Insurance Discounts:
Q: Does PipeBurst Pro help me qualify for a discount on my homeowner's insurance premiums?
A: Yes, protecting your home from possible flooding reduces risk and thus increases your insurability; many insurance companies provide a discount. Contact your insurance agent directly to see if discounts are offered for installing a PipeBurst Pro system as we have over 16 companies that currently provide an insurance discount for installing the PipeBurst Pro product
Security System Integration:
Q: Can the PipeBurst Pro work with my security system?
A: Yes, the PipeBurst Pro system comes with auxiliary contacts and can be wired into your existing home security system with simple low voltage wiring (wiring not included). Please consult your security system manual or installation professional for details on product integration.
Product Installation:
Q: Do I need a plumber to install the PipeBurst Pro?
A: We recommend that a certified and licensed plumber install the PipeBurst Pro TickerValve. However, if a homeowner with a high level of competence in plumbing wants to install the product please check your local plumbing codes for specific information.
Q: Where should I install the PipeBurst Pro?s TickerValve?
A: Note: If you have a fire suppression system, this valve should be installed after this line. The PipeBurst Pro?s TickerValve should be installed on the main incoming water line. It should be installed at the first point after the existing manual shut-off valve. It is also important to mount the valve so that the homeowner has easy access to the VIP Sr. or VIP Jr. in order to reset the system in the event that it has been tripped.
System Power Loss and Battery Operations:
Q: What happens if power is lost to VIP ?
A: VIP Sr.: The backup battery will take over and then the system will be running on the backup battery. The TickerValve will automatically close before the backup battery dies. Any wireless sensors on AC power will not be able to detect water, although the wired sensor attached to the VIP Sr. will be able to detect water as long as the backup battery is not dead.
A: VIP Jr.: Nothing will happen to the TickerValve, if it is open it will stay open, if it is closed it will stay closed. The sensors will not detect water if there is no power on the PipeBurst Pro Jr.
Q: Do the batteries in the wireless sensor work as a backup when there are batteries installed and plugged into AC power?
A: No, the batteries do not function as a backup. Choose either batteries or AC power when setting up your system. Do not place batteries in the wireless sensor if you are using AC power, the batteries could corrode and cause damage to the wireless sensor.
Q: What happens if power is lost to a wireless sensor?
A: The VIP Sr. will go into an alarm within 24 hours and flash red LED 1 & 5. The water will also shut off and LED 3 will be red.
Q: How long will the VIP Sr. run on the battery backup when there is no AC power?
A: The VIP Sr. will last 2 to 3 days when it switches over to the backup battery, when there is no AC power. The TickerValve will automatically close before the battery completely dies to protect the property, if a leak would occur during the time of no AC power. The battery will recharge itself when power is restored, as long as the battery was not discharged beyond repair.
Q: If I use batteries to power the wireless sensor, is there a notification when the batteries are getting weak and need replacement?
A: Yes, the wireless sensor will give an audible beeping when you press the sync button on the bottom of the device, 1 beep means low batteries, 2 beeps means okay batteries, 3 beeps means full batteries.
Q: How long do the batteries last in the wireless sensor?
A: Wireless sensor's batteries should be replaced annually and they should be replaced every time a wireless sensor goes into an alarm or when it begins to chirp. The wireless sensor will begin to chirp, like a smoke detector, when the batteries get low.
Q: Will the wired sensor that is connected to the VIP still function during a loss of power?
A: Depends, if you are running a VIP Sr., then YES it will continue to operate until the battery would die, but the TickerValve will close before the battery would die.
A: If you are running a VIP Jr., then no the wired sensor would not operate.
Q: What kind of batteries are used in the wireless sensors?
A: AA batteries, you can either use Alkaline or Lithium batteries.
TickerValve Operations
Q: Can I turn off my TickerValve manually with the actuator mounted to the valve?
A: Yes, using the manual handle does not affect the reliability or integrity of the actuator.
Q: If I open the TickerValve manually, does the flood protection still work?
A: Yes, the flood protection will still function and reclose the valve if it was manually opened.
Q: If the TickerValve is manually closed and the wired sensor detects water, will an alarm still be output to the home security system?
A: Yes.
Q: Can the actuator extension cord be added to the existing actuator connection wire/cable, or do I use only one actuator extension cord?
A: Yes, it is truly an extension cord. Example: If you add a 10 foot extension cord the total length would be almost 18 feet long.
Q: How far can TickerValve be from VIP Sr. or VIP Jr.?
A: The farthest the valve can be from either VIP is 107 feet 10 inches.
Q: Is the TickerValve suitable for below grade installs?
A: Yes, our actuator housing is rated to NEMA 6P (Waterproof) and NEMA 7D (Ignition safe). It can even run under water!
Q: If I have a fire suppression system can I still install the PipeBurst Pro?
A: Yes, we recommend you install the TickerValve after all fire suppression lines.
Water Sensors ? Wired and Wireless
Q: How much water must be present for a flood sensor to detect a leak?
A: It literally only takes a little puddle of water to activate the system. The key is ensuring the sensors are correctly placed in the most beneficial of locations to best detect leaks and puddles at the earliest possible moment.
Q: How many wireless sensors can the PipeBurst Pro Sr. handle?
A: You can have up to 63 wireless devices, the amount of wireless sensors depends on how many FloTrax?s and Repeaters are in the system. The maximum number of FloTrax?s is 2, and the maximum number of synced Repeaters is 2.
Q: Will a wireless sensor detect water without a wired sensor?
A: Yes, the wireless sensor has gold plated sensor pins right on the underside of the wireless sensor.
Q: Can the wired sensor that is plugged into the wireless sensor be split with a SideKick Splitter?
A: Yes, then you can connect a SideKick splitter to the wireless sensor and then add more than 1 wired sensor to the wireless sensor. It is also possible to split SideKick splitters.
Q: What is the standard length for a wired sensor?
A: Wired sensors come with wires at lengths of 5 feet and 20 feet.
Q: Are the wired sensors Normally Open or Normally Closed devices?
A: The wireless sensors are a Normally Open circuit.
VIP Sr. or VIP Jr. Operations
Q: How long is the included VIP Sr. or VIP Jr. actuator connection wire/cable?
A: The actuator connection wire/cable is approx. 7 feet 10 inches long.
Q: Does the VIP Sr. or VIP Jr. come with a wired sensor?
A: Yes, one (1) 20 foot wired sensor for the VIP Jr. The VIP Sr. does not come with one standard.
Q: What wireless frequency does the PipeBurst Pro Sr. transmit?
A: The PipeBurst Pro Sr. runs on 432.99 mHz. It produces an analog signal.
Q: Will the wireless frequency of the PipeBurst Pro affect other wireless devices?
A: Most likely no, the frequency our system (432.99 mHz) runs on is an uncommon frequency. Most things in a normal house will run on 2.4 GHz, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Q: Can the wired sensor plug into the VIP Sr. or VIP Jr. be split with a SideKick Splitter?
A: Yes, then you can either plug in a complete hardwired house system or another wired sensor.
Q: How far can I extend the wired sensor that is connected to the VIP Sr. or VIP Jr.?
A: 1025 feet.
Q: What do I need to do when a wireless sensor goes offline?
A: The wireless sensor can be ?dead? or go offline if the radio signal is too weak because it is too far from the VIP Sr., or if it loses power. If the VIP Sr. does not hear from a wireless sensor within 24 hours it will signal the owner with an alarm and LED 1 & 5 will flash red. The TickerValve will also close, so LED 3 will be red. When you reset the system it clears the memory and waits for another 24 hours to hear from the wireless sensor's, if it doesn?t hear from them the alarm will go off again. The system will keep doing this until the ?dead? wireless sensor is fixed by moving it to a location with a good radio signal, installing new batteries, or plugging it in.
Q: How do I know which wireless sensor is offline?
A: To determine which wireless sensor is offline you have two options: 1. ionleaks.com will tell you which sensor went offline. 2. Press the red ?Sync? button on the bottom side of the wireless sensor. If you hear the ?battery test? beeps, a rapid succession of beeps, and three long beeps that means that the wireless sensor has power and is communicating with the VIP Sr. If you only hear the ?battery test? beeps it means that you have power but it is not communicating with the VIP Sr. If you hear nothing then the batteries need replaced or it needs to be plugged into AC power.
FloTrax and Repeater
Q: My FloTrax is flashing red and green, is there something wrong with the FloTrax?
A: No, the FloTrax can do this from time to time. It just means that it does not know the TickerValve's current valve state. To fix this, just tap the button one time and the light should go back to the current TickerValve state. Or it will eventually fix itself once the VIP Sr. sends out a TickerValve status update.
Q: Do you need to sync the Repeater?
A: No, the Repeater does not have to be sycned to the VIP Sr. for it to repeat messages from devices to the VIP Sr. If you wish to sync them, use this to know if they are with in wireless range and verify this with the "happy" chirp. There can only be a MAX of 2 synced Repeaters to the VIP Sr.
Q: Can you use AA batteries in the FloTrax or Repeater?
A: No, AC power is only used for the FloTrax and Repeater.
Q: Can you repeat a Repeater?
A: No, the Repeater cannot repeat off another Repeater.