Best Practices For AVTECH Flood Sensors

Install the Flood Cable directly on the floor so that there are no gaps between the cable and the floor’s surface.

Cable Clips

Use self-adhesive nylon or plastic cable clips to hold the Flood Cable in place. Cable clips typically won’t pinch or bind the cable, which can cause false alarms.

Typically, you should place the clips 5 to 6 feet apart.

However, you should place them 3 feet apart when the cable runs in front of a CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioning) unit.

You may need additional clips around corners and curves or to prevent gaps between the cable and the floor.

You may need a drop of silicone or other non-conductive adhesive to hold the clip to a porous concrete floor—self-adhesive backing may not hold well on such floors.

Cable Placement

Avoid placing the Flood Cable in the direct downstream of air conditioners, which discharge moisture. To avoid false alarms, place the cable 4 to 6 feet away from air conditioning units.

Don’t run the Flood Cable through dirty or greasy areas. The floor must be clean for the cable to function properly and for the cable clips to adhere. (You may need to clean the floor before installing the Flood Cable.)

Install the Flood Cable out of the way of foot traffic, and avoid stepping on it. Also avoid rolling, dropping, or setting heavy items on the Flood Cable, as they can damage it.

Water must bridge a pair of conductive threads on the Flood Cable in order for the sensor to go into an alarm state.

Once you’ve connected the components of the Flood Sensor – Cable as shown in the Flood Sensor – Cable Installation Note, you may test the Flood Cable:

Wet a small section of the cable

Pour out about a 2 inch puddle of water and put a section of the Flood Cable into it.

or

Wrap a clean damp cloth or paper towel around a section of the Flood Cable.

Avoid completely saturating the section of cable while you are testing it, as it will take longer to dry.

When the cable detects water, the LED on the Flood Sensor box will blink steadily and the switch state on the Status page of the Room Alert Monitor web interface will change to Open.

Dry the cable

You may then dry the cable with a clean cloth or paper towel. The Flood Sensor – Cable will go into a clear state once the cable is completely dry.

Contacts

The contacts on the Flood Sensor – Spot are factory set to 1/32″ off the ground.

You may adjust the contacts individually from 0″ to 1/8″ high to change the depth of water that will trigger the sensor. (To simulate the distance to the floor, rest a straight-edge on the feet closest to the contacts while you adjust them.)

Avoid putting the contacts down further than 1/32″, as mere dampness, a film of dirt or any conductive material on the floor may trigger false alarms.

If you install the Flood Sensor – Spot on a metallic floor, be sure to leave a gap between the contacts and the surface of the floor to avoid false alarms.

Feet

The self-adhesive feet on the bottom of the blue housing allow you to fasten the sensor to trouble-spots and also provide a gap to admit water to the contacts.

Don’t take the feet off of the unit, even if you aren’t using the self-adhesive backing. Without the feet between them, the housing and surface may form a seal, and water won’t reach the contacts until it’s risen up the sides or over the top.

Battery

Test the Flood Sensor every 6 months to make sure the 9V alkaline battery is still working, and replace the battery once a year. (If your Flood Sensor – Spot gets activated often, you may need to replace it sooner.)

Use 9V alkaline batteries in your Flood Sensor – Spot—do not use rechargeable batteries.

Water must bridge the two contacts underneath the enclosure in order for the sensor to enter an alarm state.

Once you’ve connected the the Flood Sensor – Spot as shown in the Flood Sensor – Spot Installation Note, you may test it by simply bridging the two contacts with a paper clip. The switch state on the Status page of the Room Alert Monitor web interface will change to Open.