Compressed air supply in workshop.

[Pat]

CWARRIX, I was thinking too complicated. Sorry. A simple cheap water detector is a spring loaded clothes pin with a couple small machine screws. You put a screw through each of the parts that pinch together and use thte screws for N.O. (close to alarm) sensor contacts. Then place a pill between the heads of the screws to hold them apart. If the sensor is submerged the pill dissolves and the screws make contact.

If you wire a bicycle horn or other alarm in series with the sensor it will sound when the pill melts. Or go hi-tech and have it call our cell phone.

A number of sensors can be wired in parallel with one alarm device but you won't know which one is alarming when it trips. In your situation, that is fine as if ANY one trips the water gets turned off. You need to "invert" the logic so wire the sensors in parallel so that if any sensor trips a relay is energized. A water control solenoid that closes when energized could be powered by a set of N.O. contacts on the relay.

If you have trouble finding a water controller that shuts off when energized, use one that has to be energized to flow water (same style as in a dishwasher.) This requires the relay to be energized all the time for water to be available so select a continuous duty relay. This last approach has the addedbenefit (feature?) of turning your water off in case of electrical outage.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[cwarrix]

Hi Pat, almost missed this reply... you crack me up. That sounds like a great solution. In fact, you may be able to apply this same idea to detect freezing temperatures around water pipes. Just replace the "pill" with a smaill glass tube filled with water. Water freezes, glass breaks, contact is made. Simple, I love it.

I was wondering though, for detecting water leaks couldn't I just connect my well pump to a ground fault breaker, then run wires from that breaker to each place I want to detect water. At that point I would just leave the bare wires laying there, like under the sink, behind the toilet, etc. When the water leaks enough to touch the wires, the breaker pops and shuts the pump off. Darn, still have that 30 gal pressure tank pushing water out .... And of course I would have to instruct everyone not to step on the wires with their bare feet [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Well, I guess it still needs some work. And man, I hope Inspector507 isn't reading this, I don't think he'd approve, and he even knows where I live!! [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
CWARRIX, I was thinking too complicated. Sorry. A simple cheap water detector is a spring loaded clothes pin with a couple small machine screws. You put a screw through each of the parts that pinch together and use thte screws for N.O. (close to alarm) sensor contacts. Then place a pill between the heads of the screws to hold them apart. If the sensor is submerged the pill dissolves and the screws make contact.

If you wire a bicycle horn or other alarm in series with the sensor it will sound when the pill melts. Or go hi-tech and have it call our cell phone.

A number of sensors can be wired in parallel with one alarm device but you won't know which one is alarming when it trips. In your situation, that is fine as if ANY one trips the water gets turned off. You need to "invert" the logic so wire the sensors in parallel so that if any sensor trips a relay is energized. A water control solenoid that closes when energized could be powered by a set of N.O. contacts on the relay.

If you have trouble finding a water controller that shuts off when energized, use one that has to be energized to flow water (same style as in a dishwasher.) This requires the relay to be energized all the time for water to be available so select a continuous duty relay. This last approach has the addedbenefit (feature?) of turning your water off in case of electrical outage.



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[QRTRHRS]

I just wanted to add a few comments. Copper with compression fittings is commonly found in industrial/manufacturing settings. I saw this stuff on a car show on TV the other day. Probably pricey. http://www.garage-pak.com/ It is also a good idea to use rubber isolation pads when you bolt your compressor to the floor. They relieve stress possibly preventing cracks where the legs are welded to the tank. You can find them on line for maybe 10 bucks for three.

[cwarrix]

Thanks for the info QRTRHRS, I ended up going with regular old copper pipe soldered together. I think I looked at something close to what you mentioned at garage-pak.com and it was pretty pricey for what I wanted. My barn is just for small projects, not a commercial body shop or anything like that.