2021 - Volume #45, Issue #6, Page #04
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Easy Way To Monitor Water Use
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“You can check real-time sensor data, historical graphs, and custom thresholds,” says Greg Burroughs, BarnTools. “It lets you monitor water flow into livestock barns and can help detect leaks.”
Like BarnTools’ temperature and humidity sensors, the water meter is wireless. It communicates with a gateway device via long-range radio (LoRa). The gateway sends data to cloud-based servers via a built-in cellular connection. LoRa uses less energy than either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth systems. A single gateway can connect to practically unlimited nodes or sensors, while Wi-Fi can be limited to a handful of devices.
“Our data package is so small that it can still transmit even if cell service is so poor a person on site can’t make a call,” says Burroughs. “We also offer an upgraded antenna that can help at isolated sites.”
Burroughs says the company has been testing its systems in barns around Iowa since the end of 2019. “We wanted to resolve connectivity concerns, durability, and reliability,” he says. “Our monitors have been left outside during winters, storms, and hot summer weather.”
To ensure reliability, a signal is sent to the gateway device every two min. A response indicates the system is working. If not, an alert is sent to the user.
The wireless water meter takes readings every 20 min. and automatically reports the reading to the user’s smartphone. The BarnTalk system can track a rolling average over a 3-day period down to 24-hr. periods. Too much or too little water used can trigger different alerts to the user. Not having these alerts can cost far more than the BarnTalk system.
“In one use case, workers at a barn left early on a weekend and forgot to turn off the water, returned on Monday and turned it off,” says Burroughs. “The additional 180,000 gal. of water in the pit increased the cost of pumping the pit by $3,000. That didn’t include the cost of pumping the water originally from the well.”
A 30-hr. battery backup on the gateway ensures it can still send data even if power to the site is lost. It also ensures a power lost alert is sent. Temperature and water data can be vital for animal health and productivity, especially in extreme conditions.
A BarnTalk Starter Kit includes two indoor temperature sensors, an outdoor temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and the gateway device. It’s priced at $1,799. Additional temperature sensors are priced at $199 and humidity sensors at $249.
Water meters vary in price from $299 to $549, depending on the size of the waterline. Meters are available for 1/2-in., 3/4-in., 1-in. and 1 1/2-in. lines.
BarnTools is working on additional sensors, including ones for noxious gasses, bin levels, and pit levels. “We are constantly researching customer needs and building and releasing new products to meet them,” says Burroughs. “We are finding unexpected uses for our sensors, from greenhouses to dog kennels. We also believe a drastic drop or increase in water consumption could be a leading indicator of disease. Taking immediate action could prevent a larger problem.”
“We have a special offer for FARM SHOW subscribers,” says Burroughs. “If they use the code FARMSHOWWATER at checkout or when calling us directly, they can get a free water meter with the purchase of a BarnTalk Starter Kit.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, BarnTools, P.O. Box 71066, Clive, Iowa 50325 (ph 515-220-2727; support@barntools.com; www.barntools.com).
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