Smart water shut off

[YY1]

Why do you have two screen/storm doors right next to each other?

 

[1967coronet]

Why do you have two screen/storm doors right next to each other?

In and out ?
His and hers ?

 

[kiwigtx]

Why do you have two screen/storm doors right next to each other?

Who?

 

[RemCharger]

Windows.
Watch the video!!

 

[BB BELLA]

if your on a well, you can buy a well pump pressure switch that will shut the pump down if pressure falls below 20 lbs. at least it won't keep pumping until you come home! if it's minor leak it will likely keep pumping but a broken pipe or failed connection would shut it down!
you can identify one by having a lever on the side you need to hold it up until min. pressure is achieved!
greatest thing since sliced bread!

 

[Ron H]

A friend of a friend who admits to being inept with anything mechanical, plumbing, etc. decided to try a repair on his kitchen faucet…NOT realizing the water supply should be shutoff. Yep, during his repair the water came bursting and NOT knowing how to shutoff the water, underneath the sink, or main. He called a friend who didn’t answer his phone, and then another. Meanwhile the water is flowing. $30,000 in damage.

Led me to rethink what my wife and single daughters in their houses, know about shutting the water off. In my case, it was a conversation over a span of years and how well they remembered it. Well, it appeared as not enough! Lol, the reply my question shouldn’t be another question. Walked them over to the valves having them close them and open. If closing for some repair, open up a faucet, in my case the basement utility sink, and leave it open when shutting off the main. Close it after the supply has been re-opened until water is flowing freely through it.

My assumptions had been inadequate! Recently had a leaking toilet water valve on the 2nd floor. Getting to the 2nd floor shutoffs (H & C) are not quick or easy needing a ladder to reach them btw the joists and finagling behind HVAC ducting. Ok, I know where they are; but I’m the only one. So, if I’m not at home, shut the main off. My wife isn’t so nimble anymore, so I nixed trying to do coaching on shutoff of local valves under the cabinets and behind toilets. Thing about some water valves never closed or opened for years – they can leak like crazy when messing with them.

 

[Moms68]

I think everyone should have a ball valve, not a gate valve, on their main water supply line. This could easily be closed when you're away from home for an extended period. The only issue would come if you are running hot water boiler with an automatic fill valve.

I also recommend shut off valves for the washing machine, and to replace toilet supply lines every 5 years (replace with braided SS). Plastic water supply lines should never be used for ice makers etc.

 

[YY1]

Windows.
Watch the video!!

OK, sure looked like doors the first time, being that close to the ground.

 

[GetX'd]

A friend of a friend who admits to being inept with anything mechanical, plumbing, etc. decided to try a repair on his kitchen faucet…NOT realizing the water supply should be shutoff. Yep, during his repair the water came bursting and NOT knowing how to shutoff the water, underneath the sink, or main. He called a friend who didn’t answer his phone, and then another. Meanwhile the water is flowing. $30,000 in damage.

Led me to rethink what my wife and single daughters in their houses, know about shutting the water off. In my case, it was a conversation over a span of years and how well they remembered it. Well, it appeared as not enough! Lol, the reply my question shouldn’t be another question. Walked them over to the valves having them close them and open. If closing for some repair, open up a faucet, in my case the basement utility sink, and leave it open when shutting off the main. Close it after the supply has been re-opened until water is flowing freely through it.

My assumptions had been inadequate! Recently had a leaking toilet water valve on the 2nd floor. Getting to the 2nd floor shutoffs (H & C) are not quick or easy needing a ladder to reach them btw the joists and finagling behind HVAC ducting. Ok, I know where they are; but I’m the only one. So, if I’m not at home, shut the main off. My wife isn’t so nimble anymore, so I nixed trying to do coaching on shutoff of local valves under the cabinets and behind toilets. Thing about some water valves never closed or opened for years – they can leak like crazy when messing with them.

Sorry Mr Enept here too. Got to ask a dumb question just so I’m sure. When we’re away from home for a period of time on vaca or the like - We live in a condo association - is it just as simple for me to shut off the main water supply outside my garage and that will take care of anything bursting etc while gone? Meaning if so then I don’t have to go around the entire home and shutoff all the individual valves before leaving? I can already hear you guys chuckling……

 

[Detective D]

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.

I have a well, with electric. There is no meter. If I let it, my pump can run forever and I can turn a hose on and make a lake if I felt like it and no one can tell me otherwise.
As for off grid.....
All I need is a propane generator to run the pump.
Or a gasoline one for that matter.
It's not off grid, it's a common back up generator.

 

[furious70]

Sorry Mr Enept here too. Got to ask a dumb question just so I’m sure. When we’re away from home for a period of time on vaca or the like - We live in a condo association - is it just as simple for me to shut off the main water supply outside my garage and that will take care of anything bursting etc while gone? Meaning if so then I don’t have to go around the entire home and shutoff all the individual valves before leaving? I can already hear you guys chuckling……

Shut the main off and open up the lowest level faucet and let it run the water in the pipes out.

 

[moparedtn]

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.

This is of course true. I had that happen once when the water company shut down the line a quarter mile from the
house to repair it. It's all uphill from there to the house, so when they opened the line, the whole house drained
back to them - and my water heater, now emptied, burned out the elements in short order.

 

[furious70]

I work for a home warranty company and the big insurance companies are getting more interested in these devices to protect against claims. I think it's close to $2B in non weather related water damage claims annually.

 

[Detective D]

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.



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



Should have heard the first one.

I don't have a water bill. I don't have a meter.
Apparently I am an extreme minority on this board that has a private well on my property. Seems odd where I live given how many old farms are around, but I guess I could look at various census maps or voting maps and this is logical.

Now, they could shut my electricity off. Then my pump won't run.
A bad thunderstorm can do the same, which is why a common back up generator can defeat all of this.
A 100 year old design mechanical safety switch can do the same thing for me as this "internet of things" spy device can.

The electric meter doesn't know where the electricity is going. If it was shut off, it wouldn't know I had a generator.
The phone company can monitor my internet and data.
The electric company has their meter.

That's it in my world. Watching the news about california and this crackpot idea of building a pipeline to the great lakes so they can get more water, all the while telling people not to use any and then stuff like this comes out and everyone happily signs up to allow big brother to establish a baseline connection to tie into social credit.
Put on the smart watch so they can keep tabs on when you sleep and your health metrics.
Tell them what you eat.
Put blue tooth in everything so Amazon sidewalk can monitor your whole life.
Everything leads down the path to control in the name of safety and convenience.

 

[GetX'd]

I work for a home warranty company and the big insurance companies are getting more interested in these devices to protect against claims. I think it's close to $2B in non weather related water damage claims annually.

Retired now but I spent my whoLe career with the big insurance companies. And I can vouch for the fact that water damage claims are by far and away the most prevalent type of property damage claim.

 

[furious70]

I guess I'm not seeing the big brother angle. The city already knows how much water I use and when I use it with the smart meter installed.
You're right, I have consented to that. Option would be to pick up and move to a place with a well. Around here that's pure swamp water. So have to move my family somewhere away from friends and the schools they go to.
And with the Phynn and Leakbot devices I'm familiar with no 3rd party shuts you off.

 

[kiwigtx]

Windows.
Watch the video!!

Thanks..... they are the two side windows in my garage. That concrete was lawn up until about 4 years ago.....I have the windows mostly covered over inside with shelving. Keeps prying eyes out from seeing my stash.

 

[g413]

A remote shutoff is not a bad idea. Also, it might be nice to remotely monitor your smart meter. I have this vacant rental, but I go over there at least every other day to keep track of things.

Story 1: about 2 months ago i get this note on my door telling me I had a small leak somewhere. The City could determine this from the smart meter. Sure enough, I went into a bathroom I never use, and bad flapper was causing water to run.

Story 2, same house: I go over and hear water leaking under the vanity onto the wood. It was a cheap multiturn gate valve. I shut it and the water leak stopped. I go over the next day and it was leaking again, but the damage was much worse - about $13,000.
Several lessons here, but one is to use 1/4 turn ball valves for shutoff and use braided stainless steel hoses.

 

[furious70]

I just had the pleasure of replacing both washer supply valves because of the "they were fine until you try to close them" issue with the multiple turn crap ones. 1/4 turn installed in their place

 

[Ron H]

I just had the pleasure of replacing both washer supply valves because of the "they were fine until you try to close them" issue with the multiple turn crap ones. 1/4 turn installed in their place

Agree, the multi-turn valves suck. And if those aren’t used for years they deteriorate creating a leak when closing them. Exactly what happened to me before taking a couple day trip to visit my daughter. As the kids are gone the 2nd floor is a storage area with some of their belongings. I shut off the 2nd floor toilet and started leaking. So shut off the 2nd floor water until getting back to deal with it. It was a bee-itch. Attaching a new ¼ valve wouldn’t stop leaking, hoping I would be lucky enough to affix it to the copper line and existing crush-collar. The line from the wall is all of 5” and around 3” off the floor.

Didn’t relish having to tube-cut that line shorter yet w/o a way to swing the cutter full-circle. So carefully cut the old collar off using a cut-off disk on a die grinder hoping I would not nick the pipe. Lol, all this on all fours, one arm around the back of the toilet using the grinder. Got it off, put a new collar on, new valve, and braided line (replacing the old solid line). Placed a towel with paper towel on top to detect leaks with my wife watching it when I went to the basement to turn on the 2nd floor water, we were on our phones for communication. She says it’s starting to – leak. Grrr! Took it apart again and determined I hadn’t crushed the collar, despite what I thought was ample tightening force. 10 years ago I’d have likely had more strength. This time got some longer wrenches and a heavier coat of pipe dope and tightened it more. Thing about doing enough plumbing chores, the idea is not getting too aggressive by over-tightening. I had a block of wood and vice-grips on the line coming out of the wall to keep it stable so as not to break that. Success. I kept towels under it for a week checking it for leaks. Next is replacing the downstairs master-bath toilet after several attempts to repair it. Job I should have done 10 years ago.