Does anyone have suggestion for water leak detectors/alarms? I am
looking at something like this:

http://www.discountfiresupplies.co.u...Detector-Alarm

What prompts this we just found that our washing machine has been
pumping out into the void under the floor for several weeks because
the drain pipe sprrang a leak down there. For the future we'd like to
have a water leak detector down there (andd in other places) rather
than rely on the damp smell or moldy ceilings.

Any thoughts/experiences/suggestions? How long do the batteries last
in gadgets like this?

Robert

"RobertL" wrote in message
...
Does anyone have suggestion for water leak detectors/alarms? I am
looking at something like this:

http://www.discountfiresupplies.co.u...Detector-Alarm

What prompts this we just found that our washing machine has been
pumping out into the void under the floor for several weeks because
the drain pipe sprrang a leak down there. For the future we'd like to
have a water leak detector down there (andd in other places) rather
than rely on the damp smell or moldy ceilings.

Any thoughts/experiences/suggestions? How long do the batteries last
in gadgets like this?

Robert

How about just fixing the washing machine.

On 4 Feb, 10:35, RobertL wrote:
Does anyone have suggestion for water leak detectors/alarms? *I am
looking at something like this:

http://www.discountfiresupplies.co.u...-Alert-Water-D...

What prompts this we just found that our washing machine has been
pumping out into the void under the floor for several weeks because
the drain pipe sprrang a leak down there. *For the future we'd like to
have a water leak detector down there (andd in other places) rather
than rely on the damp smell or moldy ceilings.

Any thoughts/experiences/suggestions? *How long do the batteries last
in gadgets like this?

Hi Robert,

I've been looking for something similar for a while. See the link in
this post:

From: (Martin Pentreath)
Newsgroups: uk.d-i-y
Subject: Washing Machine Flood Valves
Date: 2 Apr 2005 07:58:21 -0800
NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 15:58:21 +0000 (UTC)

Having just turned my cellar into a utility room to take my washing
machine and a few other appliances I've realised that if the machine
leaks then the cellar will slowly and quietly turn into a rather dirty
unheated indoor swimming pool.

Good news, I've found exactly what I need:
http://www.plumbingstore.com/clother...seshutoff.html

Bad news, it's from a US supplier. Anyone know of anything similar
available in the UK at a similar price? Or any other clever ideas?

Original thread archived at http://ncane.com/6a5

Unfortunately I never found a UK supplier, and then gave up and forgot
all about it apart from the odd nagging doubt.

Cheers!

Martin

On Feb 4, 10:35*am, RobertL wrote:
Does anyone have suggestion for water leak detectors/alarms? *I am
looking at something like this:

http://www.discountfiresupplies.co.u...-Alert-Water-D...

What prompts this we just found that our washing machine has been
pumping out into the void under the floor for several weeks because
the drain pipe sprrang a leak down there. *For the future we'd like to
have a water leak detector down there (andd in other places) rather
than rely on the damp smell or moldy ceilings.

Any thoughts/experiences/suggestions? *How long do the batteries last
in gadgets like this?

Robert

I'd have thought that the batteries would only be used when the
detector detects. There are cheap diy versions available with a
clothes peg and an alka seltzer :-)

"adder1969" wrote in message
...
On Feb 4, 10:35 am, RobertL wrote:
Does anyone have suggestion for water leak detectors/alarms? I am
looking at something like this:

http://www.discountfiresupplies.co.u...-Alert-Water-D...

What prompts this we just found that our washing machine has been
pumping out into the void under the floor for several weeks because
the drain pipe sprrang a leak down there. For the future we'd like to
have a water leak detector down there (andd in other places) rather
than rely on the damp smell or moldy ceilings.

Any thoughts/experiences/suggestions? How long do the batteries last
in gadgets like this?

Robert

If you are any good at soldering Rapid Electronics do a pretty basic kit:

http://www.rapidonline.com/productin...+Products&tier
2=Projects+%26+Robotics&tier3=Electronic+Projects& tier4=Water+level+alarm+ki
t&moduleno=32611&catRef=13-0510 (watch the wrap)

Alternatively, if this doesn't work the googling "rapid electronics water
detector" goes straight to the page you need.

And its cheap!

No connection with Rapid, but I've always found them to be fast and
efficient

Charles F

On Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:35:41 -0800, RobertL wrote:

Does anyone have suggestion for water leak detectors/alarms? I am looking
at something like this:

http://www.discountfiresupplies.co.u...Detector-Alarm

What prompts this we just found that our washing machine has been pumping
out into the void under the floor for several weeks because the drain pipe
sprrang a leak down there. For the future we'd like to have a water leak
detector down there (andd in other places) rather than rely on the damp
smell or moldy ceilings.

Any thoughts/experiences/suggestions? How long do the batteries last in
gadgets like this?

Robert

==================================
Lidl - www.lidl.co.uk show one in their current flyer @ £4.99p. It's
cheap enough to experiment with / discard if it's no good.

Cic.

--
===================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===================================

adder1969 wrote:

I'd have thought that the batteries would only be used when the
detector detects.

Not necessarily. Water isn't a good enough conductor to just put two
wires near each other, with a battery and a buzzer, and call it a water
detector. There will have to be some (probably very simple) electronics
involved, which will draw a little bit of current all the time. Very,
very small, though.

There are cheap diy versions available with a clothes peg and an alka seltzer :-)

Well, that certainly uses no power most of the time. I reckon eventually
the tablet might break down through age (perhaps from absorbing moisture
from the air) - but then again, one could call that a fail-safe
mechanism. At least it alerts you when it needs attention, rather than
just dying of flat batteries.

Pete

Cicero wrote:

Lidl - www.lidl.co.uk show one in their current flyer @ £4.99p. It's
cheap enough to experiment with / discard if it's no good.

Heh. Some interesting items there. Forgive me if I don't trust their £25
"safe" for anything worth more than the box itself :-)

And what on earth is this thing:

http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pa..._Protector.ar6

?

Pete

The message
from Pete Verdon d
contains these words:

Cicero wrote:

Lidl - www.lidl.co.uk show one in their current flyer @ £4.99p. It's
cheap enough to experiment with / discard if it's no good.

Heh. Some interesting items there. Forgive me if I don't trust their £25
"safe" for anything worth more than the box itself :-)

And what on earth is this thing:

http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pa..._Protector.ar6

?


Aw, C'mon.

Fireproof safe? Well, I don't need one. I've got a genuine Chubb
fireproof filing cabinet that cost a few thousand. But at £25 to
protect a few documents? They'd stand a reasonable chance in the
average house fire and it's a whole lot better than nothing.

Lidl stuff is a mixed bag, but at least they stand by it a whole lot
better than most other companies.

Pete Verdon wrote:
adder1969 wrote:

I'd have thought that the batteries would only be used when the
detector detects.

Not necessarily. Water isn't a good enough conductor to just put two
wires near each other, with a battery and a buzzer, and call it a water
detector. There will have to be some (probably very simple) electronics
involved, which will draw a little bit of current all the time. Very,
very small, though.

Thats one bit of tronics thats trivial to design so that it eats no
current until it detects. In fact water detectors are one of the
simplest electronic things to make, even with no soldering iron its
not difficult.

9v battery, 9v buzzer, darlington pair, 2 base resistors, diode
across
the buzzer, and a bit of blotting paper as the water sensor.


NT