Water meter alarm?

[MattR]

Like many farmers, our mains water comes through a private pipe that connects to the main a considerable distance from our houses, and the possibility of a leak is a worry - I've heard of people racking up nasty bills through a leak they haven't noticed. We've got smart meters for electricity these days - what is there similar for water that can alert you to abnormal usage? Thanks

 

[Cow1]

That would be a great idea. Fed up with undetected leaks.

 

[Lazy Eric]

My main goes half mile through someone else's land , I was concerned about the same thing. We YW to put a meter in our field, it's a smart meter thing, they can still read it from the yard I believe .

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

You'd need to fit a water meter (or a similar device) that has a pulse output option. The pulse output wire would then be connected to some sort of data logger or transmitter that you could monitor remotely or via a cloud based monitoring solution.

 

[frustratedfarmer]

Speak to DMS - they have meters for most applications

 

[milkloss]

Our meter has a little magnet on the litre hand which gives a pulse for some sort of data logger. Would be interested to hear of any follow up you have on a mobile sim based alarm.

We have the main meter and three others of our own in the system and I use and app called meters which does gas, leccy and water. You can have as many meters as you like and records to the minute and litre how much water is being used. I do all four meters and compare the use to find out what's going on and where.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Install a pulse output meter and then some DIY for the rest using the Emon transmitter and base. You'd need to redefine the graphics and measures to be litres instead of kWh for leccy.

https://openenergymonitor.org/emon/applications/water

http://shop.openenergymonitor.com

 

[MattR]

Thanks for all the replies & ideas. Have emailed DMS as @frustratedfarmer suggested, will see where that gets me. Would have thought there'd be enough demand for more products specifically designed for this sort of thing, googling didn't get me very far.

 

[Grouse]

We had a burst on Wednesday - don't know how long the leak has been for - pipe is at least 1/2 mile long - only spotted the wet patch whilst checking stock. 4 hours to fix, not too bad considering had to get pipe fittings for the old 35mm alcathene pipe.

Dreading the water bill - a friend lost £3k of water.....

 

[Sonoftheheir]

Didn't know you could get a smart water meter, thanks for sharing.

Always problems here, we're 1/2 mile from the mains with several meters on the private line. Noticed a wet patch Friday,it will have to wait till tomorrow now!

 

[milkloss]

We had a burst on Wednesday - don't know how long the leak has been for - pipe is at least 1/2 mile long - only spotted the wet patch whilst checking stock. 4 hours to fix, not too bad considering had to get pipe fittings for the old 35mm alcathene pipe.

Dreading the water bill - a friend lost £3k of water.....

If it supplies a residential property as well then you can get some off the bill from the water company. Insurance pays out too if it's a real clanger!

 

[Grouse]

Thankyou !!! That's very helpful

 

[MattR]

In the end we went for a HWM data logger, supplied/maintained through our water supplier on a 5-year contract. Gives readouts every 15mins and you can access the data online. And alerts the water co to any sudden changes that would signify a leak.

 

[Steevo]

In the end we went for a HWM data logger, supplied/maintained through our water supplier on a 5-year contract. Gives readouts every 15mins and you can access the data online. And alerts the water co to any sudden changes that would signify a leak.

How does the cost work out?

 

[MattR]

@Steevo About £150/yr so not exactly cheap but certainly worth it in our situation I think when you consider the possible bills in the case of a leak. Even a relatively small leak could trickle away a few hundred quid a year without being noticed (we have four dwellings plus summer lets on our private main so not a small bill)

 

[Steevo]

@Steevo About £150/yr so not exactly cheap but certainly worth it in our situation I think when you consider the possible bills in the case of a leak. Even a relatively small leak could trickle away a few hundred quid a year without being noticed (we have four dwellings plus summer lets on our private main so not a small bill)

Agreed, not cheap but worth it.

Had a couple of water leaks here in recent years and they can soon rack up a £1k bill.

It's surprising water companies don't fit smart meters as standard.....a quick Google shows Thames and Anglian are doing so, but few others.

 

[Farmer996]

Our supply runs 3/4 mile down a country lane, not our land. Meter is at the start of it. The old meter was unreadable so it was always estimated. They fitted a new one this year and bills are now quite a bit higher. So is it likely to be a private supply pipe? And we are liable for leaks? I'd better check out the title register, etc. A neighbour once put a fence post through the pipe but that was before we were metered. There is a housing estate going in alongside the first part of the run so it's a bit of a concern. Thinking of coming off direct debit for a start. Would have thought I could contest any leaks between the meter and the property if they aren't caused by us, or does it not work like that? Should I be asking Northumbria Water to fit one one of these data loggers? That said, other neighbours had a new supply put in from the other end of the lane and new meters at their properties. We didn't say anything at the time but maybe we should get connected to that..

 

[TripleSix]

Any good?


http://www.wayscale.com/water-leak-detection/products-overview