Devices that serve to provide an alarm condition or visual indication of the presence of a leak condition from a pipe or other system that contains liquids or gases is known as Leak sensor or leak detector. Detecting a potential issue and then taking some action to reduce the damage caused by a leak is the main concept of leak detection technology. leak sensors are very famous and are widely used in industrial and commercial applications but due to the modernization, they are also used in residential settings owning to widespread damage due to leaks. Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is the most common leak detection method. Series of sensors such as pressure, flow rates, temperature are used in this system to track the data. The sensors relay the information to a control room where operators determine the legitimacy of the leak alarms. The SCADA system can detect only 19% of leaks, and the CPM system only 10% of leaks.
- Potential sources of water leaks
- Cold water service pipes
- Hot water heaters
- Hot water pipes
- Boiler piping
- Safety and over pressure valves
- Drain and waste system piping
- Refrigerator connections
- Piping for external water faucets, hose bibs, and other connection points.
- types of leak sensors
- There are many methods that are used to detect water and fluid leaks-
- One type of sensor uses electrical conduction to detect when the water comes in contact with the sensor other one is mounted on the master supply that feeds water, by information gleaned from measurements to detect a leak.
- A water meter that is used to measure water usage has the ability to detect a leak.
- Spot leak sensors or detectors are designed to monitor conditions in a specific location where the risk of a leak is higher.
- Flow leak sensors can be installed on the water mains supplying the home to detect the leak.