Installing smart leak detectors in your home is a great way to get notified of an issue with your plumbing system or appliances. Knowing about a leak before it turns into something more serious helps you avoid plumbing emergencies and protects your home from water damage. Discover more about nine advantages of letting Hope Plumbing, Heating and Cooling install a smart leak detector in your home today.
What Do They Do?
Smart leak detectors are small, battery-powered tools that notify you when there’s a leak in the area in which they’re placed. Some also notify you if temperatures drop near 32 degrees Fahrenheit and your pipes are at risk for freezing, which can help prevent a burst pipe. They’re typically connected to your Wi-Fi network, allowing for remote monitoring through an app on your smartphone.
Smart leak detectors are a great way to gain peace of mind by knowing what’s going on with the condition of your plumbing and water-using appliances at your home at all times. They’re a popular choice for homeowners who want to be more proactive and protect their property from water damage, mold, and other bacterial growth.
1. Remote Monitoring
Many smart leak detectors offer remote monitoring, allowing you to keep track of your home’s condition even if you’re not home. This can be a particularly great feature for people who work outside the home, have a vacation property, or travel often. Being able to be notified from wherever you are means you don’t have to be physically present to learn of the leak or take fast action, like calling a plumber or rushing home.
2. Early Detection
The sooner you find out about a plumbing problem in your home, the sooner you can take steps to remedy the issue. Early detection is one of the biggest benefits that smart leak detectors offer. You’ll be able to see the notification on your smartphone and act swiftly rather than have the leak continue before you find out about it. Leaks, especially those that are impossible to see because of their location, have the potential to do incredible amounts of damage to your home. By knowing about them as soon as they happen, you can turn the water off and contact a plumber to remedy the problem.
3. Automatic Alerts
How you get notified can depend on the device you’re using and the settings you established. For example, you may get push notifications to your phone, text messages, or emails. Some devices may also set off an alarm that will go off in your home if water is detected.
4. Prevent Damage of Property and Belongings
Water can cause a significant amount of damage to a home and the belongings within it. This can be especially heartbreaking if sentimental items get damaged, such as family photographs, heirlooms, and important documents. Smart leak detectors can identify water quickly and potentially prevent widespread damage that can ruin some of your favorite belongings. It may also help protect various other items, such as your kid’s toys, furniture, clothing, electronics, and everything else that may get damaged if it’s in the path of the water.
5. Prevent Costly Repairs
There’s no guarantee that your homeowner’s insurance will cover all the costs of the repairs and replacement of your items that got damaged by the leaking water. If the costs have to come out of your own pocket, you could pay astronomical amounts. There’s also the cost of hauling a plumber to fix the initial plumbing damage if that is the cause. Having smart leak detectors in place is a proactive way to protect your home and your finances.
Additionally, mold remediation is often expensive. Water leaks that go undetected lead to mold growth in your walls, ceilings, and under your floors.
6. Water Conservation
Smart leak detectors can play a crucial role in preventing water waste that can occur when leaks go unnoticed for extended periods of time. Even small leaks, if left unchecked, can lead to significant water loss. Small drip leaks aren’t initially major, but they can add up the longer they go on, which can cause an unnecessary negative environmental impact. Using the detectors can be one of the ways you can do your part to help conserve water for the environment.
7. Decreased Water Bills
Major leaks can significantly hike monthly water bills. However, small leaks can also have an impact. Small leaks can gradually increase your water bills. The worse the leak gets, the higher your bills are likely to increase as time goes on.
8. Reduces Self-Inspection Tasks
Smart leak detectors handle the inspection tasks for you without you having to manually do them, saving you time and effort in the process. While you can certainly do manual checks if you so choose, it may often be challenging to go room by room on a daily basis and examine underneath each sink, near each toilet and shower, and by each water-using appliance.
9. Decreases Risk of Human Error
Not all leaks in the home are going to be so significant that they’re easy to spot quickly. Unless water is flowing out of the toilet or sink, it’s possible to miss them when you’re doing a self-inspection. This may especially be the case if the areas are cluttered, such as underneath the bathroom or kitchen sink.
A minor leak may be doing drops so infrequently that they could be hard to notice, particularly if you look quickly. However, smart leak detectors that are appropriately placed will typically pick up on this moisture anyway. They can notify you of an issue and tell you exactly where it is, which can allow you to check it out yourself to see what’s happening in that specific spot.
Where and How Do I Put the Smart Leak Detectors?
Smart leak detectors will come with instructions about how to properly place them throughout your home for maximum efficiency and to increase the chances you’ll get proper notification if something happens. Considering many of them are battery-operated, make sure you always keep the appropriate batteries on hand so you can replace them and ensure they’re working accurately without any lapse of coverage due to a dead battery.
It’s important to place the smart leak detectors anywhere throughout your home where there may be a possible leak. However, you also don’t want to put them where they could accidentally get triggered. For example, don’t put them right outside of your shower where water could accidentally drip on them as somebody leaves after showering nor do you want to put them directly on top of a bathroom or kitchen sink. The ideal place is to put them or underneath the pipes under each sink, such as in a laundry room, bathroom, or kitchen. You should also put them near appliances such as your water heater, dishwasher, and washing machine in case they spring a leak.
Smart leak detectors can significantly improve the functionality of your home. Hope Plumbing, Heating and Cooling offers various plumbing repair services, including leak repairs, if the detector notifies you of a problem. Call today for an appointment or book one via our website for fast service. Make sure to check out our service partner membership, which offers perks ranging from discounts on plumbing services to a free camera inspection.
