Water sensors

[hucker]

Last night we discovered that one of our hose bibs had frozen and we had a flood in one of our rooms. We didn't discover it soon enough because the water was under a couch in our play room and we were on vacation by dumb luck.

I wonder if on we shouldn't be recommending water sensors under all hose bibs when the sheetrock is off. I'm kicking my self right now for not putting sensors under each of our 6 hose bibs. It would have been pretty easy to do the sensors and likely would have enabled me to have less damage. Ironically since the insurance covers it the reducing damage doesn't really help unless they reduce my premium...

One thing I discovered is that since we have a two story house shutting of the water isn't good enough since all the water in the upstairs pipes will flow out the leak...thus making a water shut off valve not really prevent as much damage as it could.

 

[mustangcoupe]

One thing I discovered is that since we have a two story house shutting of the water isn't good enough since all the water in the upstairs pipes will flow out the leak...thus making a water shut off valve not really prevent as much damage as it could.

I thin I remember this recently being discussed and someone is using a bypass valve that opens to relieve the pressure, and remove the system water so it doesn't continue to leak...

 

[sic0048]

Good point about the water shut off short coming. I guess to totally prevent the problem with "retained" water in the system, you would need two additional valves. One near the water shut off valve which would normally be closed. This is the drain pipe and it needs to drain into a laundry tub or other sink/drain.

Then you would also need a valve near the high point of the system to allow air into the system which will allow the water to drain.

Of course you can do this manually yourself each time you want to leave for an extended period of time and want the water shut off, but this is cocoontech after all.

 

[Rupp]

Are you hose bibs outside? How did one of these freezing flood a room? Are you on a slab or a craw space? I'm using a combination of the homemade sensors (see post #2 for pic) and these new Z-Wave sensors.

 

[mustangcoupe]

Are you hose bibs outside? How did one of these freezing flood a room?

Unless you are using a "freeze free" bib or also called "frost free" what will happen is the water is only shut off right at the bib itself. thus making it susceptible to freezing, once this happens the soldier joint can be damaged and it will leak into the wall/basement/room etc...

What the frost free ones do is it turns the water off about a foot inside the building, keeping all water in a (hopefully) heated location.

 

[judge_l]

Thats why you need to take the hoses off, to keep from trapping water in the part of the valve exposed to the cold. Sometimes they still freeze though, at least with the water off, the damage is limited to the water left in the line (until spring when you turn the water back on).

 

[mustangcoupe]

Thats why you need to take the hoses off, to keep from trapping water in the part of the valve exposed to the cold. Sometimes they still freeze though, at least with the water off, the damage is limited to the water left in the line (until spring when you turn the water back on).

What I do on my non frost free one is turn the water off inside the basement, and then open the valve fully outside so any freezing it can expand and not be trapped inside the pipe which can then break.

 

[Neurorad]

Thats why you need to take the hoses off, to keep from trapping water in the part of the valve exposed to the cold. Sometimes they still freeze though, at least with the water off, the damage is limited to the water left in the line (until spring when you turn the water back on).

What I do on my non frost free one is turn the water off inside the basement, and then open the valve fully outside so any freezing it can expand and not be trapped inside the pipe which can then break.

+1, ball valve in the garage ceiling, second valve outside I keep open.

 

[apostolakisl]

I have my water sensors go to my elk and trip a water alarm. In this way you know to go look for the water and mop it up before it ruins things too much. I also have the elk automatic shut off valve which works well. Having known someone who had a washing machine line blow out, the difference between having a few gallons of water in your house and 10,000 gallons of water in your house is worth the effort. The house had to be gutted.

 

[hucker]

The hose bib is on the outside of the house of course but the pipe broke in the wall and flooded the room on the other side. I'm going to look at doing some sensors in the wall. Thanks for the ideas. I didn't know zwave had all of those sensing options.

 

[Rupp]

I didn't know zwave had all of those sensing options.

Yes and they are adding new stuff every month or two. I'm waiting for the new Z-Wave Blavk and Decker locks. The Schlage are ok but it's been reported that the B&D's will allow you to actually lock and unlock the dead bolts.

 

[signal15]

If your frost-free faucet freezes, it is usually because you left the hose connected and there was water after the valve and before the outside hose bib. When I bought my house, the faucet in the garage was turned off with the inside valve. I turned it on, and water was pouring out the bottom of the wall. I cut open the sheetrock and found that the builder/previous owner had burst the frost-free faucet, wrapped the burst metal section with duct tape, and then sheetrocked up the wall. Idiot.

I just put water sensors connected to ELK in areas that are likely to get water in the case of a pipe burst or leak. Right inside the house where outdoor faucets go out, laundry room (saved me twice so far, in under a year), and in the lowest spot in the basement near the main drain so it will catch other leaks, or sewer backup.

 

[drozwood90]

Yes and they are adding new stuff every month or two. I'm waiting for the new Z-Wave Blavk and Decker locks. The Schlage are ok but it's been reported that the B&D's will allow you to actually lock and unlock the dead bolts.

Maybe they will also work on a steel door!

That's the only thing that has been holding me back...

--Dan

 

[Rupp]

Yes and they are adding new stuff every month or two. I'm waiting for the new Z-Wave Blavk and Decker locks. The Schlage are ok but it's been reported that the B&D's will allow you to actually lock and unlock the dead bolts.

Maybe they will also work on a steel door!

That's the only thing that has been holding me back...

--Dan

I have one of the level locks on a steel door and it works just fine. Is opposite a wall where I plugged in one of the schlage lamp modules and the communications work great.

 

[TXFlatLander]

Kind of off subject, but I installed the Watts FloodSafe supply lines on all my faucets. They have a valve that senses when there is a large amount of water going through, i.e. busted line, and shuts the valve off. They seem to work when I installed them. Thankfully they haven't been "tested" yet. I noticed that make them for the washing machine and dishwasher now as well. You can pick them up at Home Depot and Lowe's. Adds another layer of protection beyond sensors and automatic shut-off valves.

Also, I have always heard to buy steel braided lines and stay away from the plastic-only ones.

Also, just as a precaution, I shut off the water at the meter when we leave out of town.