Neptune anti-flood system: features, advantages, disadvantages

Leaving a house or apartment unattended, even for a short time, is a risk: there are too many engineering systems in our home that can cause significant damage in the event of an accident. One of these systems is the water supply system. To protect yourself and your home from the flood can be using a system of protection against leaks Neptune. This is one of the companies that supplies the market ready-made solutions for the most common variants. It is also possible to assemble your own system from the components – with specific properties.

Use promo code STROYCHIK to get a 15% discount on the entire line of Neptun products when buying on the official website.

Purpose and functions

Neptun water leakage protection system is designed for localization of water supply accidents in houses, apartments and other premises. It consists of ball valves with electric actuators, which are shut off in the event of an accident at the command of the control unit. The presence of water in the most probable points is controlled by sensors – wired or wireless. As you can see, in terms of functionality and composition, it does not differ from other similar systems. But there are some peculiarities.

It is quite convenient that there are ready-made solutions for the most common cases. There are tabs on the site, where the possible options are collected by groups. Neptune water leakage control has ready-made solutions for such situations:

When an alarm signal is received, the controller energizes the motor rotating the gearbox, the latter turns the shut-off ball, shutting off the water. At the same time, an audible alarm is activated. If it is necessary to resume operation after an accident, it is necessary to restart the control unit: turn the power off and on. As you can see, everything is simple.

Features and differences

It is almost impossible to talk about the general features of Neptun flood protection: too different systems, with a different set of functions and equipment. Water leakage control Neptun is realized on the basis of 5 controllers, and they have a different set of functions.

In the simplest variants (all modifications of SCPV), on the signal from the sensors simply shut off the water. With these models work only wired leak sensors and they can not be a lot – 5 or 10 pieces. There are no additional functions. No checking of the sensors, no testing of the faucets. Nothing. Later designs have more features:

• several dozen wireless sensors and several hundred wired sensors can work;
• possibility of integration into smart home system, fire or security alarm system, dispatch services;
• automatic performance check is added – the taps are closed and opened once or twice a month (depending on the type of unit);
• they can control a large number of ball valves;
• added backup power supply – four batteries;
• possibility of operation from 12 V.

The most important difference of the Neptune anti-flood system is the ability to manually close and open the taps when using Bugatti taps (Bugatti). For this purpose, there is a special lever on the valve drive body. This lever must be turned as far as it will go. This lever can also be used to monitor the closing of the water in the event of an emergency.

In other systems, manual closing is possible after removing the gearbox, for which it is necessary to unscrew two (Hydrolok) or four bolts (Akvastorozh). By the same principle you can get access to manual closing or opening of the valve and in the cheapest and simplest of kits – “Neptune Aquacontrol”. So not all Neptune systems are completed with the same ball valves. Be careful when choosing.

Sensors

Protection against water leakage Neptune has two types of wired and wireless sensors. In the sensors of either type, a board is installed, which is designed to protect against accidental triggering. To avoid false alarms, the contacts are separated by some distance. An alarm is generated only if both contacts are in water.

Please note: Neptune wireless sensors operate at a frequency of 433 kHz. This is not very good, because through the walls the signal at this frequency does not always reach. And this is one of the important drawbacks.

Wired sensors are available for outdoor installation – they have contacts in the lower part of the housing. They are simply placed on the surface. There is a modification for flush mounting – “flush” with the level of the finishing material (floor tiles). This variant has a regular round shape with a diameter of 54 mm. It is convenient to make a hole for them with a “crown”. Functionally they do not differ in any way. The version for floor installation is available with cords of different lengths – 2, 5 and 20 meters. As you can see, there are sensors for different cases and requirements.

Wireless sensors have different ranges – 50 meters in line of sight (RSW) and without range limitation (SSW 01). The second option also includes an audible alarm. This option is suitable for controlling devices located at a distance from the house – a pit with a pump installed in it, a bathhouse, etc.

Ball valves with actuators for automatic water shut-off

Valves that are used in water leakage control systems Neptune – full bore (do not narrow the cross-section, do not create problems with the flow of liquid), diameter – from 1/2 to 2 inches.

In the most budget set – NEPTUN AQUACONTROL – are used ball valves manufactured in a Chinese factory. The valve body, ball, stem and gears are made of brass, seals are made of fluoroplastic and rubber. The maximum pressure is 16 bar. This is the parameter you should pay attention to: in high-rise buildings, often when testing systems can give more pressure. If you choose a flood protection for a private home, this pressure is enough with a head. But there is another point: the power supply of this valve only from 220 V.

If you do not trust Chinese products, pay attention to other sets. They use taps from the Italian company Bugatti. They are characterized by high working pressure – up to 40 bar. These valves will withstand even serious hydrostroke, higher fluid temperature (up to 120 ° C), high torque drive (from 9 to 16 Nm). Power supply – from 220 or 12 V.

The closing time of the faucets is 21 seconds. This is not a bad time. There are systems in which the faucet closes faster (Aquastorozh), but they have low torque. There are systems in which the applied force is greater (Hydrolok), but the valves close up to 40 seconds. So Neptune water leakage control on this parameter is in the middle. Good or bad – you decide.

Pay attention to another important plus Neptun Bugatty taps for Neptune – easily realized manual control of the ball flap. For this purpose, a special lever is placed on the body. To close or open the valve manually, it is necessary to smoothly move the lever to the other extreme position.

Controllers

Neptune water leakage control is realized on the basis of control modules with different functionality:

The latest versions – PRO and PRO+ – can operate from 220 V or 12 V, have an indication of low charge of the backup power source. When an external backup power supply (battery) is connected, they can control 6 valves. The type of installation is surface-mounted.

Three controllers have an additional “dry contact”. Through it it is possible to organize the connection of an external device, for example, an external alarm system.

Prefabricated kits

If you need a flood protection system, you can go two ways – to assemble your own system from components or pick up one of the ready-made kits. Ready-made kits are based on more modern controllers – Base, Pro, Pro+. All of them check the performance of cranes at least once a month, but can work with a different amount of equipment.

Use promo code STROYCHIK to get a 15% discount on the entire line of Neptun products when buying on the official website.

The Neptun system is represented by different sets:

What is good, you can add taps and sensors to any of the kits. Their maximum number is conditioned by the type of control unit used and the number of equipment to be connected cannot be more than their capabilities. Functions and capabilities also depend on the controller.

Neptune system: advantages and disadvantages

If you compare the Neptune water leakage protection system with its closest competitors (Hydrolok and Aquastorozh) – the equipment is less powerful (except for the last two controllers), but also the most budgetary. On the one hand, this is not bad – it is hardly worth overpaying for unused power, if you have a small apartment or house and you more than enough 6-8 sensors. So for ordinary apartments and medium-sized houses such capacities are quite enough. On the other hand, if necessary, you will have to install a second control unit or replace it with a more powerful one.

The disadvantage of budget solutions is the lack of backup power. This is really bad. Turned off the light – no one controls the water leakage and anything can happen. And the algorithm of operation does not provide for closing the water at power failure (this is how Aquastorozh works). The only thing you can do is manually close the taps if necessary.

Here’s something else worth knowing. The first Neptune systems did not work on ball valves, but on valves with electric actuators. Since the valves are less reliable, the system often failed. Therefore, only ball valves began to be used. This increased the cost of the equipment, but complaints and failures have become many times less and feedback on the use of water leakage control system Neptune in recent years positive.