, the owners have two main questions:

• Does the water watchman install before or after the counter?
• Do I need a coarse filter in front of an electric faucet?

In order to provide reliable and up-to-date information, we consulted with representatives of Supersystem LLC by calling toll-free 8 800 555-35-71.

As recommended by the support team, coarse filters and meters should be installed after the electric cranes of the Aquastorage system. This is due to the fact that both filters and meters can cause leakage.

Below is an example of how not to install elements of the plumbing system.

The first thing that immediately catches your eye is the incorrect installation of oblique coarse filters.

Often plumbers start from what is more convenient for them to do, and not from what is right / better.

The oblique filter must be installed in accordance with generally accepted recommendations, otherwise its effectiveness is sharply reduced.

In a particular case, the possibility of installing electric cranes up to the meters was agreed with the management company and the wiring was re-soldered.

The sequence of elements, taking into account the recommendations of the manufacturer of the leakage protection system: electric faucet, oblique filter, water meter. The disadvantages include a large number of connecting foam couplings - the result of using "stubs" from the first wiring option

The video below demonstrates the installation of the Aquaguard system by an experienced plumber.