Water sensor line

maik1 · 01/09/2011, 08:48 PM

Should I get water leaking or water spilling I WILL know about it very quickly.

The 2 silver lines on the floor are 2 small aluminium foil tape that is used on heating/cooling ducts.

I kept a small gap between the 2 strips of foil so it is VERY sensitive!
I have the lines running under my Calcium reactor and my return pump too.

You can see 1 drop of salt water sets off the Alarm. It does work with RO water too but it takes more than 1 drop of RO water, it would take more like 5 or 8 drops. So I have my Apex email me the water alert and I also hooked it up to my home automation system so it flashes my lights in the specified rooms in my house.

Parts needed:
Roll of Aluminium Foil Tape.
TIP42G PNP Transistors.http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=TIP42GOS-ND
SPDT relay 30 amp.http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...&name=PB680-ND
12 Volt Power supply.

Everything you need. The penny is for reference.

All the pins are marked on the relay.

Solder the cables onto the TIP42G PNP Transistor. The red and black cables in the centre of the relay are the Switch input wires for the SL-1 on DA RKE or Breakout box on Apex.
The other Red wire on the right side of the relay and the Brown wire are your Power supply 9Volt DC or 12 Volt DC.

That's it!

Tape off all connections with electrical tape, wrap the two pink wires to the Aluminium foil tape to make contact.

Enjoy!

Maik

FiReBReTHa · 01/09/2011, 09:42 PM

GREAT photos BTW!

made this easy to understand.

mynameisjoe · 04/22/2011, 04:36 AM

Interested to see how the LED's affect the coralS Have you noticed any difference on the older tank?

...subscribed...

capecoral · 04/22/2011, 05:09 AM

Nice idea... kind of an extension of a regular water sensor.

James77 · 10/21/2011, 05:44 PM

Can you add multiple "sensor" strips to the same power supply and TIP42G? I know it would only trigger one Apex channel if it could be done that way, but if water is on the floor, thats all I would need to know.

To get independent channels, I assume you woul need a whole set of the above for each channel?

maik1 · 10/21/2011, 06:04 PM

Yes you can have multiple lines or just make your line extra long to reach the area you need to monitor.

Maik1

wonslung · 10/22/2011, 01:10 AM

i just bought a water alarm. I love the foil idea though, it could make my water alarm better.

Tigé21v · 10/22/2011, 07:39 AM

Very cool idea. Seems like there'd be lots of uses for this. Bookmarked this thread.
Thanks

CamTurner · 12/20/2011, 12:48 PM

Is it just me or are the pictures on this thread missing?

maik1 · 12/20/2011, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CamTurner

Is it just me or are the pictures on this thread missing?

The pictures show up just fine for me when I login.

Maik1

waynefish · 01/12/2012, 02:38 PM

Thanks for the write up. Is there a reason you wouldn`t be able to use just the tape and some wire connected to the Apex breakout box?

maik1 · 01/12/2012, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynefish

Thanks for the write up. Is there a reason you wouldn`t be able to use just the tape and some wire connected to the Apex breakout box?

Only one, it won't work .

Maik1

Yreka · 01/12/2012, 03:33 PM

AWESOME !! will be making one of these.. Great DYI, thanks

waynefish · 01/12/2012, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maik1

Only one, it won't work .

Maik1

If I didn't want it to control the lights, but just set an alarm off with the Apex unit, it wouldn't work without the relay and adapter?

I figure it would be like a float switch opening or closing. No? Pardon me if I'm way off, not to familiar with electronics.

maik1 · 01/12/2012, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynefish

If I didn't want it to control the lights, but just set an alarm off with the Apex unit, it wouldn't work without the relay and adapter?

I figure it would be like a float switch opening or closing. No? Pardon me if I'm way off, not to familiar with electronics.

The salt water is simply not strong enough to ground out the apex port, that's why you need the relay & TIP42G. The Tip42G is like an amplifier to take a small signal like your salt water would give and make it stronger via the relay. This is the best way that I can explain this setup.

Hope that helps.

Maik1

skunkmere · 01/12/2012, 05:52 PM

Thanks for the write up, great job.

Trickman2 · 01/26/2012, 03:28 PM

like the idea, how is the aluminum tape connected to the wires coming out?

On the 12 volt adapter of much MA is required, is their a max limit on MA?

Also what about adding a alarm piezo siren, etc?

aleonn · 01/26/2012, 05:08 PM

Very cool!

rk_tek · 01/26/2012, 05:45 PM

Very nice. This could be extremely useful since I live on the second floor of an apartment.

akaimal · 03/30/2012, 10:32 AM

Thanks for the write up Maik! Very useful..

david00061 · 06/06/2012, 06:50 AM

thanks.... very nice

tommer725 · 06/06/2012, 11:34 AM

i might use this one day

6Speed · 06/06/2012, 11:48 AM

I like this idea a lot. I can see a lot of false alarms, though, with my tank. Rimless plus snails crawling out all the time and clownfish randomly splashing water over the top!

I normally find at least 1 snail per day on the floor next to the tank. Somehow they never die. lol

david00061 · 06/06/2012, 03:09 PM

worked like a champ. thanks

acorral · 06/20/2012, 03:19 PM

Working on doing mine... I found TIP42C, getting TIP42G would be little more hard for me but Iguess it should work right? What are your thoughts on this?

01/09/2011, 08:48 PM	#1
maik1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: North Bay,Ontario, Canada Posts: 222	Water sensor line Should I get water leaking or water spilling I WILL know about it very quickly. The 2 silver lines on the floor are 2 small aluminium foil tape that is used on heating/cooling ducts. I kept a small gap between the 2 strips of foil so it is VERY sensitive! I have the lines running under my Calcium reactor and my return pump too. You can see 1 drop of salt water sets off the Alarm. It does work with RO water too but it takes more than 1 drop of RO water, it would take more like 5 or 8 drops. So I have my Apex email me the water alert and I also hooked it up to my home automation system so it flashes my lights in the specified rooms in my house. Parts needed: Roll of Aluminium Foil Tape. TIP42G PNP Transistors.http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=TIP42GOS-ND SPDT relay 30 amp.http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...&name=PB680-ND 12 Volt Power supply. Everything you need. The penny is for reference. All the pins are marked on the relay. Solder the cables onto the TIP42G PNP Transistor. The red and black cables in the centre of the relay are the Switch input wires for the SL-1 on DA RKE or Breakout box on Apex. The other Red wire on the right side of the relay and the Brown wire are your Power supply 9Volt DC or 12 Volt DC. That's it! Tape off all connections with electrical tape, wrap the two pink wires to the Aluminium foil tape to make contact. Enjoy! Maik Last edited by maik1; 01/09/2011 at 09:24 PM.

01/09/2011, 09:42 PM	#2
FiReBReTHa Master Blaster! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Aurora, IL Posts: 3,641	GREAT photos BTW! made this easy to understand. __________________ 120g Rimless •Rimless Aquarium Club Member• •ATB Club Member• •Ecotech Vortech Member• Current Tank Info: 120g rimless

10/21/2011, 05:44 PM	#5
James77 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 8,158	Can you add multiple "sensor" strips to the same power supply and TIP42G? I know it would only trigger one Apex channel if it could be done that way, but if water is on the floor, thats all I would need to know. To get independent channels, I assume you woul need a whole set of the above for each channel? __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: 120g Mixed Reef and 75g Freshwater

01/12/2012, 02:38 PM	#11
waynefish Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 36	Just tape and wires? Thanks for the write up. Is there a reason you wouldn`t be able to use just the tape and some wire connected to the Apex breakout box?

01/26/2012, 03:28 PM	#17
Trickman2 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 446	like the idea, how is the aluminum tape connected to the wires coming out? On the 12 volt adapter of much MA is required, is their a max limit on MA? Also what about adding a alarm piezo siren, etc? Last edited by Trickman2; 01/26/2012 at 03:34 PM.

04/22/2011, 04:36 AM	#3
mynameisjoe Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Posts: 20	Interested to see how the LED's affect the coralS Have you noticed any difference on the older tank? ...subscribed...

04/22/2011, 05:09 AM	#4
capecoral Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: cape coral, fl Posts: 396	Nice idea... kind of an extension of a regular water sensor.

10/21/2011, 06:04 PM	#6
maik1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: North Bay,Ontario, Canada Posts: 222	Yes you can have multiple lines or just make your line extra long to reach the area you need to monitor. Maik1

10/22/2011, 01:10 AM	#7
wonslung Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 50	i just bought a water alarm. I love the foil idea though, it could make my water alarm better.

10/22/2011, 07:39 AM	#8
Tigé21v Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: St. Charles, Mo. Posts: 1,369	Very cool idea. Seems like there'd be lots of uses for this. Bookmarked this thread. Thanks

12/20/2011, 12:48 PM	#9
CamTurner Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Kitchener, Ontario Posts: 1	Is it just me or are the pictures on this thread missing?

01/12/2012, 03:33 PM	#13
Yreka Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 27	AWESOME !! will be making one of these.. Great DYI, thanks

01/12/2012, 05:52 PM	#16
skunkmere Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: chicago Posts: 6,434	Thanks for the write up, great job.

01/26/2012, 05:08 PM	#18
aleonn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4,041	Very cool!

01/26/2012, 05:45 PM	#19
rk_tek Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Jackson, MS Posts: 123	Very nice. This could be extremely useful since I live on the second floor of an apartment.

03/30/2012, 10:32 AM	#20
akaimal Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lombard Posts: 518	Thanks for the write up Maik! Very useful..

06/06/2012, 06:50 AM	#21
david00061 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: st joseph Missouri Posts: 2,341	thanks.... very nice __________________ Current tank A.G.E. 500 gallon Two frag tanks 48"x20"x12" 12 EcoTech Radion XR30w LED Lights 2 mp60's 4 mp40's, GEO 818 calcium reactor SRO XP 8000 external skimmer

06/06/2012, 11:34 AM	#22
tommer725 The boy who cried fish Join Date: May 2012 Location: Decatur, Illinois Posts: 804	i might use this one day

06/06/2012, 11:48 AM	#23
6Speed Zardoz Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: South Posts: 1,036	I like this idea a lot. I can see a lot of false alarms, though, with my tank. Rimless plus snails crawling out all the time and clownfish randomly splashing water over the top! I normally find at least 1 snail per day on the floor next to the tank. Somehow they never die. lol

06/06/2012, 03:09 PM	#24
david00061 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: st joseph Missouri Posts: 2,341	worked like a champ. thanks __________________ Current tank A.G.E. 500 gallon Two frag tanks 48"x20"x12" 12 EcoTech Radion XR30w LED Lights 2 mp60's 4 mp40's, GEO 818 calcium reactor SRO XP 8000 external skimmer

06/20/2012, 03:19 PM	#25
acorral Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 171	Working on doing mine... I found TIP42C, getting TIP42G would be little more hard for me but Iguess it should work right? What are your thoughts on this?