How To Setup Flood Detectors With My Setup....

[cm11599ps]

I've been reading about the flood sensors but I'm still scratching my head.

I've got the base unit under my tank with 2 energy bars. In my garage by the water storage area I'm going to have another energy bar, a PM1 & 2 and another display.

I'd like to install a leak detector under my tank and also by my water storage area. How could I accomplish this? FWIW, the only thing thing separating all of this is a wall and about 10-15' so I could run wires from the water storage area to the tank if need be.

 

[Hawkdl2]

It's not that hard to do. I'm pretty sure Alan's unofficial manual gives some guidance on this. You'll have to buy a couple of water sensors. Waterbug sensors are popular, and what I use, but they do require a separate power supply, though it does not have to plug into your EB8. In any case, all any of the sensors do is deliver an ON or OFF signal to your Apex through one of the 6 I/O port pins on your base unit or PM1/PM2. A Neptune breakout box, or an inexpensive DIY version, is usually used to attach the output signal wire from the sensor to the Apex. Once you have the sensor hooked up and you identify which switch pin you connected to (which gives it the switch name you'll need for programing), you just need to decide what you want your Apex to do when the signal it triggered.

To each his own, but mine sets off an email alarm, shuts off my ATO and auto water change system and shuts off my skimmer.

You don;t need to run lines through your wall. You only need a breakout box for either or both of your base unit and you remote PM1 or PM2.

 

[cm11599ps]

That's what ws confusing me. I did all the reading and I thought I saw something that said you could hook a sensor directloy up to a module instead of using a breakout box.

I said about running the lines through the wall if I was able to hook the outside sensor up to the modules under my stand.

 

[swearint]

You could hook directly to the module port if you build a custom cable. The breakout box is just a physical interface, it makes it easy to hook up devices that have loose wire connections.

Todd

 

[cm11599ps]

So how many devices can I have on one BB? Can I have 2 water sensors and 4 float valves?

 

[aquamanic]

Short answer is yes, you can have 6 discret devices whether you utilize a breakout box or try to wire directly into the controller. More than that, you need another breakout box and module (PM1, PM2, etc). However there are ways to extend that especially with the water sensors. The Waterbug can handle 6 sensors itself yet only consumes a single connection on the BB (it is kind of pricey though). Another option is to wire up dumb water sensors in series to a single connection - you won't know which sensor trips but you'll know that one of them did. You can do that with other sensors like floats but I'm not sure it would make much sense.