Water sensor using DS10A

Guys,
I put together several of the DS10A's with the Hobby board leaf sensors as leak detectors. These worked well when I installed them. Test time rolled around so today I dripped water on the sensors today and 3 of them aren't working. So I'm after something more reliable. I'm a software guy so electronics are foreign to me. Would one of these GRI Water sensors work connected to a DS10A (Door and Window sensor). What's confusing me is these mentioned 5 Volts. Does this mean the device needs 5 volts to detect water?
http://www.safemart.com/GRI-Specialty-Sens...Sensor-2800.htm

signal15 mentioned using a small piece of sponge earlier in another thread. I think that would improve reliability a lot. Give it a try and report back. I still have 10 of them in the box that I want to deploy.

I hope Eric can chime in here. I know he made changes to the type of board and coatings with the leaf wetness sensor. How old are your sensors?

The sensors are a year or so old. I even dropped the leaf board in a cup of water and it didn't trip. Grounding the 2 wires works though.

If I knew of a way to attach the DS10A to one of the wirless units speakers I would try that.
Like one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Powered-Wate...k/dp/B000CBVI9E

Rupp,

Are the sensors you have green or bare boards with gold traces?

Eric

ericvic said:

Rupp,

Are the sensors you have green or bare boards with gold traces?

Eric

Click to expand...

It's this one.

I just wondering if the DS10A needs some modification to work with water only. There's a post on the HomeSeer message board about adding a Transistor. I'm not sure what this does but I may try it.

http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t...=leak+detection

Rupp said:

I just wondering if the DS10A needs some modification to work with water only. There's a post on the HomeSeer message board about adding a Transistor. I'm not sure what this does but I may try it.

Click to expand...

In order to get a DS10A to act as a water detector.. an additional circuit is (normally) required. Here is one... created by an X10 user named Puck. You can read more about this here (images have been relocated to the bottom of the post as attachments).

i use the hobby board leaf sensors connected directly to the ds10a's and they work fine. i have one on our downstairs bathroom counter because the kids constantly left ponds of water on it when they wash their hands. it's helped a lot - now there's only occasional puddles on the counter.

damage said:

i use the hobby board leaf sensors connected directly to the ds10a's and they work fine. i have one on our downstairs bathroom counter because the kids constantly left ponds of water on it when they wash their hands. it's helped a lot - now there's only occasional puddles on the counter.

Click to expand...

I believe you (ALL)... but I am shocked. I've been around X10 for some time... I don't know how I've missed this. Where can I get thses "hobby board leaf sensors"? Does someone have a link please.

Dave X10 said:

damage said:

i use the hobby board leaf sensors connected directly to the ds10a's and they work fine. i have one on our downstairs bathroom counter because the kids constantly left ponds of water on it when they wash their hands. it's helped a lot - now there's only occasional puddles on the counter.

Click to expand...

I believe you (ALL)... but I am shocked. I've been around X10 for some time... I don't know how I've missed this. Where can I get thses "hobby board leaf sensors"? Does someone have a link please.

Click to expand...

http://www.hobby-boards.com/catalog/produc...roducts_id=1544

Dave X10 said:

but I am shocked. I've been around X10 for some time... I don't know how I've missed this.

Click to expand...

You need to be around CocoonTech instead as this has been discussed numerous times on this board!

Rupp: Can you perform a resistance reading with the leads from the leaf wetness sensor disconnected from the DS10a in dry and wet conditions? Possibly compare them to a working unit?

BraveSirRobbin said:

Dave X10 said:

but I am shocked. I've been around X10 for some time... I don't know how I've missed this.

Click to expand...

You need to be around CocoonTech instead as this has been discussed numerous times on this board!

Rupp: Can you perform a resistance reading with the leads from the leaf wetness sensor disconnected from the DS10a in dry and wet conditions? Possibly compare them to a working unit?

Click to expand...

BSR,
Again I'm a software guy and an electronically challenged. I took my circuit tested and put it on the omega symbol which I believe is OHMS and when I touch each lead it goes to zero which I assume means it is a closed circuit. Is this what your were asking me to try?

Yes, make sure your fingers are not touching the lead ends when measuring resistance as your body's resistance could influence the readings.

Would be interesting to read the resistance in open air, then with water on it.

damage said:

i use the hobby board leaf sensors connected directly to the ds10a's and they work fine. i have one on our downstairs bathroom counter because the kids constantly left ponds of water on it when they wash their hands. it's helped a lot - now there's only occasional puddles on the counter.

Click to expand...

Ok, I used the hair drier last night to dry off the sensor and the area around it. It sent the "off" code. I just now tried dripping one drop of water on the board this morning and it worked. Now I wonder if all the rubbing on the board I did while cleaning off the water somehow cleaned it? I do know the ones that are working 8 others detect a single drop of water. Confused.