Monitoring your well water system for leaks and pump problems.
For property owners it can be essential to know if the water is off to their property as this could lead to disgruntled customers/renters and dead landscaping. On the other hand, a leak could go unnoticed for long periods of time causing a huge spike in power bills, potential water damage and waste water-a very valuable resource. In today’s blog, we’ll look at some technologies that can help monitor the water situation for your residential water system and possibly even help you catch leaks and problems before they get big and expensive!
For monitoring water usage and potential leaks a water meter is essential! We’ve discussed the impacts of water leaks in a previous blog that you can check out when you have a chance. The important take away is YOU NEED A WATER METER TO FIND LEAKS! Once you have a water meter, If you don’t monitor it constantly, you can’t find the problem. To take leak detection to the next level and into the 21st century, a Flume 2 unit may be part of the solution. This unit straps on to your existing water flowmeter, connects to your wifi and gives you lots of information about water usage, leaks and notifications/alerts via a phone app. Flume has AI technology that is keeping an eye on your water usage and helping you find the problems. There are no ongoing costs once the unit is purchased other than replacing the battery. The Flume 2 battery lasts up to 2 years with one battery pack, and 4 years with a maximum two battery packs installed.
As mentioned before, if you haven’t installed a flow meter, the Flume 2 unit won’t do you much good. A Badger Model 35 (35 GPM max flow rate, 3/4" pipe) will work for most smaller applications. A bigger flow meter may be necessary if you have a large house/irrigation requirements or there are fire sprinkler systems involved. Check with your plumber if you have any doubts as installation of a flow meter that is too small can cause pressure/flow problems and large flow meters can be expensive! The water meter should be installed/located at a point after any pressure tank connections and prior to the discharge pipe disappearing into the ground where the pipes go to supply housing/irrigation. Don't forget to order the connection kits/adapters with the flow meters. You can save a bit of money on the flow meters by ordering a plastic version. The badger water meters work well, but whether or not you use them or a different brand, double check to ensure it is compatible with the flume device before purchasing a water meter to install.
Once the flow meter has been installed, it is now time to install and setup the Flume 2. Download the app and follow the easy instructions. The instructions will guide you through Flume meter reader to your water meter and installing the Flume controller at a location with access to both power and wifi/internet. Once you’ve set up the Flume equipment you can monitor, get automated alerts/notifications and know exactly what is going on with your water usage.
With all it's great features, the Flume 2 device can only tell you if there is water flow and how much water flow there is. The Flume 2 CANNOT tell you if your well is not working for some reason like the power is off, a circuit breaker has tripped or there is some problem with the well pump that keeps it from running properly. You could infer from the lack of flow on a Flume 2 that there is a problem, but this make take several hours to become apparent.
For our customers with critical water monitoring needs there are other options available. Omnisite offers a good product that can send alerts about power failures and, if connected to a pressure switch, monitor low pressures or pump start/run times. Low/high water levels in storage tanks can be monitored with a float switch. These Omnisite units are a bit more expensive at the initial purchase than a Flume and have a monthly cost ~$10/mo because they have their own mobile data connection/monitoring fees and a built in battery backup. Keep in mind that during power outages wifi routers typically shut down leaving you in the dark! Make sure your local electrician is comfortable with this technology, the equipment and how it interacts before ordering or installing.
Another innovator- meter.me has a product that we find works very well for many of our customers in remote locations. These units can monitor tank levels, flow rates and water levels in wells/aquifers at various remote locations on small or large properties and collate the information into an easy to use app that lets you monitor and manage your water intelligently!
Our talented team at Oakville Pump is up to speed on the latest and most reliable methods for monitoring and managing water! Contact us today if we can help you monitor and manage your water supply in the Napa Valley.