FR2709170A1 - System for detecting and locating a water leak - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for detecting and locating leaks in water distribution pipes in a building, whether these be horizontal or vertical pipes. It consists of a device (7) for retaining the water coming from the leak, associated with two separate electrodes (8 and 9). The water makes contact between the two electrodes connected to a central unit (12). An indicator (13) powered by the current coming from these electrodes (8 and 9) lights up, thus allowing immediate location of the leak. This system according to the invention is particularly appropriate for preventing the consequences of water damage in buildings.

Description

WATER LEAK DETECTION AND LOCATION SYSTEM
The present invention relates to a system for detecting and locating leaks on
water distribution pipes in a building.

Currently, the presence of a leak in a building is not easily detectable or localizable especially in the case of the use of technical ducts which have the effect of masking the origin of the leak. This frequently results in damage over several floors and
often long and costly research.

To our knowledge and after investigation, there is no detection system to locate the precise level of the building where the leak is located.

 The proposed system makes it possible to immediately detect the inter-level area (or inter-floor) where the leak is located, whether it originates in a vertical column or in a horizontal pipe.

A) - Case of vertical columns
The system includes: - an insulating tape, adaptable to all pipe diameters whatever
in either matter.

 - a collar of the expansion collar type enclosing the insulating tape.

- two stainless electrodes connected to a diode detection center
luminous (LED).

If a leak appears on the column, water flows down the pipe, and will then be stopped
in her fall by the first necklace she will meet. The presence of water between the 2
electrodes will establish a contact which will light a light diode. corresponding to the level
where the leak is located, on the panel of the detection unit.

B) - Case of horizontal pipes
The principle is based on the fact that the horizontal conduits of the building circulate in PVC gutters Vertical bumpers also in PVC fixed every x meters in the gutters, (x being a function of the location pitch that one wishes to retain) will stop water from the leak. Near each stopper, a siphon collecting the water from the leak is placed. The siphon is equipped with a detector operating on the same principle already seen above, namely 2 electrodes which brought into contact by the passage of water cause a display on the central detection unit.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a practical embodiment example.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES.

A - Case of vertical columns
Figure I shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the device described above.

An insulating tape (1) surrounds a vertical column (2). A collar (3) fitted with an inner sleeve (4) made of plastic (such as an expansion collar) encloses the insulating tape (1). This sleeve (4) retains a part of the flow (5) coming from the vanishing point (6) the other part
flows through a slot (10) in the sleeve (4).

The water which collects in the groove (7) makes contact between the electrodes (8) and (9). These
electrodes are fixed by the collar between the sleeve (4) and the insulating tape (1).

The electrodes are connected to a multi-strand cable (11) of the telecommunication cable type,
itself connected to a central unit (12).

 Figure 2 shows the simplified diagram of the power plant.

The wires of the cable (11) are connected to the detection diodes (13), each corresponding to a
detection level.

The supply of the whole is ensured from the 220 V network through a
safety transformer (14) with separate winding (standard NFC 52-742) which lowers
the voltage at 12 V. Protection is provided by a fuse (15) rated at I or 2 Amps.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the sleeve. In this case sleeve, ribbon
insulation and electrodes are one piece.

B. - Case of horizontal pipes.

 Figure 4 shows the case of horizontal driving.

The pipe (13) circulates in a gutter (14) equipped with buffers (15) every x meters.
bumpers are adapted to the passage of pipes. Water from a leak point (16) drains into
the gutter (14) to a discharge outlet (17) located near the stopper (15). The water
by flowing into the siphon (I 8) establishes a contact by passing over 2 inner rings (19) playing the role of electrodes and lights the corresponding LED on the panel of the central
detection (12).

The role of the bumpers is to delimit the detection step by preventing the water from reaching the
next area.

This inventive system is particularly suitable for preventing damage caused by water damage in buildings.

Claims (5)

 1) Devices for detecting and locating a flow of water, coming from a fry, characterized by a water retention system associated with an electrical detection of the place of the leak. 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized by a sleeve (4) of insulating material, forming a groove (7) serving as a receptacle for one water leak, equipped with two independent electrodes (8) and (9). The assembly is positioned on an insulating tape (1) surrounding the pipe. 3) Device according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterized in that the  sleeve, the insulating tape and the electrodes are one piece (Figure 3). 4) Device according to claim 1 characterized by a gutter (14) disposed under the horizontal pipe provided with a stopper (15) delimiting the detection pitch and a water discharge outlet (17) located near 1 hip (15).  5) Device according to claims 1 and 4 characterized by a siphon (18) equipped with two independent inner rings (19) playing the role of electrodes. This siphon (18) is connected to the drain outlet (17) for water from the gutter.