Smart water shut off

[Detective D]

Raise your hand if you think, in today's world, installing a device that can shut off your water main remotely is a good choice.

MOEN Flo 1 in. Smart Water Monitor and Automatic Water Shut Off Valve 900-006 - The Home Depot

Bring smart plumbing to your home with the Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff. The Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff is a smart home water security system that provides 24/7 protection by monitoring for

www.homedepot.com

I saw a commercial for this with(of course) a very, very well to do woman walking on a beach with concern on her face in some far off land checking her phone and then grinning with the relief knowing her water was shut off automatically by an App. run by a third party.
I deffinately think a third party 24/7 monitoring my water use is a good idea.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Youngsters today want to do everything on their cell phones. They'll love it.

 

[CarolinaCharger]

As a licensed plumber, I think it is a good idea. I have installed several of those exact units. All have been in vacation homes where the owner is only there a few months a year.

 

[padam]

Pretty easy to shut off the water if you’re not going to be there.

 

[demonram]

Just started a job 1 week ago. The owner lives in Washington. He Airbnbs it when they don’t use it. He had a possible client show up to rent it and the toilet seat bidet line broke. Luckily the guy shut the water off and called him. Don’t know how long it had been leaking but about $25,000 in damage from a 3/8” line. We did $30,000 worth of work when he bought it 3 years ago. Thank goodness it is on a slab and only a 1/3 of the house was damaged. I always tell people to shut the water and water heater off when they leave, some listen, some don’t. I think that is a great device and I’m going to tell him to put one on.

 

[1967coronet]

Yes a shut off the home owner can access is good.
No matter if it's a phone app or your brother.
We had a cold line to our washing machine bust at the end crimp several years ago. We were home so just some cussing and mopping.

 

[f569]

We had a cold line to our washing machine bust at the end crimp several years ago. We were home so just some cussing and mopping

Our culprit was the dishwasher, behind the cabinetry. Didn't know the location at first but immediately knew the sound! Think I made it down to the basement water main shutoff in few seconds. The old lady said she was impressed I could still move so fast! I've heard that those connection hoses should be changed every 5 years? I'll be sure to heed that advice and at least inspect them moving forward.

 

[Detective D]

I am a little surprised at how accepting these responses are to having a corporate third party real time monitor water consumption data on your property, and allowing them access to turn it off whenever they wish.

I guess I have a different perspective living in a state with no water issues, on rural land with my own well and no meter with some city telling me how much water I used or putting restrictions on it.

At a time when devices all have blue tooth in them to collect data and monitor all sorts of things, where they passed into law requirements to install remote access shut down in new vehicles, I am continually surprised how many people just shrug and can't think of the downsides. Pushing a button on a phone is so much easier than walking to turn off a valve.
All you have to do for this convenience is allow remote access to someone else to remotely shut your water off, whenever they want, all the while collecting data on how much you use.
People buck at the idea of putting an insurance company device in their car to monitor their driving, but are fine with allowing a corporation the ability to turn off their water.

 

[CarolinaCharger]

With well over 30 years in the business, I've saw the amount of damage that can occur from water leaks. Those plastic ice maker supply lines are a common source of leaks. I use stainless braided supply lines on all fixtures, icemakers, dishwashers and washing machines.

 

[GrabberOrange69]

Just started a job 1 week ago. The owner lives in Washington. He Airbnbs it when they don’t use it. He had a possible client show up to rent it and the toilet seat bidet line broke. Luckily the guy shut the water off and called him. Don’t know how long it had been leaking but about $25,000 in damage from a 3/8” line. We did $30,000 worth of work when he bought it 3 years ago. Thank goodness it is on a slab and only a 1/3 of the house was damaged. I always tell people to shut the water and water heater off when they leave, some listen, some don’t. I think that is a great device and I’m going to tell him to put one on.

Key there being, if your going to shut the water off, make sure the water heater is off too. Otherwise you get a different catastrophe.

 

[demonram]

Our culprit was the dishwasher, behind the cabinetry. Didn't know the location at first but immediately knew the sound! Think I made it down to the basement water main shutoff in few seconds. The old lady said she was impressed I could still move so fast! I've heard that those connection hoses should be changed every 5 years? I'll be sure to heed that advice and at least inspect them moving forward.

My neighbor across the street had me come look for a problem at their place a couple years ago. The dishwasher leaking from the center shaft assembly. Luckily I just had to rebuild the cabinet, dry it out, some mold treatment and some minor island wall repair. It adds up fast, water is disastrous and unforgiving.

 

[1967coronet]

I am a little surprised at how accepting these responses are to having a corporate third party real time monitor water consumption data on your property, and allowing them access to turn it off whenever they wish.

I guess I have a different perspective living in a state with no water issues, on rural land with my own well and no meter with some city telling me how much water I used or putting restrictions on it.

At a time when devices all have blue tooth in them to collect data and monitor all sorts of things, where they passed into law requirements to install remote access shut down in new vehicles, I am continually surprised how many people just shrug and can't think of the downsides. Pushing a button on a phone is so much easier than walking to turn off a valve.
All you have to do for this convenience is allow remote access to someone else to remotely shut your water off, whenever they want, all the while collecting data on how much you use.
People buck at the idea of putting an insurance company device in their car to monitor their driving, but are fine with allowing a corporation the ability to turn off their water.

I'm in Iowa, like you good ground water supply.
I am though in town so we are on city water. Our meters used to be read by someone on foot.
Now we have electronic readers that the city guys can sit in the pickup and read the meter.
Things keep evolving and for sure it's not always for the best. But that horse is out of the barn. Unless your off the grid and strictly solar or wind for electric everyones water can be shut down with a phone app or computer.

 

[Splangj]

I always shut off my water and gas when I leave home for a trip. I have all stainless braided lines everywhere, except the factory plastic tubing on the back of my fridge. I’ve installed a few of those water shut down valves, and so far no problems. I also installed these metal nut toilet supply lines in my home. I was just leaving when the big plastic nut split and began flooding. My truck is stocked only with these lines.

 

[Hey-O]

As a licensed plumber, I think it is a good idea. I have installed several of those exact units. All have been in vacation homes where the owner is only there a few months a year.

My electric company wants to give me a free nest thermostat so they can regulate my electric consumption during peak times. I'm the only one that controls what I go. I send the money, you send the electric.

 

[BB BELLA]

have been coming back to this forum recently and saw this thread!
you shouldn't be shutting your water heater down! bacteria breeding ground for legionella ! most people say I'm not drinking it but just an inhaled droplet from the water can make you very ill!
I serviced cooling towers in the past.
We recently had a few cases of the disease in town! first thing I did was look to see if there was any cooling towers in operation nearby, sure enough the new ice rink complex had one and that's where they found the issue! I think there was a death related to the issue with over 20 infected! normally it's 10% fatality!
leave your water heater on or drain and sterilize

 

[Fran Blacker]

Thermostat/ water shut off I'm OK with as long as I'm the ONLY one controlling them. Last year had a plastic water filter crack apart on my 3/4" main (no filter in it) we were home. Took about 3 mins to shut it down. It was in my furnace room next to garage so 99% of water went in garage. No water in play garage.

 

[GetX'd]

I do get the OP’s concerns on such a device and it being monitored by some snake company/utility etc. But frankly at the end of the day if some black hat party like big bro wants to shut off your water, electricity or gas they have all the access they need or could want already and have had for many years. Like the brother from Iowa stated in his post - “That horse has already left the barn”. I too kind of like the idea of a remote shut off so I don’t have to crawl all over the house shutting off every valve we have. I do see the convenience and don’t see the harm.

 

[YY1]

The only reason the water company doesn't have a remote shut off valve at your meter, is that it's in their financial best interest for you to have a leak ;)

 

[kiwigtx]

I am a little surprised at how accepting these responses are to having a corporate third party real time monitor water consumption data on your property, and allowing them access to turn it off whenever they wish.

I guess I have a different perspective living in a state with no water issues, on rural land with my own well and no meter with some city telling me how much water I used or putting restrictions on it.

At a time when devices all have blue tooth in them to collect data and monitor all sorts of things, where they passed into law requirements to install remote access shut down in new vehicles, I am continually surprised how many people just shrug and can't think of the downsides. Pushing a button on a phone is so much easier than walking to turn off a valve.
All you have to do for this convenience is allow remote access to someone else to remotely shut your water off, whenever they want, all the while collecting data on how much you use.
People buck at the idea of putting an insurance company device in their car to monitor their driving, but are fine with allowing a corporation the ability to turn off their water.

I guess the downside you were hoping for is that Big Brother can shut your water off at will.....like when you don't pay your water bill on time.

We had a near disaster a couple of years ago when a leak inside the garage coming off the main incoming wtare feed developed a hole. I was getting ready for a shower when I heard a hissing sound, and I knew that the toilets were not refilling at that time. I checked and found the front of the garage wet, and water flowing out the cavity at the bottom course of bricks outside. Fortunately I was able to shut of the water quickly, and called my Plumber friend - on a Saturday morning at that. He came over a hour later and sorted this out easily by swapping over to a new feed pipe that I had laid in a trench a couple of years earlier as a backup.

Long story short, the water was back on by lunch time, and my wife and I made it to the wedding that we were going to on time.

WARNING ***** Colourful language in video....



Should have heard the first one.

 

[kiwigtx]

The only reason the water company doesn't have a remote shut off valve at your meter, is that it's in their financial best interest for you to have a leak ;)

A couple of years ago our city faced water shortages and restrictions......telling people to restrict showers to 4 minutes.....all the while, the pipe network is ancient and perforated everywhere, causing thousands of mini-springs to pop up in many areas. The infrastructure had been poorly maintained (reads as not maintained) and the profits had been wasted on stupid projects like Electric Trainsets for weirdo Mayors trying to make a mark on the city.

Oh, and the greenies wouldn't allow any more catchment dams to be constructed to alleviate future shortages because it might be harmful to a handful of left-handed blue frogs with three eyes. Three of the city dams in the hills were purging water for months as they couldn't cope, and their pipework was broken, causing flooding to many residents in the area....but that's OK.

Last year there was not a hint of water shortages.....we barely had three sunny days in a row all year until late November.