United Rentals Launches Leak Detection Rope Sensor for Data Center Testing

Water damage to servers and other sensitive equipment during data center testing can delay commissioning and cost owners millions. A new water leak detection rope sensor from United Rentals provides continuous monitoring and can alert designated personnel in time to react before a small leak becomes a catastrophic water incursion. The wireless leak sensor adds to United Rentals’ suite of remote environmental monitoring and control products powered by the WEDGE™ software platform.

A simple, affordable leak sensor for data halls

United Rentals’ new battery-operated sensor is a long cable that detects the presence of liquids based on the conductive principle. They can be placed on the floor of a data center hall for water loss mitigation and are flexible enough to wrap around hoses and fittings. Rope sensors can be easily joined together to create a water leak detection sensor of any desired length.

The easy-to-install rope sensors also feature humidity and temperature sensing capabilities. Data from a sensor is sent to the WEDGE platform via a gateway.

Immediate leak alerts enable rapid response

Data center water detection is critical for water damage prevention even before a permanent leak detection system is installed and operational.

Prior to commissioning, when water-cooled load banks are used for load bank testing of critical systems, technicians must watch for water leaks from the hoses that connect the chiller to the load bank. Leaks that go unnoticed can become puddles that turn into streams. Manually locating the source of a leak is time-consuming, and delays come at a high cost.

Automated monitoring enables immediate action. If the rope sensor detects moisture anywhere along its length, a water leak alert is sent via text or email. The alert is also visible on the WEDGE dashboard. As soon as an alert is received, technicians can shut off the valves to the chiller to stop the water loss. A wet rope sensor can be quickly dried off and put back into use.

Expanding the WEDGE ecosystem

The leak detection rope sensor joins other wireless sensors in United Rentals’ portfolio to create a comprehensive, integrated ecosystem for monitoring moisture, temperature, humidity and dew point. Those sensors include temperature and humidity sensors used in conjunction with portable heaters, and concrete monitoring sensors used to monitor concrete curing.

The WEDGE dashboard allows customers to access all worksite condition data from one platform. Custom dashboards and alerts give customers remote visibility, and in some cases, remote control. For example, when SmartHeat hardware is attached to a heater, customers can remotely adjust the heater’s thermostat via the WEDGE dashboard.

Risk reduction and peace of mind during data center testing

Water leaks are a serious threat to data centers not only during facility operation but also during load bank testing. The new water leak detection rope sensor can help reduce risk when water-cooled power generation equipment is brought into data halls. The low-cost sensors, together with the WEDGE platform, can help provide peace of mind for busy data center personnel and enable them to focus on other tasks critical to keeping testing and commissioning on schedule.

Contact us to learn more or request a demo of any of the sensors in our WEDGE ecosystem.