ID this weird valve after the shutoff valve

I took it off a high rise condo. It was right after the angle stop and the supply line was attached to it. I've taken it to a few plubing supply houses and no one knows anything. Any thoughts?

Mike

I have never seen one... but it is obviously a motor operated valve. Small low volt motor + gearcase. The question is where did the wire connect. Was it to some kind of leak detection system ?

Are there anymore of those in the particuar condo? If so they could have been wired to a point outside the condo somewhere else in the building. This would allow the water to be controlled remote at a central place for all the condo's in the building.

I've one similiar but it was on a main line. It was at a dental building, they had a main panel next to the alarm system, when they left at night they would switch it off and the solenoid valve would shutdown the water to the building. It was to prevent leaks from flooding the building should any occur over night but also prevent unauthorized use of the water when nobody was there (ie on a hose bibb)

It looks like a metal version of a plastic irrigation solenoid valve. Depending on whether it was normal open or normal closed it would have been used to control the water supply. The most likely thing is that there is a water sensor somewhere, such as by the washing machine or water heater, which operates that valve to stop a flood.

It's a FloodStop!

This little gadget is a point-of-use flood prevention product that actually shuts off the water supply at the individual appliance in the case of a leak.

http://www.thewateralarm.com/wateralarm/pc/FloodStop-c6.htm

Makes sense that you would find one in a high-rise.