The world is ready for these new products that can prevent major water leak damage.

Catastrophic damage from accidental water leaks has been a major source of anxiety for both homeowners and insurance companies. As a result, new high-tech products for monitoring water use and the prevention of leaks are finally coming on line.

Moving plumbing into the home has certainly made modern living much more convenient. But this convenience comes with a very high risk of eventual water damage. To complicate matters, plumbing is not reserved for sinks, showers and toilets anymore. All kinds of appliances are now hooked up to a water source. Refrigerators, ice makers, water dispensers, humidifiers, dryers with steam, coffee makers, steam cookers, dishwashers and clothes washers all come with water hook ups.

More water connections means more risk of leaks

As more appliances are connected to water sources in your home, the risk goes up that something will go wrong. When it does, many times the leak can go unnoticed for a long period of time. A broken refrigerator fill line can spew a lot of water and cause horrendous damage overnight while you are sleeping. We have seen entire homes destroyed by leaks that went unnoticed while the occupants were away

According to the Insurance Journal, water leaks from plumbing and appliance problems account for 20% of the claims filed with insurance firms.

For years HPS has been promoting water control systems for the protection of your home. HPS was one of the first to encourage the development of moisture sensors for use at mission critical areas of the home. We are also an advocate of proactively replacing bad or aged plumbing like corroded valves, old water lines, rubber washer hoses, water heaters over 10 years old etc. We have for years been lobbying insurance companies to support homeowners who wish to be proactive in preventing leaks. Finally now, some insurance companies are offering premium discounts of up to 25% for customers who install equipment for gas and water leak prevention.

Stopping catastrophes

Although the industry is still in infancy, today we have some effective products available for all the above leak issues. Many more products are on the way. One very effective solution that has been tested now for at least three years is called the whole house water flow monitoring system.  Computer based, these “Smart” products  learn the water use patterns for your home and will shut the water main if an anomaly is detected. A company called Leaksmart makes one of these products, as does Leak Defense System or LDS.

Moen is also offering an affordable monitoring system that can detect abnormal leakage and shut down the flow. The Moen/Flo water monitoring system https://amzn.to/392YVAp comes with leak detection and an automatic shutoff valve. It is also a “smart” system as it can monitor your system right from your home via any smart phone.

Typical water leak prevention system features

• 24/7 protection: Turn your water on/off from the app manually, or will automatically turn off the water for you to protect the home from catastrophic water damage
• Daily testing: Proactively monitors the home’s entire water system (including behind walls and in foundations) to identify leaks as small as a drop per minute (e. g. pinhole leaks, etc. )
• Optimized water use: The devices optimize water savings by understanding the homes water use to each home
• Dashboard: Monitor in real time how much water you’re consuming daily and set conservation goals to encourage saving water and money
• Retrofit to existing plumbing: Adapts to 3/4″ to 1 1/4″ pipe diameter (consult a professional)
• Smart compatible: Alexa skills, Google Assistant and IFTTT; no smart hub or system required; requires Wi Fi connection; requires standard AC/DC power connection

These are sophisticated products that will be trusted and relied upon to prevent disasters. Professional installation by licensed plumbers is recommended. Install time is only a few hours for homes that meet the manufacturers’ installation requirements. 

But wait!  Don’t run off and start buying parts just yet. These products must be installed by qualified plumbers. To assure warranty coverage, plumbing materials should always be ordered and purchased by the installer. Warning: There are parts on sale for these products at Amazon but they are often older, early generation products that are at least 5 years out to date. Many important advancements have been made since then so skip the bargains and get the best.

Contact us at HPS if you would like further general information or info on installation.

You can also contact Caroline K. Graham at LeakSmart at (980) 205-5295, or grahamc@leaksmart.com for product specific information.