Diy - detecting water leaks or water level....

[jtdigangi]

How did u wire the float sensors to the board?  Looking to do the same and could use some help. 

Why not just use a few float sensors?  I have 3 I put into my sump crock.  using 3 I can calculate how fast water is rising to determine how much time I have to get home to fix water problems.
 
Similar to this one on the homeseer forums:

 
--Dan

 

[CAI_Support]

On WebControl 16 pin header block, there are 8 of them are TTL inputs.  Pick the TTL inputs you want to use for this purpose, for example, IP6, IP7, IP8 connect to one side of the floating sensor switches. The other side connects to the +5V on that 16 pin header.  Now each switch state will show on the web GUI. You can use them in the PLC code to turn on output(pump on), send email alert, etc.

 

[apostolakisl]

How did u wire the float sensors to the board?  Looking to do the same and could use some help. 

 
I don't have a set up like that.  I have a single pressure transducer which has an analog output of .2 to 4.8 volts depending on the pressure.  The transducer is powered by the 5v output from the cai board and the input goes into one of cai's 3 analog inputs.  The transducer output varies linearly by the pressure.  It is a simple bit of math to convert the voltage into a pressure in inches of water.
 
If you are trying to measure water in the well of a sump there are 2 ways to do it.  
 
The first is the way that freescale would say to do it, but it requires that at least every once in a while the water level drops below a point you care to measure.  If this is the case, then you use a small flexible tube, plug it into the transducer and run it down into the sump well to a level that is high enough that it still is dry at times. The other end of the tube and the transducer are placed high enough that they would always be dry.  The reason the open end of the tube must periodically be exposed to open air is because over time pressurized air dissolves into water.  As the water level in the sump well rises, the air in the tube gets pressurized and the transducer picks that up.  You will have to do some experimentation with the water levels to determine the pressure line since the diameter and length of the tube will change the results.
 
The other way to do it puts the transducer below the water level.  This risks water getting into the guts of the transducer, however I have not had a failure despite this.This method allows you to measure the level without the end of the tube ever having to be above water level.  You take a pvc pipe (at least 1 inch) and close one end with a threaded cap.  Take the cap off, drill a hole and install a nipple pointing the direction that goes into the inside of the pipe.  Connect your transducer with a very short piece of flexible tubing and screw the cap in with teflon tape to ensure a seal.  Then drop the sealed end of the tub into your sump well.  The wires of course will come out the top of the tube where the outside of the transducer is kept dry.  The pressure curve here will follow the curve in the freescale spec sheet.

 

[tbalon]

Just saw this post... I built a wireless remote water level sensor using the following.
 
- HRLV-MaxSonar Sensor. This has an accuracy of 1mm at distance up to 5 meters. The max depth I was measuring was 3m
- Roving Networks RN-XV. This is a wifi device with A/D inputs to read and relay data from the sensor to the web
- Small Voltage Regulator. Boost / Buck regulator to work with a single 3.6V lithium cell to output 3.3V (power mgmt)
 
The sensor is installed in an underground concrete cistern. It hangs above the water and measures
the distance to the water surface. 
 
The sensor has been deployed for about six weeks now. 
 
The sensor wakes up every few hours, takes a reading and posts it to the web. 
The data is recorded into a mysql database
I have a web-page that displays the water level in the tank 
There are alarms that send an email when the tank is approaching the refill point
There are alerts which send an SMS is almost empty 
 
I've attached photos ... 
 
The unit is housed in standard black pvc pipe. Sealed with waterproof tape. 
 
Tom
 

 

 

 

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Tom;
 
VERY nice setup!  Couple of questions:
 
Did you write the software yourself for the web interface and notifications?
 
Can you give a little more detail on the boards analog inputs?
 
What WiFi range do you have and did you incorporate an external antenna?
 
Again, this is a very nice setup that could be used for a variety of projects via our forum members here, so the more details the better!
 
Thanks,
 
BSR

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

How did u wire the float sensors to the board?  Looking to do the same and could use some help. 

 
How will you connect this to your system?  Via an a-d interface and measure the voltage? 
 
Reason I ask is you can set this up to incorporate one a-d interface by setting up a series string of resistors, then just have each switch short out individual resistors to give you a variable voltage per float sensor(s) closed.

 

[tbalon]

Tom;
 
VERY nice setup!  Couple of questions:
 
Did you write the software yourself for the web interface and notifications?
 
Can you give a little more detail on the boards analog inputs?
 
What WiFi range do you have and did you incorporate an external antenna?
 
Again, this is a very nice setup that could be used for a variety of projects via our forum members here, so the more details the better!
 
Thanks,
 
BSR

 
Yes, I wrote the software using php that looks at the data stored by the sensor to display the information on the web page.
The gauges use Google Charts ( https://developers.google.com/chart/interactive/docs/index ) for the gauge. 
 
The RNXV is based on the Xbee format, but is standard 802.11 b/g. For specs ( https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10822 ) The RNXV has 4 , 10 bit A/D inputs. The device can be programmed fairly easily. When I got mine, I applied power, put it in adhoc mode and was able to connect to it via wifi. Once connected, I set it up to connect to my access point using DHCP and rebooted. From there on out you can simply telnet to it for configuration. 
 
The main challenge here was power. The Maxbotix Sonar device outputs an analog voltage that is proportional to the distance. I was using a battery ( 3.6 V lithium ) and so I needed the voltage to remain constant. Hence the use of the small regulator board. This was purchased from circuits at home ( http://www.circuitsathome.com/ ) . This holds the voltage at a steady 3.3V to the maxbotix sensor so that the distance calculations are accurate. 
 
The RNXV has a sensor power pin that isn't exposed but you can tap the chip pin directly. This way power is only applied to the sonar sensor when the RNXV wakes up saving energy. 
 
The RNXV was programmed to sleep, wake up, post the value from the a/d and then go back to sleep. It uses very little power when sleeping. 
 
I also configured the RNXV to connect using 1Mb data rate. The nature of 802.11 DSSS is that the lower the data rate the better the range. Since I'm sending so little data, 1Mb/sec is plenty fast. I also set the radio power to it's lowest level. This saves power when transmitting and keeps the entire power budget within the 120 ma of the regulator. Range has not been an issue, even in the concrete tank, the sensor is about 50 ft from the access point.  
 
The antenna is built-in to the RNXV. You can order it 3 ways, with no antenna, with an SMA connector for an external antenna or with a simple whip antenna. I choose the latter. 
 
For a detailed explanation of how to use the A/D pins to get sensible readings see my postings here.
https://forum.sparkfun.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=32719 
 
Hope this helps.. 
 
I plan to do a complete write-up once I finish the project. I have noticed that I have some issues with condensation forming on the sensor itself. I'm testing some methods of dealing with this ... Maxbotix sells a water proof sensor but it costs $99 vs the $39 one I'm using. I hope to be able to use the cheaper part. 
 
For those that don't need wireless, you can always hook the Maxbotix Sonar device directly to the WebControl Analog inputs ! 
 
Tom

 

[CAI_Support]

There are a lot of similar range sensors listed on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_miscellaneous?_encoding=UTF8&field-keywords=MAXBOTIX%2C%20INC.
 
their analog output can be hooked directly to WebControl analog input, too.

 

[apostolakisl]

For an open top/not pressurized sump well, I think the sonar deal is probably going to be a great option.  It would be just a little bit more expensive but would make up for that in easier installation.
 
In my situation, the levels I am measuring are inside a sealed container.  I tried to figure out a way to use sonar for it, but it was just not possible.
 
I don't think you will have issues with condensation in a basement sump well.
 
What does the condensation do?  Does it just cause false readings or does it damage the device?  I was looking at measuring water level in my septic holding tank but can promise you that condensation will happen under the closed lid.
 
EDIT:  One concern.  What about the sump pump and its associated pipes and stuff.  Will those objects in the hole cause false readings from the sonar?

 

[CAI_Support]

One way to fight condensation is to add a little heater to heat the sonar few seconds before taking the measurement.  Those sonars listed on Amazon have different sonar beam patterns, some of them are wide, some of them are narrow.

 

[tbalon]

For an open top/not pressurized sump well, I think the sonar deal is probably going to be a great option.  It would be just a little bit more expensive but would make up for that in easier installation.
 
In my situation, the levels I am measuring are inside a sealed container.  I tried to figure out a way to use sonar for it, but it was just not possible.
 
I don't think you will have issues with condensation in a basement sump well.
 
What does the condensation do?  Does it just cause false readings or does it damage the device?  I was looking at measuring water level in my septic holding tank but can promise you that condensation will happen under the closed lid.
 
EDIT:  One concern.  What about the sump pump and its associated pipes and stuff.  Will those objects in the hole cause false readings from the sonar?

 
My sensor is in a closed environment. There is a small diaphragm in the unit. It appears that small water droplets will form on  the sensor after time. How much time varies with the amount of temperature shift seen during the interval. This results in  measurements that are way off. Statistically you can filter these but the problem remains. 
 
A heater is an option, and I thought of that but have refrained from using heat since it could use too much power. I originally had the sensor high above the water but that means the temp swing is more pronounced. I've since moved it closer to the water suface hoping it would work better. So far so good...  I also added a small plastic cover to shed any drops of water that drip from above onto the sensor. 
 
The waterproof unit from Maxbotix uses what appears to be a metal enclosure rather than open face. I believe it also uses a higher power sonar pulse to compensate for any moisture.
 
I use the narrow beam pattern which allows me to place the sensor closer to the wall of the cistern / tank. 

 

[drozwood90]

taht picture is NOT my setup, but similar.  I basically took the sensors and hooked them into an optical relay (to isolate and protect my PC).  Then I hooked that into a Joystick game pad ($15 shipped).  I use Homeseer and there is a plugin that was written to allow you to use a joystick as an Input device with 2-3 analog inputs (well as many as your joystick has) and 1 digital input (one for every button).
 
I was mostly pointing out, with the CAI device you could essentially do the same thing.  Tie it to a digital input and monitor for state change.
 
--Dan

 

[CAI_Support]

There are two other kinds of water level switches can directly interface with WebControl TTL inputs:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/250872028406
or
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390349009490
 
and
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390315196798
or
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400419879793

 

[BTCAD]

Hi Tom, you said you used Google developer to build your own gauges and those gauges read the value from webcontrol board. I'm I right? how do you proceed, I toke a look earlier to the ''graph builder'' but I don't know how to merge for exemple the var1 from my wc8 to a guages or a bar chart :
 
http://mydomain.com/getvar1.cgi/
 
 
Any ideas?
 
Thx

 

[Macksmith]

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