Hydrolok water leakage protection system

When we leave the apartment for a long time, we close the cold and hot water taps to protect ourselves from a flood in our absence. But going to work every day, we don’t do that. And the possibility of flooding the house and neighbors still remains. The best way out in this situation will help to install a system of protection against leaks Gidrolok (Gidrolock).

Principle of operation and composition of the system

Manufacturer – LLC “Gidroresurs”. Production of the system is established in Russia, Mytishchi, Moscow region, using components of both domestic production and imported.

System compositionThe composition of the system Hydrolok:

• Water sensors. There are wired and wireless.
• Ball valves with servo actuators of various cross-sections.
• Signal processing controller.

There are several versions of the system, characterized by a more complete set of parts and expanded functionality. It is possible to assemble a system against leakage by yourself from components.

When water hits the sensor, a warning lamp lights up and the controller emits an acoustic signal. This double informing is done for reliability, which is confirmed by the owners of the system.

Features of operation and differences

As already mentioned, the gidrolock system has differences in the equipment, the quality of components and the set of functions. Let’s consider in more detail.

Reasons in good reviews about the system Gidrolock in quality components and reliability of operation. Reliable ball valves made of brass and stainless steel Bugatti, powerful servo actuators with three modes of operation – nominal, amplified and maximum.

Design features

The different systems Ultimate, Professional, Winner use servo drives with different torque on the shaft – 100, 450 and 160 kg/cm. This is enough to close even a jammed valve.

• Only metal gearboxes are used in the actuators.
• The actuator rotates only in one direction, which increases the torque of the gearbox and reduces the load on it.
• The controller responds to the presence of a gap. There are no electrical contacts in the crane for safety.
• The motor is collectorless, and this guarantees a long service life.
• The mount is simple and can be quickly removed and accessed to the faucet valve when needed.
• The water sensor is a small circuit that eliminates false alarms.The actuator can be removed and the water can be manually closed.
• The water sensor in the Hydrolock leak protection system is not just two contacts. It is a small circuit that virtually eliminates false triggers. To protect against oxidation, the sensor contacts are gold plated.

Some design solutions to prevent leaks from Hydrolok favorably distinguish them from competitors “Aquastorozh” and “Neptune”.

Functionality test

Gidrolock system should be triggered very rarely and the main time is in standby mode. In order to keep the equipment working, it is necessary to test it. The test is carried out in automatic mode. To prevent deposits in the valve from jamming, the valve is forced closed and opened once a week. If the faucet failed to close, an alarm is activated.

Reliability and safety

In the system everything is provided for safety:

As you can see, the control system Hydrolok is well thought out and quite safe. Although there are disadvantages, but we will talk about them afterwards.

Additional features

In the system of protection against leaks Hydrolok has two more options:

• Forced water shutoff by pressing a single button. It makes sense to install it near the door. It allows you to quickly shut off the water supply if necessary. For example, if you are away from home for a long time.
• Forced retention of the water supply for 30. For example, a sensor under the bathtub during a shower can give a trigger signal. By turning it on, the option can be used to finish business and then restore the system’s functionality afterwards.

The Hydrolock control unit has the ability to connect a large number of equipment:

• 20 electric actuators.
• Up to 200 wired or 100 wireless sensors.
• Possibility of GSM notification, i.e. the signal of an accident will come to your phone.
• Installation of a radio module allows you to control the system with a remote control and install wireless sensors.
• Separate light signaling up to 8 zones of control. No need to look for where exactly leaks.

Installing a water leakage control system in a private home, connect a relay to the controller can disable any device. For example, the system will not only close the faucet, but also turn off the power to the pump.

Sensors

As already noted protection against leaks Hydrolok, depending on the variant, is equipped with sensors of two types in number – up to 200 wired and up to 100 wireless. Sensors are 2 contacts (in WSU three), when hit, on which water form a signal. The signal goes to the control unit, which gives the command to shut off the water. From the moment water hits the contacts and until the servo drives start working, it takes 15-20 seconds.

Sensors are elevated 1 mm above the surface to prevent false alarms.

Wired

Sensors are supplied with a cable length of 3 to 5 meters, if it is not enough, it can be extended up to 100 meters. Recommended cables are FTP 2x2x0,35 and SHTLP 4.

Sensors supplied in a set:

Wireless devices

Wired sensors are more reliable as wire breakage is very rare. Radio sensors can be affected by interference that cannot be foreseen. In order to prevent such an event from leading to a false alarm, the system can send SMS (if GSM notification is available), but the water does not close.

• Radio sensor – Spider. It is used to expand the territory. Connection to the control unit is wireless, but to the spider connect in a parallel scheme wired sensors WSP up to 20 pieces. “Spider” monitors signals from connected devices and in case of water leakage transmits a signal to the controller. Power supply 3 volts, dimensions 45*70*8 mm.

  

• WSR. Sensor in the form of a small cylinder in five colors. Works independently or with connected WPS sensors. Powered by a CR2450 battery. Cost $30.

  

At their installation it is necessary to carry out the procedure of so-called acquaintance with the control unit and after placing in the necessary places.

Servo actuators and ball valves

In the documentation, this design is referred to as ball electric valves (BEC). The valves are full bore, meaning they do not affect the flow and do not create water hammer.

In the three types of Hydrolok systems: Ultimate, Professional and Winner, they differ in parameters. Their characteristics are shown in the table:

High torque makes it possible to turn off boiling taps, that’s why gearboxes are made of metal. Long closing time is not so important, it is more important to close the valve and eliminate the leak.

Disadvantages of the Hydrolock protection

The Hydrolok water leak tracking system is well designed. However, there are drawbacks in any system. In this case they are non-critical and with proper care they can be avoided, these are:

1. The system does not have DIN rail mounting capability.
2. If the battery breaks down, the system does not work.
3. The batteries in the sensors are soldered.

After triggering the system Hydrolock will not restore operation on its own, even if the contacts are dry. It is necessary to turn it off and on.