Description
Delivering a New Standard in Water Leak Detection
The Problem
Despite the understandably significant resources spent on mitigating loss through fire, there is a much greater threat to business continuity, that of disruption to business and asset damage through water leaks.
Statistics show that the most likely cause of claims in blocks of flats, hotels, retail premises and commercial buildings is water damage. It is now a commonly accepted fact by UK insurers that water leakage is now the costliest and most common claim made by commercial customers with a total loss in the UK alone approaching £800 million.
The financial market is particularly sensitive to these potential losses with Data Centre outages costing such businesses an average of £12,000 per minute, hourly losses on the Stock Exchange around £4.5 million and Credit Card Clearance around £1.8 million. The cost to businesses due to water leakage can therefore be significant and it is not just the obvious cost of physical damage to IT and other electronic equipment, plant, fixtures and fittings, stock and the fabric of the building. Like fire damage, even a seemingly minor water leak can result in temporary relocation, resultant increased employment costs and significant business interruption and loss of profits.
The Solution
The only way to mitigate the risk of water damage is to continuously monitor for water leaks. Risk assessment of the risk of water damage and the installation of Water Leak Detection Systems are increasingly being recommended by commercial insurers and is often a requirement for full cover.
Leading the way in Water Detection technology is the new ‘Hydrosense’ system from Vimpex, it includes both Conventional and Addressable solutions and designed to be infinitely reliable, with many of its features also found in systems designed to ensure life safety.
How it Works
Hydrosense leak detection systems are designed to protect areas where water ingress could seriously damage electrical, communication and computer networks. It continuously monitors for water leaks around the clock, year in year out and has the facility for 72 hour battery standby in the event of power failure. Should a leak be detected the control panel sounds an alarm which can be extended to a remote location. When an alarm is raised, Hydro-Cryer® voice sounders can be used to broadcast an unambiguous message, avoiding confusion with other sounders on site.
The new Hydrosense systems provide both linear detection using Hydrowire and point detection using probes. Linear detection Hydrowire is a flexible cable which will continuously monitor large areas. When even a small amount of water or moisture comes into contact with Hydrowire it will trigger an alarm. Point detection is provided by Hydrosense floor or drip tray probes, these are fixed to the floor or drip tray and adjusted to give the required detection level and connected to the control panel via a Hydrosense water leak detection module.
Utilising life safety technology in the design of Hydrosense provides the reliability and integrity of BSi approved fire detection systems, meaning there is virtually no risk of failure, downtime and significantly fewer false alarms.
Hydrosense Conventional (HS) Control Panel
- Ideal for small and medium sized installations
- 2, 4 and 8 Zone Control Panels available, with all variants featuring battery standby as well as common fault and alarm relay contacts
- Simple to install and maintain
- Detection and Sounder circuits constantly monitored for faults
- RS485 data bus allows both zonal contacts and repeater panels to be incorporated
- Battery Backup
Hydrosense Addressable (ID) Control Panel
- Ideal for larger installations
- Allows the user to address each module with location specific information, as well as featuring fully configurable remote outputs
- Lower Installation Costs
- A single loop control panel can support up to 254 point-detection probes, and over 12,700 metres of Hydrowire
- Single and Dual Loop panels available
- Detection and Sounder Circuits constantly monitored for faults.
- RS485 data bus allows up to 32 additional expander cards to be incorporated.
- Battery Backup
Hydrosense Addressable Module
- Each module can exclusively support up to 100 metres of Hydrowire, a combination of
Hydrowire (max 50m) and one probe or 2-point detection probes - 127 modules permitted per loop (Each module is fitted with two outputs)
- Each output is equipped with an attractive blue LED to signify when an alarm condition has been activated
Hydrowire
- Available in 5 and 10 metre lengths (other lengths on request)
- Simple connection and termination
- Consistent sensitivity
- Aesthetically attractive
Hydro-Probe
- Ideal for areas where moisture is permitted
- Mechanically Robust
- Drip Tray and Floor
- Mounted Variants Available
- Height adjustable clip option
Hydro-Cryer
- Voice Enhanced Sounder, broadcasting a clear and concise Hydrosense orientated message
- Uses one of the two sounder outputs available
- Attractive looking design
Short-Message Communicator
- Assessing system status via SMS communication
- Simply requires 24Vdc and control panel integration via the remote alarm contact
Zone Breaker Cable
- Ideal for areas that require non-constant, localised coverage
- Available in 5 and 10 metre lengths
- Simple Connection and Termination
