No matter how modern and secure buildings are today, they still need to be protected from water leaks. Water leaks, if not addressed promptly, can cause significant damage to the building's structure, important utility systems such as the power supply system, or the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Water or sewage system failures can cause serious consequences and discomfort to the building's occupants and users. Given the enormous implications of such accidents, monitoring systems that can protect buildings from property losses are now in high demand. Given the scale and specification of modern buildings, most classical methods of monitoring water systems are no longer effective, especially when it comes to water supply systems in hard-to-reach locations.
With the development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, smart home ecosystems are increasingly being complemented by automated, advanced solutions for round-the-clock monitoring of water systems. These solutions include both single sensors and complex solutions of centralized water leakage monitoring systems that integrate into a larger IoT ecosystem. In this article, we will compare these two approaches to building a water detection system, namely, we will compare centralized systems and autonomous water leak detection sensors. All this to identify all their advantages and disadvantages in the context of smart building IoT solutions and smart building sensors.
Centralized water leakage detection systems
Centralized water leakage detection systems are becoming increasingly popular, as their integration into a single smart home ecosystem (often the decision to integrate is made at the planning stage of the building), i.e., into the overall utility system, guarantees their effectiveness and increases the efficiency of building management measures. The purpose of such a system is to use all available IoT sensors and the information they generate to notify building operators in advance of a moisture or water leakage problem. Such systems monitor indicators in real-time and instantly notify building operators through a smart building dashboard.
The principle of operation of such a system is to monitor the data it receives from dozens of IoT sensors integrated into the building's plumbing system around the clock. For best efficiency, they are placed in critical areas such as technical rooms, basements, and HVAC systems.
The centralized system transmits all the collected information to the smart building dashboard around the clock, where it is further evaluated by the building operator. As we noted above, an important feature of such a system is its ability to interact with other smart home devices. This, for example, allows you to turn off the water supply in the sector where the leak was detected, which minimizes damage. In turn, the dashboard to which this system is connected sends notifications to key people via SMS, email, or phone alerts, making it extremely effective in any type of building.
Another important advantage of such systems is their compatibility with other systems in the building. So, a leakage control system can become part of an even larger ecosystem that includes smart lighting, HVAC, video surveillance, smoke detection, and more. This allows you to have all possible information about the building on a single, practical dashboard. All in all, centralized water leakage systems with all their advantages are a popular solution for large commercial and industrial buildings where reliability and automatic response are critical. As well as when you aim to create a smart building using IoT.
Autonomous water leak detection sensors
Now let's look at standalone water leak detectors. Such detectors are most popular for their point-of-use placement in the most vulnerable areas of the building. They are most often placed in places such as technical rooms, under sinks, under boilers, or among water supply pipes. The advantage of such sensors is that they can operate independently of complex, centralized building monitoring systems.
The key advantage of these sensors is their ease of installation and use. Most models of such sensors have integrated batteries, speakers for sounding the alarm, and, less typically, a phone notification function. When a water leak or abnormal moisture is detected, such sensors sound an alarm and/or light an alarm or send a notification to your phone (again, this all depends on the specific device model). This guarantees a quick response to emergencies, despite the lack of communication with the centralized building monitoring system.
Another advantage in favor of choosing such sensors is the water leak detection cost. It is logical that a single sensor will cost less than a full-fledged monitoring and automation system, so this solution is cheaper than a centralized one. This factor makes standalone detectors popular among owners of small premises and private houses with small area, where the integration of a centralized system is not a profitable solution. Of course, their price is drastically affected by the fact that they do not require additional communications and the involvement of specialists providing building automation services.
A smart building sensor's ecosystem can include several sensors that together form a small monitoring system. If we add a smart home control center or a ZigBee slave to such an ecosystem, we get a solution that allows us to remotely monitor our sensors in real-time. This makes autonomous sensors more advanced, but not as advanced as centralized solutions.
So, standalone detectors are a great solution for small spaces, or when you want to spend a minimum of your budget with a maximum of value. Since they cost relatively little and don't require a complex infrastructure to deploy, they are an ideal solution for those who need basic water protection.
Centralized system vs. autonomous sensors
When it comes to integrating a water leakage detection system, building owners and managers are faced with choosing a centralized water leakage detection system or standalone detectors. Both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages. Both technologies are effective and worthy of your attention, but the choice of a specific solution depends on your building, the budget you are willing to spend, and the goal you have set for yourself. Let's take a closer look at the aspects of both solutions.
Pros and cons of centralized solutions
Centralized systems are usually part of a larger home monitoring and automation ecosystem. Such systems combine all information and all smart home devices, which significantly increases the integration capabilities compared to standalone sensors. Since such a system combines both a water leakage sensor and a valve that controls the water supply, we get an automated solution that responds to an emergency, and this is a great solution for IoT building automation.
All the IoT devices that make up the centralized system are integrated into a single smart building dashboard, which gives the building operator a complete picture of what is happening in the building. It guarantees more information that can be analyzed to improve the optimization of the building. That is why this solution is ideal for large commercial and industrial buildings, as they often monitor other indicators such as energy consumption, air quality, temperature, and others.
However, there is a drawback to such systems: the water leak detection cost. Since, in addition to the sensors themselves, you also need to lay communications, hire specialists, connect and configure all the sensors in a single dashboard, the cost of installing such a system is similar. Also, since centralized solutions cover the entire building and a large set of sensors, the cost of maintaining such a system may not be profitable for most ordinary users. Despite these disadvantages, the user receives a reliable and stable solution that will not only notify them in case of emergencies but also automatically take action to minimize damage to the building.
Pros and cons of autonomous detectors
Now let's look at standalone sensors. As we said, standalone detectors are easy to install, cheap to buy, and cheap to operate and maintain. All this is because they do not require additional communications (since most models have an integrated battery and do not require a network connection to operate), and have a simple design, hence the lower price and increased reliability of a particular device, and do not require the help of specialists to install. As for maintenance, most often you only need to change the battery.
However, the advantages also lead to the main disadvantage, namely the range of such sensors. Due to the simplicity of their design, most models do not communicate with the network, but simply give an audible and/or light signal when a leak is detected. That is why such detectors are mainly used by owners of small houses or small premises that require a simple and cheap solution to protect against the effects of flooding. Less commonly, they are installed in commercial or industrial buildings, in hard-to-reach places, or as a 2nd stage of protection in case of a malfunction of the main system.
It is also worth discussing the interaction of autonomous sensors with IoT systems. Since not all sensors have direct access to the Internet, not all of them are IoT devices. Therefore, if you are planning to build your ecosystem of IoT-based devices, it is recommended that you carefully choose the device model based on your needs. In general, when you choose standalone sensors, you get a cheap and reliable solution for small spaces that is easy to install and cheap to maintain.
Centralization vs. autonomy
Thus, the choice between centralized systems and standalone detectors depends on the specific requirements. For large buildings with multiple engineering systems, centralized systems are an efficient and reliable solution, while standalone detectors are optimal for smaller or budget projects.
| Parameter | Centralized System | Autonomous Sensors |
|---|---|---|
| Integration with other systems | High | Limited |
| Installation cost | High | Low |
| Building coverage | Complete | Localized |
| Reliability | High | Depends on placement |
| IoT support | Yes | Possible, but limited |
| Suitability for large buildings | Ideal for large buildings | Suitable for smaller buildings |
Afterword
The choice between a centralized water leak detection system and a standalone detector depends on several factors. Centralized systems are great for large commercial and industrial buildings, where reliability and the ability to combine all smart devices into one smart building dashboard are important. However, the water leak detection cost is too high for ordinary users.
On the other hand, standalone detectors are a convenient and inexpensive solution for owners of small premises, but not enough for large premises. Their easy installation and independence from a centralized gateway make them the best solution for those who need a simple and undemanding solution for water leak detection.
In general, the choice between these two solutions directly depends on the specifics of your building. Smart building IoT solutions provide ample opportunities for comprehensive management, but in scenarios where simplicity and independence from other devices are important, standalone sensors are the best alternative.
