Even if high-quality and expensive materials were used during the installation of the water supply system, and qualified specialists equipped the pipeline, this is not a guarantee that an accident will not occur.
To reduce the risk of leakage, leakage protection is installed in potentially dangerous places (pipe connections, turning points, near fittings, under flexible hoses, in places where household appliances are installed, under a siphon). This device shuts off the water supply in the event of an emergency.
According to statistics, 87% of accidents are associated with water leaks in pipe lines.
There is protection against leaks. In this article we will review water leakage protection systems from well-known manufacturers.
Expert opinion
It-Technology, Electrical power and electronics specialist
Ask questions to the “Specialist for modernization of energy generation systems”
Smart flood protection | Aqara And the center will continue to follow instructions that do not require access to the Internet, turn on the siren, blink the light, and turn off the water supply. Ask, I'm in touch!
Advantages and disadvantages
Add-ons
The Aquastrozh leakage protection system is equipped with a partial bore ball valve. The difference is the smaller diameter (1mm) - this will seriously affect deposits in the pipe and tap, which can ultimately lead to early failure of the system.
- The Aquastorozh leak protection system has water flowing in one direction. Changing the movement will lead to a significant reduction in resource.
- Ionistors and batteries cannot support the operation of more than one electric crane.
- The Neptune system cannot be installed without an electrical outlet.
- Gidrolock does not have a manual control function.
What you should pay attention to when purchasing a leak protection system
How many overlap sensors will be needed?
Depends on the complexity of the plumbing system and the number of connected household appliances:
The need to operate offline
Gidrolock leak protection lasts up to 24 years; no other system can compete with it.
What kind of lighting do you prefer?
Built-in Chandelier
System reliability
Material of manufacture. Sensor protection. Sensor sensitivity.
The best material is Bugatti hot-forged brass.
If the sensors are particularly sensitive, then it is good to have protection installed, otherwise it may be triggered by every drop that falls on it.
Other criteria
- Full bore valves or not.
- How many opening/closing cycles? In the protective system, Neptune has a reserve of 100,000 openings/closings, Autoguard is only 10,000, Gidrolock is more than 250,000 Temperature range. The higher it is, the more reliable the protection system.
- Connecting external devices. And their range. Leak protection Neptune does not provide this function Aquaguard 8 wireless sensors, to connect you need a Gidrolock radio base up to 100 wireless sensors, you need a Gidrolock antenna
- Protection against souring. Once a month, the faucet automatically closes and opens, allowing the water pressure to wash away unwanted sediment. Typically installed in all security systems.
- Is there grounding? It’s not pleasant if you get an electric shock during a leak. It is absent in the Aquawatch system.
- Warranty service life.
If we evaluate these three systems on a 5-point scale, based on consumer reviews:
How does the Anti-Flood system work?
The first nuance that is worth paying attention to is the principle of the anti-flood. This is necessary in order to more deeply understand the structure of the entire structure, for its more efficient operation.
Let's look at the components of the entire device:
- Sensor for monitoring fluid levels. This is a protective element. After all, it is he who conducts diagnostics and determines acceptable indicators. Most often, such elements are installed in problem areas of the pipeline.
- Electrically controlled faucet or valve. They minimize the loss of fluid volumes in the event of an emergency. Installation is carried out on a riser.
- Control (monitoring) unit. From the name you can understand that this is the brain of the entire hydraulic system. All other parts are connected to it, since if an emergency occurs in the form of a serious leak, it gives a signal and the power supply to the taps is turned on. As soon as they are triggered, everything shuts down.
In general, you can see that the functioning process is quite simple, there are few components. But still, you need to carefully study all their features. After all, their work will determine whether it can protect you from the flood or not.
Quickly find out about a leak
The minimum required set: a leakage sensor and a smart home control center - Aqara Gateway (such devices are also called gateways).
Sensors are installed in places where there is a likely leak: under the bathtub, behind the toilet.
The control center receives the signal from the sensor, turns on the alarm and carries out user instructions. For example, it sends a warning to your phone.
Experiment
- Two seconds after contact with water, the Center receives a signal and turns on the alarm.
- For another two seconds, a message about a leak appears on the iPad.
- The Android phone showed the message 10 seconds later.
- To receive a message just as quickly on Android, you need to configure your phone correctly. The main thing is to add the Aqara application to the list of exceptions for power saving mode in the settings.
Expert opinion
It-Technology, Electrical power and electronics specialist
Ask questions to the “Specialist for modernization of energy generation systems”
Water leakage sensor: how to choose and how it works? For favorable and correct operation of the device, you need to connect a gateway that supports the ZigBee data sending protocol. Ask, I'm in touch!
How to install “anti-flood” (step-by-step instructions)
The installation process will depend on the characteristics of the apartment or house. It can be quite difficult, so if you have no idea about installing such a device, contact a specialist.
Traditionally, the procedure is performed in several stages, including:
- Preparatory activities (drawing up a diagram, estimating the length, preparing the necessary equipment).
- Installation of ball valves. They are located at the pipeline entries, immediately behind the manual valves. It is important to know that they need to ensure a constant supply of electricity.
- Location of the device. There are several methods, but the most popular and simplest is external installation. This method involves placing devices on floor surfaces.
- Location of control units. Since this is the main part, it is mounted in distribution boards, where it is connected to electrical networks.
- Examination. This is quite easy to do and when everything is going well the lights will turn green. If a leak occurs or something is connected incorrectly, the red light will light up.
Leak sensor Aqara
The sensor is simple. On the top side, under the drop, there is a single button. It will only be needed to connect the sensor to the smart home center. At the bottom there are two metal contacts. The battery compartment can be opened without a screwdriver, using any coin. Inside is a CR2032 battery, which is easy to find in any hardware store.
The sensor is protected from dust and moisture. The protection standard is the same as the iPhone X - IP67. This means complete protection from dust and protection from water when submerged to a depth of 1 meter for up to half an hour. However, the sensor is not in danger of deep immersion: it is light enough to float on the water. In practice, the sensor can be in the water for significantly longer than 30 minutes, but still not constantly.
How to choose the best model of water flow system
To find the right products, you have to look at many models. Nevertheless, by studying the list of technical characteristics that they must have, you can narrow the list and successfully purchase it.
Experts note the following criteria:
- Material of manufacture. It should be selected based on the possibility of causing mechanical damage or toxicity of the raw material.
- Wire length indicators. If you choose a wire that is not long enough, the connection procedure will be much more difficult.
- Type of food. There are wireless and wired types.
- Quantity. To cover a large area, you will need more than one sensor.
- Operating power. Remember that it needs uninterrupted electrical power.
- Operating voltage. More powerful devices will require higher voltage.
By following this list, you can easily select a quality product that will work reliably and safely.
Comparison table of characteristics
The table below presents the main characteristics of the system models under consideration. By comparing them with each other, it will be much easier for you to navigate the range and choose a system that meets your expectations and requirements.
| System name | Signal transmission | Nutrition | Number of sensors |
| NEPTUN PROW+ WI-FI | wired | 12 V | up to 375 |
| NEPTUN BUGATTI PROW | wireless, wired to choose from | 12 V and 220 at user's choice | up to 31 radio sensors and up to 375 wired sensors |
| NEPTUN AQUACONTROL | wired | 220 V | 20 |
| Aquaguard Expert | wired | batteries | 4 |
| Aquaguard classic | wired | batteries | 3 |
| Gidrolock COUNTRY HOUSE | wired | batteries | 2 |
| Hydrolock Professional Bugatti | wired | 12 V | 3 |
Which manufacturer to choose
Nowadays, the market is filled with both reliable and unreliable brands. To avoid getting a low-quality product, pay attention to these brands:
- NEPTUN – Russian Federation.
- AQUASTOROZH – Russia.
- AQUABAST – Russia.
- GIDROLOCK – Russia.
- FIBARO – Poland.
- AQARA - China.
- DIGMA - UK.
- HIPER – England.
- AJAX – Ukraine.
