Pipe Break / Water Damage
 

Has anyone ever had a monitoring system like this one installed? I was wondering how you liked it and if you have any other suggestions.


http://www.h2obreaker.com/ProductFeatures.html

Just wondering what type of failure you are anticipating. The only failure I might think about would be a rupture of an "old" Washing Machine hose. Replace the hoses every few years and you should be fine. BTW: Don't forget to hook up a Ground wire from the washing machine to the copper pipe behind the faucet that the hoses are connected to. (To prevent galvanic corrosion at the metal hose connection.)

One other thing I just thought of: The way this valve works.... you must turn your faucet ON..then OFF, then ON again to get steady flow for normal use. Herein I see a problem with the washing machine which draws water according to its OWN programing..automatically. I wonder if there is some kind of programming for the Valve to "work around" this, since the washing machine isn't human and doesn't know about the ON..OFF..ON required by the Valve. The Valve is on the Main Feed for the entire house.

$750 seems a little steep for a solenoid valve..even with a "controller". For some reason I would think such a Valve would cost just a little more than heating system Zone Valve. I would NOT consider using a "Polymer" valve. :look: NB

We just turn the water off when we are away from either home for overnight or longer.

R2B

A co-worker just had a major break at the toilet while on vacation and had a huge amount of water damage. You would not have to do the on-off thing as it monitors how huch water is used and for a set amount of time. The washer never constantly runs enough to go over this setting. The only issue might be like watering your lawn or a kid that showers for ever. I can continually go in the basement and shut off the main but who wants to do that all the time?

Solenoid valve
 

We installed a solenoid valve in the basement close to where the water comes into the house. The switch is on the wall in the hallway, next to the furnace shut off. We flick the switch on when we arrive....and switch it off when we leave. I don't recall how much it costs, but I'm pretty sure is was around $50 or so. BIL installed it, works flawlessly.

Thanks now there's a thought.

At the lake we turn the breaker off for the water pump and water heater when we leave. At home we turn off the water to the fridge (ice maker and water dispenser) and always turn off the washing machine water even when we are home.

Problem with me at home when we (wife and I) go somewhere there's still at least one "kid" at home on and off so killing the main in the basement isn't an option. I was just scared and have been thinking about it when I hear horror stories of breaks when nobody is home. In NH various family uses the house and the main shutoff (usually) gets shut when it's empty. Hey for me something will always break when nobody is around, that's my luck. Like I tell people my snowthrower has never yet let me down in the summertime. :D