Electronics Security
14/11/2021

The WiFi gas alarm that saved my boat

By admin

In this post, we are going to see, which for me is the best Gas alarm that you can have on your boat.

Mainly, because, during confinement, except mine from ending up on fire. But I also discovered that it is not only capable of detecting a butane leak, but it can also detect the emanations of the batteries when they are overcharging and are going to burn …

A discovery that you can see in great detail in our video on the subject:

Shopping

The alarm in question is an AliExpress gas detection alarm for 12 Euros, which although it is not WiFi, we are going to see how to turn it into WiFi with an old acquaintance, a WiFi flood detector. In total, we will have the best wifi gas alarm for about 20 euros.

I leave here all the purchase links for it, and some more of those mentioned in the video:

✅ The gas alarm:
🔵 On AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AUXN59
🔵 In AliExpress another option: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AWD1vU
🔵 On Amazon a similar option: https://amzn.to/3kw7XNl
✅ The water detector:
🔵 On AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AEnwSW
🔵 On Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bCRFya
✅ The power bank that does not stop appearing in our videos:
🔵 On AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AlpVgF
🔵 On Amazon: https://amzn.to/3okB8G2
✅ The WiFi Faucet Opener / Closer:
🔵 On AliExpress https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AS7Vem
🔵 On Amazon https://amzn.to/3wHSI90
✅ 4G WiFi router, in case you still don’t have internet connection on the boat:
🔵 On AliExpress from Spain https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_APx1Wk
🔵 On Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cS2H24
✅ A multimeter, very useful in all assemblies, and that I cannot imagine that you do not have
🔵 On AliExpress https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_9xp0DC
🔵 On Amazon https://amzn.to/3okCVJC

Mounting

The assembly that we are going to do is very easy to understand:

Our gas detector has a red and a black wire that correspond to the positive and negative supply of the 12V supply of our boat. So far everything simple, you can connect it through a switch if you want and so you can connect and disconnect it to taste.

If it detects gas it will beep, but in addition it will also close the contact, relay, between its blue and white cables that will act as a switch, allowing to connect there, a light, a siren, an electric valve of the tap, or some type of module WiFi, which is what we will do.

And converting it into WiFi will be very simple, our water detector, which we used in the flood detection episode, works in such a way that it is activated when there is connectivity between its two poles, normally, because they are flooded .. But yes We connect these two poles to the relay of our gas detector, it will also activate when gas is detected, since the internal switch will be closed and there will be conductivity between the two poles.

To make it easy, we will cut the cables of our water detector and connect the red and black cables, with the blue and soft cables of the gas detector. And that’s it, just configure it as usual.

Setting

The configuration will be very simple too, remember that it is essential that you have a WiFi with an internet connection, as we already taught in our post on the subject or putting a router or old phone to share the internet … As always it will be based on a series of Steps we already covered when using it to detect bilge water:

  • Install the Tuya Smart app on our mobile (From the Play Store or Apple Store)
  • Add a new WiFi Protection Sensor in the app
  • Put the connection data of the WiFi of our boat
  • Put the batteries in the flood sensor and press its reset button for 5 seconds, until the light starts to flash rapidly.
  • Give next in the Tuya Smart app, which will detect it for us in about a minute.
  • Assign it a meaningful name, so that we know that it is a gas alarm and not a flood alarm, and also change the icon to something more representative, a photo of the alarm.


And with that everything is ready, if the gas alarm goes off we will receive a notification in our Tuya Smart application.

Installation

Finally, choose the right place for installation.

Remember that both butane and propane are heavier than air, so you should install the alarm in a low position and close to the gas installation, so that the gas reaches the alarm as soon as possible. In my case, the most suitable place that has proven its usefulness is under the kitchen oven.

we simply have to take a power cable from the switch panel to there, and connect the set of our alarm.

Conclusions

Well, many times I tell you that a product is very good, and that it can be very useful ..

This time, I can guarantee you that these are the best 20 euros invested I have ever had, since thanks to him I know how to save my boat… I don’t know if you need me to tell you more. Its unusual ability to detect the emanations of a battery with danger of exploding, apart from being surprising, are among the most useful. Besides, it is also capable of detecting the LPG gases for which it is designed.