The following contribution is from another author.
Most People know what colours their smart light bulbs are currently. They also know when and how their thermostats are scheduled for each day. But, ask yourself, “Do I even have any idea what is going on inside my pipe behind the sink at this very second?” Most People don’t know this information, as this unknown space is where the large, costly damage begins.
Why Plumbing Is Typically Not Included In Smart Home Planning
Smart home upgrades generally start from what can be seen. Lighting, locks, speakers and a doorbell camera. Piping sits behind the drywall quietly working for years; they generally will not be included in your upgrade list. Damages to piping do not let you know early. When you first notice a stain on your ceiling, water has likely been working against your home for hours, possibly even days.
How A Leak Sensor Truly Works
A small, battery-powered sensor installed underneath a sink, behind a toilet, or near a water heater has just one task to perform: detecting moisture before you can. This device is not high-tech; however, it was designed specifically for the time you are sleeping, at work, or away from home, and a Water supply line begins to fail. Receiving alerts on your cell phone allows you to get a jump start compared to receiving no warning signs from seeing puddles on the floor.
How Much Of A Difference Does A Smart Shut-Off Valve Create?
A sensor tells you that there is a problem. A smart shut-off valve does something about it. As soon as a leak is detected, it shuts down water to your entire home. This difference is especially important during situations that cannot be controlled (i.e., pipes freeze overnight in a cold crawlspace). Although knowing about a leak an hour after it occurs is beneficial, stopping it immediately is an entirely new level of safety.
Monitoring Water Usage Tells A Story
Whole-house water usage monitoring systems monitor flow rates continuously. This appears to be boring until you catch something specific: a toilet running for hours, a drip from an outdoor hose bib, or an irrigation valve left open. These are slow leaks that may not cause alarm, but slowly increase your water bill for weeks. Viewing data presented by the fixture, these trends are difficult to overlook.
Where To Begin With Your Renovation Project
If you are planning to renovate your kitchen or bathroom, this is your least expensive opportunity to think ahead. While the walls are being opened for renovation, ask the plumbers who are doing the rough-in work if they can leave access to install a future shut-off valve and run low-voltage lines for sensors. Installing sensors in the future requires another cut into your drywall.
Plumbing isn’t exciting enough to show off to visitors. However, it’s the system quietly holding all of the other parts of the smart home together. Providing some focus to your plumbing now, while thinking about it, is worth more than many of the upgrades that you will truly use daily.
