At one point in the ancient past, GoControl made the WL00Z-1 water flow sensor. Unfortunately, it is now discontinued. It was strapped over a length of copper water pipe, and I assume listened for water moving inside to trigger that water was flowing. Does anyone know of a similar product to do just a basic "is water flowing" detection, with no metering or other complications?
Longer story. Our house uses well "water" and a cycle-stop valve on the in-ground pump that keeps the well pump running at all times to maintain a constant pressure until all water use stops, slightly more complex than the simple pressure switch that most typical home well systems use. I wrote "water" in quotes above because the stuff that comes out of the ground eats through our copper pipes and common metal plumbing connectors, and broken copper pipes in our basement are an annual occurrence. Until I get a chance to replace the entire plumbing system with home-run PEX into a central manifold with individual shutoff valves, I'd like to have something simple like the old GoControl flow sensor on the remaining copper pipes to stop the deluge before getting deep enough to trigger the basement flood sensors.
Anyone else have a suggestion that doesn't involve watching the well pump run time via current draw or relay?????
I'll bet you could even wrap packing tape around the base of a vertical pipe (say going to the upstairs).
Then wrap two pieces of copper wire maybe 1/4" apart on the tape. Connect the wires to any leak sensor. If any water runs down the pipe the leak sensor should/will trigger a leak detection.
Slight segway.....
I just put a leak sensor in the safety drain pan of our A/C (in our attic). A couple of years ago during the winter something (likely spiders) blocked the drain to the outside. The overflow switch worked but it was a pain draining the pan. Now I use my vacuum cleaner to suck air through the drain pipe every spring before starting the A/C. Next year I'm adding a cork!
The three copper pipes that I'm concerned about run to a toilet and the washing machine. Sensing when the washer is running is easy enough, and putting a tilt/reed switch in the toilet tank on the float arm could have other HA uses.
Catching the broken pipe while cleanup is still a mop problem is my goal. Breaking out the shop vac is getting old...and so am I. We only have access to the basement from outside the house, and lugging shop vac after shop vac full of water up the stairs through the bilco door is not my idea of fun.....
I suspect that it would false trigger a lot from condensation on the outside of the pipes, but you just gave me a crazy idea to test that might even work...twine! If I tie twine at the upward elbows and horizontal low points on each pipe and droop them downward to a plastic cup on the floor with a flood sensor in it, the condensation should evaporate off the twine before reaching the cup...but anything from a dribble on should follow the twine into the cup and trigger the flood sensor.
As an added bonus, the WAF factor of a kludge like this would be VERY low, so I'm sure that it won't even need to actually work to detect a broken pipe before she signs off on replacing the entire water distribution system with PEX and a central manifold with individual shutoff valves.....
Just thinking out loud here. If condensation is a problem. Can you wrap a thin layer (1/4") if foam sheet. I usually end up with a bunch of it after receiving various shipments of online stuff. Make the transition from the 1/4 back to the pipe diameter with packing tape. That should eliminate condensation in that one area. If the condensation is so bad it runs down the pipes then this won't work.
