Intelligent water monitoring system

Abstract

An intelligent water-monitoring system includes a water-monitoring device installable inline with a building water system (e.g., at an inlet of the system). A plurality of sensors of the water-monitoring device are configured to sense properties of the building water system, such as water pressure and water flow. The water-monitoring device has a valve and a controller configured to automatically shut the valve in response to sensed data indicating a possible problem in the building water system. The intelligent water-monitoring system may include an app executable by a computing device to display information based on the sensed data.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for determining a height of a leak in a plumbing system, the method comprising:
 isolating a leaking plumbing system from a water supply by closing a shutoff valve of a monitoring device installed at an inlet of the plumbing system, such that the monitoring device is in fluid communication only with the leaking plumbing system;   receiving, from a pressure sensor of the monitoring device, data corresponding to a decreasing pressure of water in the plumbing system;   predicting, based on the data corresponding to the decreasing pressure, a final constant pressure of water in the plumbing system using processing logic of the monitoring device; and   determining, using the processing logic, a water height corresponding to the predicted final constant pressure, the water height corresponding to a height of the leak.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein predicting the final constant pressure comprises identifying an asymptotic value of a pressure drop-off curve. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the shutoff valve comprises a ball valve. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the monitoring device comprises a housing enclosing at least the pressure sensor and an inline flow meter, the inline flow meter being disposed downstream of the shutoff valve. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising communicating the height of the leak to a remote electronic device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the remote electronic device comprises a mobile digital device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising presenting information regarding the height of the leak on a display of the mobile digital device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the plumbing system comprises the plumbing system of a house, and wherein determining the water height comprises identifying a story of the house. 
     
     
         29 . A method for monitoring a building water system, the method comprising:
 automatically isolating a building water system from a water supply by closing a shutoff valve of a monitoring device installed at an inlet of the building water system, such that the monitoring device is in fluid communication only with the building water system;   based on a decreasing water pressure sensed by a pressure sensor of the monitoring device, predicting a final constant water pressure assuming a leak in the building water system, using one or more processors; and   determining, using the one or more processors, a water height corresponding to the predicted final constant pressure, the water height corresponding to a height of the leak.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is located onboard the monitoring device. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein determining the water height is performed by the at least one processor located onboard the monitoring device, the method further comprising communicating data representing the determined water height to a mobile digital device. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is located at a remote electronic device, the method further comprising communicating data representing the sensed decreasing water pressure to the remote electronic device. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein predicting the final constant water pressure includes utilizing the one or more processors to:
 fit a series of pressure readings from the pressure sensor to a pressure drop-off curve; and   identify an asymptotic value of the pressure drop-off curve as the final constant water pressure.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the shutoff valve comprises a motorized ball valve. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein determining the height of the leak comprises identifying a building story where the leak is located. 
     
     
         36 . A method for monitoring a plumbing system, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a processor, from a pressure sensor installed in a plumbing system, sensed data corresponding to a decreasing pressure of water in the plumbing system associated with a leak in the plumbing system;   determining, using the processor, a final pressure value predicted to be reached by the decreasing pressure of water in the plumbing system; and   determining, using the processor, based on the determined final pressure value, a height of the leak in the plumbing system.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the plumbing system is a water system of a building and the processor comprises a server remote from the building. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein determining the height of the water leak includes identifying a building story where the leak is located. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising communicating the determined height from the server to an electronic device. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the pressure sensor is disposed within a monitoring device installed inline at an inlet of the plumbing system, the monitoring device further includes a shutoff valve configured to automatically close to isolate the plumbing system from a water supply, and the data corresponding to the decreasing pressure of water is sensed while the shutoff valve is closed.