I have a need to monitor human activity in a building and plan to install
something in a pipe to detect water flow to do it. Don't want to reinvent
such a thing if it already exists though. Anything out there already that I
can use for this?

"Blue" wrote in message ...
I have a need to monitor human activity in a building and plan to install
something in a pipe to detect water flow to do it. Don't want to reinvent
such a thing if it already exists though. Anything out there already that
I can use for this?

Why do you need to monitor human activity? How about just reading the water
meter once a month?? or the electrical meter? Or getting a lock?

"Blue" wrote in message ...
I have a need to monitor human activity in a building and plan to install
something in a pipe to detect water flow to do it. Don't want to reinvent
such a thing if it already exists though. Anything out there already that
I can use for this?

There are many types of flow meters. Alarms systems for sprinklers have used
them for years. But what if the water is used for inhuman activities?

Blue wrote:
I have a need to monitor human activity in a building and plan to
install something in a pipe to detect water flow to do it. Don't
want to reinvent such a thing if it already exists though. Anything
out there already that I can use for this?

You know, we don't get a lot of questions on this subject.

I guess if you provide a little more details, we might be able to come
up with some specific ideas.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
.. .
Blue wrote:
I have a need to monitor human activity in a building and plan to
install something in a pipe to detect water flow to do it. Don't
want to reinvent such a thing if it already exists though. Anything
out there already that I can use for this?

You know, we don't get a lot of questions on this subject.

I guess if you provide a little more details, we might be able to come up
with some specific ideas.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

This is Turtle.

He may not be able to say for he maybe checking the building at Area 51 for you
know them there space people. Everybody knows them space people likes water.

TURTLE

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news

"Blue" wrote in message
...
I have a need to monitor human activity in a building and plan to install
something in a pipe to detect water flow to do it. Don't want to reinvent
such a thing if it already exists though. Anything out there already that
I can use for this?

There are many types of flow meters. Alarms systems for sprinklers have
used them for years. But what if the water is used for inhuman
activities?

You are right that there is such as sprinkling lines but I would put such a
device in the "human" use only line.
Thinking about a captive magnet in a PVC device in the line. I would detect
movement with a wire loop and process it from there. Would want to detect
any faucet or toilet turn-on however brief. Do you know of a flow meter
that could be used or modified in this way?

On Thu, 12 May 2005 21:08:35 -0700, Blue wrote:

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news

"Blue" wrote in message
...
I have a need to monitor human activity in a building and plan to install
something in a pipe to detect water flow to do it. Don't want to reinvent
such a thing if it already exists though. Anything out there already that
I can use for this?

There are many types of flow meters. Alarms systems for sprinklers have
used them for years. But what if the water is used for inhuman
activities?

You are right that there is such as sprinkling lines but I would put such a
device in the "human" use only line.
Thinking about a captive magnet in a PVC device in the line. I would detect
movement with a wire loop and process it from there. Would want to detect
any faucet or toilet turn-on however brief. Do you know of a flow meter
that could be used or modified in this way?

Wouldn't a normal flow switch be much simpler? I do not know if they just
strap on over a hole in the pipe or mount on a tee. But they have a thin
blade of metal that flexes out of the way and trips the switch when there
is flow.

TURTLE wrote:
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
.. .
Blue wrote:
I have a need to monitor human activity in a building and plan to
install something in a pipe to detect water flow to do it. Don't
want to reinvent such a thing if it already exists though. Anything
out there already that I can use for this?

You know, we don't get a lot of questions on this subject.

I guess if you provide a little more details, we might be able to
come up with some specific ideas.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

This is Turtle.

He may not be able to say for he maybe checking the building at Area
51 for you know them there space people. Everybody knows them space
people likes water.

I heard they like ethanol. :-)


TURTLE

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Blue

McDonnell Miller makes some sensitive flow switches, as does Johnson
controls. I Don't remember the model #s off hand.

You could also use an alarm system with motion detectors. You could
use a silent alarm or have it call your computer and report which zone
has activity.

It all depends on what you want to do with it.

What size is the building and what kind of activity do you want to
monitor?

Stretch

On Thu, 12 May 2005 14:02:27 -0500, wrote:

Most people use a high powered rifle for this purpose.

Well, yeah, but you only do that if it's YOUR building.

Thanks all for the suggestions.

I took a look at the firms mentioned for liquid flow detectors (the only
way I want to go) and they are not as sensitive as I need (much less than 1
gal/min).

Searching the web didn't help me either though I'm sure something is out
there available. I've decided to hoke one up myself with a captured
magnetic in a PVC pipe with an external wire movement detector and a micro
circuit to do what I need. Thanks for your suggestions.

"stretch" wrote in message
ups.com...
Blue

McDonnell Miller makes some sensitive flow switches, as does Johnson
controls. I Don't remember the model #s off hand.

You could also use an alarm system with motion detectors. You could
use a silent alarm or have it call your computer and report which zone
has activity.

It all depends on what you want to do with it.

What size is the building and what kind of activity do you want to
monitor?

Stretch