How does Leakage Protection work?

Water Leak Detection - what is it ?

Water is life! But water can also be the root-cause of frustration, dirt, trash or loss of the home. A few numbers. Worldwide every year more than 25 Bill. US-Dollar are paid out by insurance companies to over cost of water leak damage. However, this is only 60 % of the real cost of a water leak and only 2/3 of all households in western countries have insurance coverage for their home. In the US alone more than 1 Trillion (1.000.000.000.000) gallons of water are wasted due to leakage in private homes. 11 Mio. homes are impacted ever year. Water Leak Detection Systems detect water leaks, shut off the water and inform the homeowner.

How does a Water Leak Detection System work?

Every complete and professional leakage protection system follows the same basic strategy:

Sense →Act

Different sensors in the home and on the water distribution system detect anomalies in the water supply. Either within the sensor or in a central control system the sensor data is analyzed and in case of a potential water problem the water is shut off and the homeowner is informed. Most systems will issue warnings in case a leak may be detected but there is still uncertainty.

Why are different sensors needed for a water leak detection system?

Leak Detection Systems have two basic types of sensors strategy:

sensing the presence of water near a sensor and
sensing the flow of water in the pipe.

Detecting the presence of water on an otherwise dry place with a flood sensor (under a washing machine, below the sink, ...) is a clear indication of a water problem unless some wet cleaning is going on. However, most of the pipes are mounted inside walls and sensors cannot be placed there. also placing a water presence sensor on every possible location in the home is not a suitable way. Detecting the water flow using a flow sensor such as the Aqua Scope Monitor allows finding other malfunctions such as faulty toilet flappers or tiny leaks in the pipe in the wall. The challenge of flow sensors is to differentiate malfunction from normal water take for watching, drinking and cleaning.