I have a need to monitor human activity in a building and plan to install something in a pipe to detect water flow to do it. Don't want to reinvent such a thing if it already exists though. Anything out there already that I can use for this?
Why do you need to monitor human activity? How about just reading the water meter once a month?? or the electrical meter? Or getting a lock?
There are many types of flow meters. Alarms systems for sprinklers have used them for years. But what if the water is used for inhuman activities?
You know, we don't get a lot of questions on this subject.
I guess if you provide a little more details, we might be able to come up with some specific ideas.
This is Turtle.
He may not be able to say for he maybe checking the building at Area 51 for you know them there space people. Everybody knows them space people likes water.
TURTLE
Most people use a high powered rifle for this purpose.
You are right that there is such as sprinkling lines but I would put such a device in the "human" use only line. Thinking about a captive magnet in a PVC device in the line. I would detect movement with a wire loop and process it from there. Would want to detect any faucet or toilet turn-on however brief. Do you know of a flow meter that could be used or modified in this way?
Wouldn't a normal flow switch be much simpler? I do not know if they just strap on over a hole in the pipe or mount on a tee. But they have a thin blade of metal that flexes out of the way and trips the switch when there is flow.
I heard they like ethanol. :-)
Blue
McDonnell Miller makes some sensitive flow switches, as does Johnson controls. I Don't remember the model #s off hand.
You could also use an alarm system with motion detectors. You could use a silent alarm or have it call your computer and report which zone has activity.
It all depends on what you want to do with it.
What size is the building and what kind of activity do you want to monitor?
Stretch
Well, yeah, but you only do that if it's YOUR building.
Thanks all for the suggestions.
I took a look at the firms mentioned for liquid flow detectors (the only way I want to go) and they are not as sensitive as I need (much less than 1 gal/min).
Searching the web didn't help me either though I'm sure something is out there available. I've decided to hoke one up myself with a captured magnetic in a PVC pipe with an external wire movement detector and a micro circuit to do what I need. Thanks for your suggestions.
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