Everyone should have one of these

[maxalmon]

$10 @ Homedepot or Lowes. Uses a 9v battery and all you do is set it on the ground or wherever the lowest spot is or wherever you think you might have a potential leak. There are two contacts on the bottom of the unit so that when they come into contact with water it completes the circuit the thing is stupidly lound, like a fire alarm.

 

[nycbob]

cool! i will get one for my basement.

 

[groupergenius]

Great idea!! When they come out with the version that smacks you on the back of the head to get you up and turn off the alarm like a loving wife of 20 years, I'll get one.

 

[hypertek99]

What happens when it's going off and your not home will my apartment neighbors complain about it???

 

[lecithin]

but the real question is will it feed my fish and clean my tank for me?

 

[groupergenius]

Well, I was just trying to be funny, but that's an awsome tool Max.
Imagine your dead asleep some night and power goes off for some reason or the tank starts leaking. Stuff starts overflowing and this little tool makes you aware of it.

 

[maxalmon]

Originally Posted by GrouperGenius
Well, I was just trying to be funny, but that's an awsome tool Max.
Imagine your dead asleep some night and power goes off for some reason or the tank starts leaking. Stuff starts overflowing and this little tool makes you aware of it.

I got one because other half saw a post about somebodys tank splitting a seam in the middle of the night,....I got the "I'll kill you" if that happens.

 

[maxalmon]

Originally Posted by Hypertek99
What happens when it's going off and your not home will my apartment neighbors complain about it???
The water pouring thru the ceiling or the alarm going off

 

[groupergenius]

Originally Posted by maxalmon
I got one because other half saw a post about somebodys tank splitting a seam in the middle of the night,....I got the "I'll kill you" if that happens.

See, we're on the same page. That's the smack on the back of the head thing....

 

[grennan]

The longer I let the water stay on the floor, the less water I have to clean up.

 

[maxalmon]

Originally Posted by GrouperGenius
See, we're on the same page. That's the smack on the back of the head thing....

Last time I got smacked was about a year ago, I was wanting a 120g sps tank and was told no, so I bought all this new equipment, took it out of the box's and kinda stashed it here and there, all over the house kinda thing, even made some of it look used.....
Then everyonce in a while I'd go "Oh wow, forgot I had this", pretty soon I had all this equipment layed out and I announced "I've got all this used equipment, now all I need is the tank"
Thats when I got, "do you think I'm stupid, I know what you've been doing" ..............Kinda took all the fun out of being a reef weasil, then I got smacked, not once but several times

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by maxalmon
I got one because other half saw a post about somebodys tank splitting a seam in the middle of the night,....I got the "I'll kill you" if that happens.
My biggest fear!!!

It's sad when you wake up in the middle of the night by a sound your not sure of, and you pass your children's bedrooms to check the tank.

 

[maxalmon]

Originally Posted by azfishgal
My biggest fear!!!

It's sad when you wake up in the middle of the night by a sound your not sure of, and you pass your children's bedrooms to check the tank.

save the tank, kids are on their own...

 

[bronco300]

Originally Posted by maxalmon
Last time I got smacked was about a year ago, I was wanting a 120g sps tank and was told no, so I bought all this new equipment, took it out of the box's and kinda stashed it here and there, all over the house kinda thing, even made some of it look used.....
Then everyonce in a while I'd go "Oh wow, forgot I had this", pretty soon I had all this equipment layed out and I announced "I've got all this used equipment, now all I need is the tank"
Thats when I got, "do you think I'm stupid, I know what you've been doing" ..............Kinda took all the fun out of being a reef weasil, then I got smacked, not once but several times
hahahahahahaha, thats hilarious she knew exactly what you were trying....i do that every now and then...thats when i come through the garage instead of the front door from work...lol...then i can just all pile it in the garage and oh hey, ooo, look at this...ic ould use this still probably, wonder if it still works.

 

[groupergenius]

Originally Posted by maxalmon
Last time I got smacked was about a year ago, I was wanting a 120g sps tank and was told no, so I bought all this new equipment, took it out of the box's and kinda stashed it here and there, all over the house kinda thing, even made some of it look used.....
Then everyonce in a while I'd go "Oh wow, forgot I had this", pretty soon I had all this equipment layed out and I announced "I've got all this used equipment, now all I need is the tank"
Thats when I got, "do you think I'm stupid, I know what you've been doing" ..............Kinda took all the fun out of being a reef weasil, then I got smacked, not once but several times

 

[chaoscat]

...wife looks in reef tank, "Is that new?"
"No, honey...been in there for a loonng time...months...I...I...moved it...yeah, that's it...you're just not used to seeing it THERE"
As for the alarm, it's a nice idea. But, for me, it would be more useful if it dialed my cell phone when it went off. Odds are, I'm not gonna be home when it pops. I've only had a tank split once in 20 years of keeping fish, and it was an oddball - 50 gallon flat back with a 3 sided "bay window" front.

 

[liverock27]

I have that same device and it saved my kitchen when I had my new fridge put in. The delivery guy didn't hook up the water hose correctly. If I hadn't have put that behind the fridge to start with my new cabnets probably would have suffered. I now have one behind everything in the house that uses water, including my tank. Great thread maxalmon.

 

[coral keeper]

Originally Posted by azfishgal
My biggest fear!!! It's sad when you wake up in the middle of the night by a sound your not sure of, and you pass your children's bedrooms to check the tank.

Originally Posted by maxalmon
save the tank, kids are on their own...

 

[t316]

..
As for the alarm, it's a nice idea. But, for me, it would be more useful if it dialed my cell phone when it went off. Odds are, I'm not gonna be home when it pops.

[hr]
Actually, this is very doable, but you will have to involve your alarm system guy. You have to have 1) an alarm system on your home and 2) an active telephone line. I was working on this after thinking...if my alarm system can dial 911 or a monitoring company, then I know you can program your cell phone # in there instead. It works. Now, we just have to make the house alarm go off when the water detector alarm goes off. Easy, have your alarm guy install a sensor nearby the detector, very much like a glass-break sensor. The sensor will pick up the loud noise coming from the water alarm, thus setting off your house alarm, thus dialing your cell phone.

Here's the only problem I have found. When you answer the cell phone, obviously there will be nobody on the other end. If you just look at the caller ID on the cell, it will be YOUR home phone. So, in my case, I don't know whether to call the police, or if one of the kids are screwing around, or the wife set off the house alarm by accident. I guess if you are out, with your family, and you get the call, you know something legit is up.

 

[mscarpena]

Yeah my 20 gallon long home made sump split from top to bottom did not leak any water, but it could have. I noticed it at 9:30 pm and had to be to work at 6 am. I had to break the tank out from under my stand because of corse I put it under there when the tank was not on the stand. I did not finished my little unexpected project until about 1 am. Man was I cranky that day at work. I have had horrible luck lately.