water leak detection + cell phone

[jrz126]

My dad just bought another aquarium, (e had some leaking problems with the old one) and now we have new carpet in the room. He's alittle paranoid about this one leaking, so he would like me to design an alarm for if the water level drops below a certain level.

A very simple project, and alittle too simple for me...So i was thinking, what if I somehow wire up the floatswitch to the PC (parallel port or something), so that when the alarm trips, the computer will then send a text message to his cellphone. With cellular one, you just send an email to (phonenumber)@cellone.com or something like that and it will send that person a textmessage. There will still be a buzzer attached, but this is just in case no one is home to hear it.

Now one of the major problems I see right now is that what if the PC is off.

I'm sure I can figure this out on my own, but I just wanted to make sure that there wasnt an easier way.

Gimme your thoughts

 

[Someone Electro]

Wodnt it be more simple to put an plate under the aquarium.So if it starts leaking,the water wod be colected on the plate.There wod also be a hose that leds to an water bottle that coletes the leaked water.You so then simply put the botler on a switch so wen it gets heavyer becose of the water filing it the switch wod click soundidng an alarm.So its aculy an 2 in one solution(It s an alarm that also colects the leaking water.)

So in case no one realy is home the water wod be colected until someone gets home.

 

[jrz126]

when the first aquarium started leaking, there was enough force that the water actually sprayed out and landed 2 or 3 feet away. So I dont think I could get the water to land in a tray.

 

[Someone Electro]

Then wen it starts leaking its too late anyway.

Then use an second a litle biger aquarim to catch the water.

 

[Dr.EM]

Yes, that sounds best, like a ship with 2 hulls. This is an interesting project idea, but it does seem likely that by the time its sprung a leak, it is rather too late unless you actually were in the house at the time.

 

[Electrix]

My dad just bought another aquarium, (e had some leaking problems with the old one) and now we have new carpet in the room. He's alittle paranoid about this one leaking, so he would like me to design an alarm for if the water level drops below a certain level.

A very simple project, and alittle too simple for me...So i was thinking, what if I somehow wire up the floatswitch to the PC (parallel port or something), so that when the alarm trips, the computer will then send a text message to his cellphone. With cellular one, you just send an email to (phonenumber)@cellone.com or something like that and it will send that person a textmessage. There will still be a buzzer attached, but this is just in case no one is home to hear it.

Now one of the major problems I see right now is that what if the PC is off.

I'm sure I can figure this out on my own, but I just wanted to make sure that there wasnt an easier way.

Gimme your thoughts

Ok this is my suggestion: Redirect the water from where it came from..make a sort of a tank that collects the water and then with a motor, pump the water into the tank backitself. You could attach a filter somewhere midway. I think this is a better alternative to rushing back home when you receive an altert on your cell phone :wink:

 

[Joel Rainville]

Buy a better aquarium?

Is it huge? There's a sizeable aquarium in my basement that's 36"x18"x12". It must be at least 10 years old. I can't see how it could leak. I wish it would, I'd have a good reason to get rid of it. I just hate the thing! Is your dad's much bigger?

 

[jrz126]

Our old aquarium had 5 sides (kinda like a square with one of the corners cut off), 55 gallons. It sprung a leak where the glass is seamed together with glue. It was a very small leak, probably about a gallon per hour if that.
No matter what there is going to be water on the floor...
When it started leaking the first time, I noticed it about an hour or so later.
but if it started leaking at say 11 pm when everyone was in bed, there would be about 8-10 gallons on the floor before anyone would wake up.
Whereas with the alarm, there would be alot less water on the floor.

The new one is a bowfront aquairum, not sure on the gallons....hopefully it wont leak, but I'd like to have the alarm just to be safe.

So is there an easier way to send the textmessage?

 

[Joel Rainville]

A friend of mine implemented that once, but it involves programming on the PC, and interfacing to your cell phone provider website's text messaging service...

Your alarm would simply trigger your program on the PC via the COM/LPT port, which in turn sends an HTTP form to your cell phone provider, which forwards the text message to your cell.

Pretty simple if you know your way around the HTTP protocol.

 

[Joel Rainville]

So is there an easier way to send the textmessage?

Man do I need to start reading posts in their entirety You already have a way of sending SMS text messages...

What's bugging you with that solution? The PC being off? Don't power it off then. I never ever shutdown my PC, unless it's for a quick reboot. There's usually no reason to do so anyway. Just make sure your monitor shuts off after a certain period of inactivity.

 

[bryan1]

Hiya Jeff,
Last year siliconchip did a project based on sms. Jaycar have the kit for $49.50 Oz $$$$'s The kit number is KC5400. If you go to www.jaycar.com.au and put in that part number it will take you to the kit or if you like I can scan the article and e-mail it to you.

Cheers Bryan

 

[Electrix]

A friend of mine implemented that once, but it involves programming on the PC, and interfacing to your cell phone provider website's text messaging service...

Your alarm would simply trigger your program on the PC via the COM/LPT port, which in turn sends an HTTP form to your cell phone provider, which forwards the text message to your cell.

Pretty simple if you know your way around the HTTP protocol.

There is a way to do this stuff in Visual Basic..pretty much like scanning a port..the interrupt from your microcontroller would trigger the port..VB them contacts the SMTP server (Google could work) to send you an automatic e-mail/sms. I got this info from one of the comp sci students at college.

 

[Joel Rainville]

A friend of mine implemented that once, but it involves programming on the PC, and interfacing to your cell phone provider website's text messaging service...

Your alarm would simply trigger your program on the PC via the COM/LPT port, which in turn sends an HTTP form to your cell phone provider, which forwards the text message to your cell.

Pretty simple if you know your way around the HTTP protocol.

There is a way to do this stuff in Visual Basic..pretty much like scanning a port..the interrupt from your microcontroller would trigger the port..VB them contacts the SMTP server (Google could work) to send you an automatic e-mail/sms. I got this info from one of the comp sci students at college.

You can do that with basically any programming language available on the PC, Linux or Windows... There isn't much to it.

 

[legend43]

I believe you can do it by getting a well designed tray with pipe connected from it, a portable water tank,
electric water pump. Now place the aquarium in the tray, connect the tray pipe to the upper path of the tank (inlet), and another pipe from the lower path of the tank (outlet) to the water pump (inlet), and another pipe from water pump (outlet) back to the aquarium, so that when the switch in the tank is switched on as the water level increases, the pump start pumping the water back to the aquarium. The computer can still be connected just to notify you that their is a problem.

Thank for correcting me were am wrong.

 

[killivolt]

I tried to create a leak detection circuit about 20 yrs ago. I actually paid someone to do it. It was a dual purpose circuit it included a IR detection circuit as well.

After that I became interested in electronics. I don't have the schematics but I have a device I will get it diagrammed. The original film to create the board is gone now. But I can photo copy the traces maybe that will help.


My original reason was just to add a schematic to the site for reproof.

I'll get to drawing it. It was very sensitive and was able to produce 120v for what ever you wanted Pump out water or trigger something.

kv

 

[Rajaneesh]

Our old aquarium had 5 sides (kinda like a square with one of the corners cut off), 55 gallons. It sprung a leak where the glass is seamed together with glue. It was a very small leak, probably about a gallon per hour if that.
No matter what there is going to be water on the floor...
When it started leaking the first time, I noticed it about an hour or so later.
but if it started leaking at say 11 pm when everyone was in bed, there would be about 8-10 gallons on the floor before anyone would wake up.
Whereas with the alarm, there would be alot less water on the floor.

The new one is a bowfront aquairum, not sure on the gallons....hopefully it wont leak, but I'd like to have the alarm just to be safe.

So is there an easier way to send the textmessage?

I agree with JOEL points... You should first analyse why the tank is leaking ? instead of trying to put an alarm. Instead of glue, get a rubberised sealent from the hardware shope. There are sealant which can stop leakage of concrete. And the leak comes only through the joints, so it wont look bad if you apply the sealant on that corner.

Putting a personal alarm is only a second option which is merely useless , because there are two reason
1. If you put the water level sensor very accurately , it will get trigger if the fish create any water waves( which happen always)

2. If you place the sensor in tolerance, water will be on the floor till your sensor sense the level, and sending the message to your mobile. (Delay of the electronic system, delay of the pc to communicate with the service provider, latency in the communication link. Some time the message come very late by the time you can see your tank is empty..!!!!!)

So once again i advice you to apply a permanent solution. If still you wish to make an electronic system to generate the message , i have a better solution....

You can put a dedicated GSM modem along with the controller in the fish tank side. You can interface the level sensor to this controller. Get a CUG scheme SIM card for this modem so you need not spend money for the operation, you may have to pay a reasonable monthly rental. Because it does not use any voice call.

Here you don't need a PC also. Modem can directly send the message to your personal mobile.

If you need assistance in this , i can guide you make one...

 

[birdman0_o]

Great suggestions but I think he must have solved his problem 4 years ago :O

 

[Rajaneesh]

Great suggestions but I think he must have solved his problem 4 years ago :O

Oh...god... I din notice that .... how come this topic come again all of a sudden?

Anyway thx for reminding me...in this.

 

[killivolt]

Great suggestions but I think he must have solved his problem 4 years ago :O

No, the fish died and he moved to Tallahassee.

Freaking hell.

I hate these old druggers. I've been out of the picture to long.

Sorry about taking the bate then pulling you in with me.

kv