Leakage protection system "Aquastorozh"

Damage to the water supply during the absence of the owners is a nightmare for everyone. To avoid a flood in an apartment or house, you can install leakage protection equipment. Earlier, we compared the three most popular leakage protection systems: Aquastorozh, Neptune and Hydrolock.... In this article, we will take a closer look at the "Aquastoro". The equipment can be installed at the stage of creation / repair, can be installed in an already operating system.

"Aquastrozh" - a reliable system of protection against leaks

The composition of the "Aquastorozh" system and its purpose

Aquastoro is a system for monitoring water leaks and localizing water supply failures in apartments and private houses. Produced in Russia by the Moscow company "Supersystem". At the moment there are two options: the updated "Classic" - with basic functions and "Expert" - with additional features. They consist of a standard set of components:

• Electric cranes.
• Water sensors (wired and wireless).
• Controllers that process data from sensors and transmit commands to taps.

Differences between the two Aquastoroz flood protection systems produced today

The new generation of equipment - "Aquastorozh Expert" - is distinguished by the presence of metal gears in the drives of electric cranes (previously there were plastic ones). At the same time, the gearbox housing remains plastic, but the plastic is of high quality.

Crane drive "Aquastorozh-20 Expert" disassembled

Another difference is the constant monitoring of the state of sensors and taps. The current situation in the system is displayed on the controller board. Both versions ("Classic" and "Expert") can be modified "PRO". In this case, the controller has an additional power relay through which you can turn on the load powered by 220 V. Most often it is a water pump.

The key difference from similar equipment of competitors is that the Aquastorozh leakage protection system closes the valve in 2.5 seconds - faster than all similar systems on our market.

Features and differences

The Aquastoroz leakage protection system has some features in the algorithm of operation, there are also special design solutions. How much they are needed, good or not - decide for yourself. Each has its own assessment criteria and vision of the situation.

Installation is not too difficult if you have at least a little skill in working with plumbing equipment

Work algorithm

Actually, the very principle of operation remains the same. When a signal from the sensor about the presence of water appears, the controller sends a signal to close the taps. A sound and light signal is generated in parallel. In short, this is the whole algorithm of work. But there are features inherent in the Aqua Watchdog:

• The sensors are polled constantly. In case of "loss", the system shuts off the taps.
• If an emergency condition of the tap is detected - souring, other breakdowns, an alarm is generated (the LED lights up) and the water supply is shut off.
• If the 220 V network fails, the voltage is supplied from an autonomous power source - 3 R14 batteries (type "C"). After the batteries are discharged, power is supplied from the built-in uninterruptible power supply. The UPS is used as a backup power source in the event of a short-term (up to 1 hour) power outage in the network, even if there are no batteries. At the same time, the System remains operational for an hour, with the ability to control all connected cranes.The UPS is fully charged within 15 minutes on battery or power supply.
  The duration of operation from a fully charged UPS is 1 hour, after which the System starts the auto-close program and goes into the "Sleep" mode.
  

  Leakage protection system Aquastoro: principle of operation

• Adjustable sensor sensitivity (high and low). Sometimes the sensors generate a signal due to the fact that the humidity rises in the room and condensation forms on the contacts. Sensitivity adjustment allows you to select the response threshold for each specific device.
• If the sensors are accidentally flooded (taking a shower, or washing the floor, for example), you can forcibly turn on the water for 60 minutes. After this time, the water will be shut off.
• The "Expert" version uses smart taps that independently control the position of the damper and transmit a signal to the controller. The wires from the controller to the taps rarely break, but such cases do happen. In the event of a break in the power circuit, a special signal is generated on the control unit (LED lights up), the water is shut off.
• To prevent the taps from boiling, the controller closes / opens them in forced mode once every two weeks.

Easy connection of devices

The Aquastoro leakage protection system closes the taps faster than others. But this speed negatively affects the cranking effort - the torque is the lowest. In order to allow a small torque to move the valve, a system of additional gaskets (two Teflon and one springy silicone) has been developed, which minimize friction - the ball turns more easily than in conventional valves. This contributes to the fact that they open / close with little applied force.

Safety and reliability

Another area in which manufacturers compete is to ensure system safety and reliability. Security is understandable. Where water and electricity meet, you need to be especially careful. To ensure safety, the Aquastoroz leakage protection system is powered only from a voltage of 5 V. This power is supplied to the taps and the control unit. The wired sensors are supplied with an even lower voltage of 2.5 V. This makes the system safe. There are other features too:

• Three power sources: a power supply with a 220/5 V converter; rechargeable battery, three batteries in the controller. It is possible to install two additional battery packs. All batteries in three blocks can keep the system operational for 9 years (at the request of manufacturers).
• As an option, a button for remote control of the valves (wired and wireless) can be installed. It is located near the front door. Leaving an apartment or house, you can turn off the water. Available in two versions - wired and wireless.
• Blocks with installed batteries check the charge level. When it is low, a light alarm is turned on. This happens very well in advance - 2-4 months before the full discharge, so there is time for replacement.
• If the batteries have not been changed, before the final discharge, a command is given to close the taps and the system goes to sleep.

In terms of the degree of autonomy, the Aquastoroz leakage protection system is considered the best. Three times power redundancy will help you survive very long periods of power outage. Even with completely discharged batteries (all), the taps will close due to the discharge of powerful capacitors.

Sensors

The Aquastoro leakage protection system can be equipped with wired and wireless sensors. They can be used together or separately. Any of the sensors is periodically checked by the system for its "presence". If a wire break is detected in wired models or a hit from the wireless connection, the controller shuts off the taps.

In a sensor of any type, two contacts are installed; when water hits them, an alarm signal is generated.Moreover, in the Aquastorozh Expert version and when installing the Zvezda extension on the Classic, the flooded sensor is displayed on the display panel. That is, you know where the water leak has occurred.

Characteristics of flood sensors AquaGuard

A metal plate is fixed at the bottom of the sensor. To prevent it from oxidizing, the surface of the plate is covered with gilding. From water droplets, the sensors are protected from above by decorative covers. The plastic bottom in the form of a cross fixes the metal plate of the sensor. In the center of it there is a hole through which the sensor can be fixed with a self-tapping screw in a certain position.

Wired

Wired sensors are considered more reliable because they are connected to the controller by a physical circuit. To break it, you need to make some effort. The inconvenience is in their installation and in the need to hide the wires. If the repair is over, it is not so easy to do it. Alternatively, you can use skirting boards with cable channel, replacing them with conventional skirting boards.

On the basis of wired water leakage sensors Aquastorozh Classic, you can build an extensive control system. Each of them can be connected to the next sensor or several, creating a kind of "tree". On the one hand, this makes installation easier, it requires less wires than pulling a line from each. But on the other hand, a break at the beginning of the chain will turn off the whole "branch" at once. And to find exactly where the cliff occurred is far from immediately possible.

Appearance of wired sensors AquaGuard

Power supply for wired sensors - 2.5 V. This voltage cannot be dangerous to humans. Made in the form of a "tablet" with a diameter of 53 mm and a height of 12 mm.

There are wired sensors AquaGuard in the following versions:

• Classic. Passive water leakage control sensor. In standby mode, electricity consumption is zero. Its status is checked by the controller at regular intervals. The wire length is 2 m and 4 m, the maximum distance is 500 meters. Temperature range - from 0 ° C to + 60 ° C.
• Expert. With the same appearance and dimensions, an additional board is built-in that tests the state of the contacts and the integrity of the line to the controller. Based on the test results, a normal operating state or an open signal is sent to the controller. Cable length 2 m, 4 m, 6 m, 10 m, maximum distance - 500 m. They can be used at temperatures from -40 ° C to + 60 ° C.

The company gives an unlimited warranty for the wired sensors of Aquastorozha. If it fails (physical destruction is not considered), it will be repaired or replaced with a new one.

Wireless

AquaGuard's wireless water leakage sensors are hidden in a white square plastic case. Square side 59 mm, sensor height 18 mm. In addition to the contact plates, the case contains three AAA batteries and a 2.4 GHz transceiver for communication with the controller. In addition to the main task - to control the lack of water, the sensor performs the following functions:

• Exchanges signals with the controller.
• Monitors the battery charge level. When it drops below the critical value, it generates an alarm and transmits it to the control unit.
• Has a built-in alarm that turns on when water appears on the contacts. So it's easy to spot the leak.

This is what wireless water sensors look like

The maximum distance of the sensor from the controller with the radio base is 1000 m, but this is subject to open space. In the presence of obstacles (including walls), the range of reliable reception is much shorter. To determine whether the controller "sees" the wireless sensor in the selected place or not, you can carry out tests (fill the button contacts with water and track the switching off and on of the water), or you can use the radio button.

Remote System On / Off Buttons

The ability to enable and disable not only from the controller, but also from other points, is implemented using special buttons.They are of two types - wired and wireless. They are usually located near the front door. This is especially convenient for owners of private houses, whose flood protection system Aquastoro is installed in the basement.

For remote switching on and off

The wired button is very similar to a regular two-button switch. Each key is signed - "close" or "open". When pressed, the corresponding action is performed. If you hold down any of the buttons for a long time, the system will go into a "sleep" state, stop monitoring signals. A wired button for remote shutdown of the AquaGuard is supplied complete with a cable 10 meters long.

The wireless button has one key. When you press in the upper part of it, the system opens, in the lower part it closes. A beep is heard when pressed. A similar signal confirms the execution of the command. This button can be used as a test button. Put it in the place where you plan to install the wireless sensor, check how well the commands are executed. If there are no misfires, you can lay the sensor in this place.

Cranes

Ball valves Aquastoro are made of brass and nickel plated. Closed and opened with electric motors. They are equipped with plastic gearboxes. In the "Expert" version, metal gears are used, in the "Classic" - plastic. In addition, the valves differ in that in the "Expert" version they control the position of the shut-off element and transmit a signal to the controller. In order to be able to distinguish them, the “Expert” wire has a bright red stripe, the “Classic” version taps are black. They can only work with controllers of their own type.

Electric crane "Classic"

The power supply to the electric motors is 5 V, which is amplified when the capacitors are discharged to 40 V. Moreover, this voltage is issued regardless of the state of the power supply. As a result, the taps close in 2.5 seconds.

Cranes with electric drives and their characteristics

To ensure that the small force created by the electric drives is sufficient to turn the damper, additional gaskets have been added to the crane design, which reduce friction. This allows the dampers to be turned quickly with little effort. The gearboxes are covered with plastic splash-proof covers.

The Aquastop electric valves are available in three sizes - 15, 20 and 25 mm in diameter. They can be installed in both cold and hot water risers.

Controllers

The control blocks of the Aquastoroz leakage protection system have a modular structure. To expand functionality or increase the number of supported devices, optional ones are added to the main control unit. Depending on the release variant, 5 (Expert) or 6 taps (Classic) and an unlimited number of wired sensors can be connected to one unit. To connect wireless, you need to purchase an additional radio base unit and connect it to the main module.

The front panel contains LED indicators that display the status of the connected wireless sensors. The control unit also has the ability to connect external devices such as "Smart Home". A UPS is built into the case, which provides continuous operation from three different power sources. In addition, the UPS itself, without external power sources, ensures the system's operability for an hour. If during this time no new sources have appeared, a signal is generated to shut off the taps and the system goes into the "sleep" mode.

Controllers look like small plastic blocks

In addition to the differences described above, the Expert version controller provides the following information:

• Monitoring the open circuit of the wired sensors and closing the taps in case of "loss". In this case, an LED on the panel will light up, which is "tied" to a specific sensor.
• Control of wire breakage of ball valves and indication of damage.

As mentioned above, both variants - Classic and Expert - have a PRO variation. In this case, there is also a bistable power relay (220 V, 16 A), which in case of an emergency will turn off the power of the third-party device. This option is good for a private home. Power to the pump is usually passed through the contacts of this relay. So the system not only shuts off the water, but also stops the pump.

The function of monitoring the valve position is available in any version. The state of the locking ball is checked after each cycle of operation (including after self-cleaning). If the position differs from the standard one, an audible alarm is activated and all LEDs on the panel blink.

Radio base

It is a small block that connects to the main controller or any other peripheral device. It is intended for servicing wireless water leakage sensors. Up to 8 sensors can be connected to one radio base. They are scanned continuously at short intervals. If the sensor fails to communicate within 10 minutes, a command is given to close the valves.

Additional block "Radio base" allows the use of wireless sensors

When installing wireless sensors, they must first be registered in the database. To do this, we bring the sensor to the base, press the +1 button on the case. The device writes information about the sensor to a free cell in the non-volatile memory. So, one by one we enter into memory all the sensors. To avoid identification problems when triggered, it is better to put numbers on the case, and write the sensor installation location opposite the corresponding LED.

Characteristics of the radio base - module for servicing wireless flood sensors

In normal mode, when powered through an adapter (there is a 220 V network), wireless sensors are scanned almost continuously. When powered by batteries or rechargeable batteries, there are two options for working: active and energy saving. The choice of the mode is up to the user. To switch to the energy-saving mode, remove the corresponding jumper on the radio base. In this case, testing will occur approximately once a minute, so there will be some delay in the event of an accident. But the charge of three batteries will be enough for about 3 years. With an active mode of operation and continuous testing of sensors, the batteries are discharged much faster.

Periphery

One of the main advantages of the Aquastoroz leakage protection system is its modular structure. You can expand the functionality and number of sensors at any time. It is enough to buy the appropriate equipment and connect it to the existing one.

We have already talked about the radio base and the remote open / close buttons, there are three more blocks left:

• Additional battery pack. Up to three battery packs can be connected to one controller. Complete with batteries, the system can last up to 9 years. But this is in standby mode. Each time it is triggered, the charge is significantly reduced, and the time is shortened.
  

  Modular design is convenient

• A power expander can be connected to the "Classic" controller (no more than 2 pieces per controller). This is a panel through which you can turn on / off or open / close third-party devices powered by a voltage of no more than 220 V. A power relay is installed in this unit. A load of no more than 2 kW can be connected to it.
• Panel "Star". This block allows for the Classic version to add the function of identifying a triggered wired sensor. Up to 12 water leakage control devices can be connected to one unit.

Additional blocks allow expanding the system's capabilities and increasing its reliability.

Disadvantages of the Aquastorozh leakage protection system

Unfortunately, there are no perfect systems. They all have drawbacks, and the Aqua Watchdog flood protection is no exception. Almost all of the minuses have already been voiced, but we will repeat them again. This will make it possible to evaluate them more clearly.

• Plastic gearbox of the electric drive in both versions and gears in the Classic version.
• Small effort applied to turn the valve of the electric crane.
• Additional gaskets in ball valves reduce friction but reduce system reliability - more potential leak points.
  

  Special design of cranes

• A small number of wired sensors that can be connected to one unit. Branched branches are not the best solution.
• The need to install an additional unit to use wireless water flow sensors.

Closing the taps when a sensor is lost does not seem appropriate to everyone. But here you can argue and everyone determines for himself whether this is good or bad.

Installation

The principle of installation of the Aquastorozh system is demonstrated in the official video.

Despite the ease of installation, owners have two main questions:

• Does the aqua watchdog install before or after the counter?
• Do I need a coarse filter in front of the electric tap?

To provide reliable and up-to-date information, we have consulted with representatives of Supersystema LLC by calling toll-free 8 800 555-35-71.

According to the recommendations of the support service, coarse filters and counters should be installed after the electric valves of the Aquastorozh system. This is due to the fact that both filters and meters can cause leakage.

Since the management company (MC) may refuse to seal the meter if an electric crane is installed in front of it, this issue should be clarified before installing the system.

Below is an example of how not to install plumbing elements.

The first thing that immediately catches your eye is the incorrect installation of oblique coarse filters

Often, plumbers proceed from how it is more convenient for them to do, and not from what is right / better.

The oblique filter must be installed according to generally accepted recommendations, otherwise its effectiveness will drastically decrease

In a specific case, the possibility of installing electric cranes to the meters was agreed with the management company and the wiring was re-soldered.

The sequence of elements, taking into account the recommendations of the manufacturer of the leakage protection system: electric crane, oblique filter, water meter. The disadvantages include a large number of connecting polypropylene couplings - the result of using "stubs" from the first wiring option

Consider water quality before installation. If it contains a large amount of mechanical particles, then a coarse filter should be installed in front of the tap, otherwise the tap may quickly fail during operation.

The video below demonstrates the installation of the Aquastoroz system by an experienced plumber.

Advice! Use American women in front of the meter only if necessary. "American" is a quick-disconnect connection that can cause refusal to seal the meter.