GRI water sensors

[Desert_AIP]

That Watercop doesn't appear to have the IO connector.
 
You need the WCACT1
 
 
The one I have has an RJ45 jack on the front.
It provides inputs and outputs. 
So you can control it with relays and it will report status.

 

[BobS0327]

The Watercop folks suggested that I purchase the WCLF 3/4 inch actuator with shutoff valve. I'll also purchase 5 WH100 wireless sensors for areas where it is nearly impossible to run wires.  The GR2600 sensors will be used where it is possible to run wire.
 
Unfortunately, I don't know how to read the valve position (open closed).  To quote the documentation. "Contacts 2,3, and 4 are used to signal remote devices as to the position of the valve".  I only have a minimal electronics knowledge and would greatly appreciate anyone pointing me in the right direction as to inputting this info to the OP2 controller.  I assume that I'll have to measure voltage levels on the three wires when the valve is in the open and closed position and feed that info into a zone.
 
I've attached an image of the documentation as a reference.
 
 
 
 
 

 

[Desert_AIP]

3 is the common terminal
2 is Closed
4 is Open
 
When 2 and 3 are shorted the valve is closed
When 3 and 4 are shorted the valve is open
If both are shorted to 3 the valve is transitioning
 
This gives you a way to positively verify the position of the valve.
 
Vs. a single pair of contacts that only indicate one of the states and you have to assume the other state is true when the contacts aren't shorted.
 
 
It takes two relays to operate, one for open and one for close.
 
6 & 7 to open
5 & 7 to close

 

[ano]

So the Omni Pro II has outputs but NOT relays. You will want to buy the Leviton 10A07-1 relay board.  This one has 4 relays, but they have an 8 relay board also. 
 
You could 1 relay to open the valve and another to close it.  BUT you really don't ever need to open it with the Omni. You can just go in your garage and press the open button. You don't want to open it by mistake. Having to push the button is a bit of a safety feature.

 

 

[BobS0327]

3 is the common terminal
2 is Closed
4 is Open
 
When 2 and 3 are shorted the valve is closed
When 3 and 4 are shorted the valve is open
If both are shorted to 3 the valve is transitioning
 
This gives you a way to positively verify the position of the valve.
 
Vs. a single pair of contacts that only indicate one of the states and you have to assume the other state is true when the contacts aren't shorted.
 
 
It takes two relays to operate, one for open and one for close.
 
6 & 7 to open
5 & 7 to close

Ok.  That makes sense to me.  Thanx for the explanation.

 

[BobS0327]

So the Omni Pro II has outputs but NOT relays. You will want to buy the Leviton 10A07-1 relay board.  This one has 4 relays, but they have an 8 relay board also. 
 
You could 1 relay to open the valve and another to close it.  BUT you really don't ever need to open it with the Omni. You can just go in your garage and press the open button. You don't want to open it by mistake. Having to push the button is a bit of a safety feature.
 

I already have the 8 relay board.  I agree, I definitely do not want to open the valve by mistake. Thus, the OP2 controller will only close the valve via programming.  I will only reopen the valve manually. Thanx.

 

[BobS0327]

I just came across another possible solution. http://www.getfloodstop.com/
 
Floodstop seems a little pricey but I like the feature where each shutoff valve is located at  source of a potential leak as opposed to one centralized shutoff valve.   The Floodstop control panel has relays that can be fed into the OP2 panel.  Thus, you can easily determine the specific location of the leak.  Also, the hot water heater shutoff valve can double as a whole house shutoff valve.
 
It's piqued my interest.  So, I've requested more product info from their sales staff.
 
 

 

[ano]

I just came across another possible solution. http://www.getfloodstop.com/
 
Floodstop seems a little pricey but I like the feature where each shutoff valve is located at  source of a potential leak as opposed to one centralized shutoff valve.   The Floodstop control panel has relays that can be fed into the OP2 panel.  Thus, you can easily determine the specific location of the leak.  Also, the hot water heater shutoff valve can double as a whole house shutoff valve.
 
It's piqued my interest.  So, I've requested more product info from their sales staff.

It seems to be a bit optimistic that you can predict which device will leak. You will look pretty silly if you buy the one for your dishwasher and your washer hose breaks and floods the house.

 

[Del91574]

It seems to be a bit optimistic that you can predict which device will leak. You will look pretty silly if you buy the one for your dishwasher and your washer hose breaks and floods the house.

Where's the fridge solenoid unit?
 
I say that because I had a customer whose fridge did exactly that....solenoid let go while they were on vacation and away for about 3 months....during the summer.....with nobody checking inside the house. Every piece of hardwood was gone, looked like ocean waves, as was every wall inside the place (black mold).

 

[BobS0327]

It seems to be a bit optimistic that you can predict which device will leak. You will look pretty silly if you buy the one for your dishwasher and your washer hose breaks and floods the house.

The Floodstop website indicates that it has devices that will control clothes washers, sinks, dish washers, toilets, etc.  It appears to be the same basic shutoff valve but with different plumbing hardware attached.  For example, the ice maker valve has 1/4 hardware attached to it to make it  easy to connect to the ice maker.  The clothes washer device has plumbing hardware attached to make it easy to connect to the clothes washer water source etc.
 
Also, the water heater device can double as a whole house shut off device or it can be used to control any 1/2 inch copper water source by use of a reducer to reduce the size from 3/4 to 1/2 inch. 
 
Buying devices to cover leaks from all appliances is where it gets pricey.  At  approx $128.00 per device, total installation costs will quickly add up depending upon how many devices one may want to implement.

 

[RAL]

Since the chances of any leak occurring in the house are pretty small overall, I'd go with the simplicity of a single shutoff valve and sensors located near the various appliances that might leak.   I don't see much benefit (or reduced inconvenience) with shutting down just the one appliance that is leaking vs the entire water supply.

 

[BobS0327]

Where's the fridge solenoid unit?
 
I say that because I had a customer whose fridge did exactly that....solenoid let go while they were on vacation and away for about 3 months....during the summer.....with nobody checking inside the house. Every piece of hardwood was gone, looked like ocean waves, as was every wall inside the place (black mold).

 
That's what more or less happened to me only I caught the leak within about a half hour.  Fortunately, I had a PIR sensor installed in the basement directly below the refrigerator  which shorted out causing my OP2 to squawk "Trouble now" which alerted me to the leak. .The refrigerator water line gave out causing approximately $14,000 in damages.  Hardwood floors on main floor have to be sanded and poly coated,  Laminate floor in basement has to be replaced as well as all the flexible heat ducting in basement.  Not too mention the basement ceiling has to be redone since contractor cannot find  matching drop in panels.
 
If I were to use this device, I would attach it directly to the rear of the refrigerator right next to the water inlet. 

 

[Del91574]

I'd probably go recommend with a shutoff to entire house and then related components, such as RIB/contactor if a well was involved.

 

[pete_c]

The refrigerator water line gave out causing approximately $14,000 in damages. 
 
Hardwood floors on main floor have to be sanded and poly coated,

 
Here we had a debaucle which did similiar but was unrelated to the water line (for ice maker). 
 
The water issue did damage the wood floor a bit but we fixed it catching it in time. (well about 30% of the kitchen wood floor).
 
What had happened was probably my fault.  (I still blamed it on my wife).  Something fell into the circulating fan in the back of the inside lower piece of freezer section causing the freezer to quit functioning and melt all of the frozen products inside.    Well the combo refrigerator / freezer was only 4 years old.  Wife remotely asked me to purchase a new combo which I did within a day or so. It was't until I took out all of the stuff from the old non functioning freezer until I noticed what had happened during the deliver of the new device. (~ $2000 later).  Most recently replaced the ice maker which was a PITA to do but not too difficult.  What annoyed me was the disintegration of the old ice maker due to some faulty cheap design used on what I considered an expensive gizmo.
 
Another debaucle in the laundry room which was water related but not directly with the ingress water lines.  The tile / water seals in the laundry room turned it in to a laundry mini pool of sorts and didn't damage anything but it was a major WAF hitter.  The bottom drain tube of the washing machine just broke off (it was plastic) one day.  The tub was already full of water such that stopping the water flow would have happened after the fact.  It was a Sunday and a 3-4 day wait on ordering the part.  Here just went to the local Ace Hardware folks and made a drainage tube on the sales counter; very helpful and the tube will never break again.  In FL just designed (contractor) put a drain in the laundry room floor (PVC in a cement floor - PITA of sorts).  The house there is an elevated on cement ranch (elevated 8-10 feet off the sea level - literally writing).
 
The above noted I still use the GRI water sensors / shut off main water thing (bought a while ago and still procratinating?) for my HAI OPII panel.  I did also move my "water" infrastructure (PITA to move copper plumbing) stuff to one location/section where there is a drain which goes into one of two wells (sump pump).  Here the water is processed (well those water things you need sometimes).  In the old home the washer / dryer sat in the unfinished part of the basement.  Geez here is on the main floor with a clothes feed from the second floor.  My wife did like the idea of a combo washer and dryer on the second floor; personally I did not.
 
Really though it's about creating an infrastructure (insurance of sorts) which doesn't do this stuff.  IE: an alert relating to water for the freezer thaw would have been nice to have but I wouldn't have probably been able to get to it right away if I was not home and a water shut off would not have prevented the kitchen wood floor damage as the water did come from the freezer thaw rather than the water line going to the gizmo.

 

[BobS0327]

I'm considering using a "combination" solution.  That is, I'll use Robocop and GRI sensors for a whole house water shutoff solution.  But I'll probably purchase one of the Floodstop icemaker shutoff valves for my refrigerator.  I like the option to connect several water sensors to the control.  The water sensors are 1.2 inches by 7.5 inches.  So, they will allow me to cover a large area under the refrigerator.  Also, purchasing one valve control will not only give me a "feel" for the quality of the product but also allow me to do some extensive testing of the product to determine how reliable it is.