Re: Emergency Water Turn-Off?

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote

> I suppose you could defeat it by unplugging the leak sensor as you
> suggest but I'm not sure why one would spend the money for the unit only
> to disconnect the sensor.

I was trying to determine which one is inherently safer.  Watching the "This
Old House" crew pull a washer/dryer combo out of a Beacon Hill rowhouse
closet made me wince.  I'll bet if they weren't careful, they could rip out
any floor water sensor wires.  I think I'd still prefer the timer unit
because it's hard to imagine too many scenarios where that wouldn't limit
damage more than a current-following control.

If I had a duplex unit like the one I saw on the program I would turn the
closet into a stall shower with waterproof walls and a floor drain.  I've
built a lot of darkrooms in my life and there's only one way to be sure the
spills are contained - the old Sov nuke boat double hull.

There are plenty of homes where even a 15 minute hose rupture can do a f_ck
of a lot of damage.  We need smart water.  When it enters the house, each
molecule is programmed to only flow to approved areas.

Seriously, though.  You've done just about all you can do to prevent
accidentally water leaks but a ruptured washing machine hose could still get
in a few good licks before your system caught it, right?

> I have two other things in place though just
> to do a "belt & suspenders" level of protection:  stainless steel
> braided hoses on the washer and all toilets with copper pipe to the
> icemaker and dishwasher PLUS, a Watercop on the main line into the house
> with sensors at the icemaker, dishwasher and washing machine. The washer
> one is redundant but the Watercop came with 3 sensors.  We travel a lot
> and I like knowing that there's protection.

Whoa, dude, that *is* about ALL the protection you can buy!  That's a level
of preparedness that can only be explained by previous bad experience.

> Years ago

:-) I knew it!

> an icemaker line broke in the middle of the night and flooded the
> kitchen. Fortunately, it was a pinhole leak and we woke up before
> too much damage was done. I hate to think what would have
> happened had we been gone for several weeks!

I had a blown washing machine hose (now I use braided hoses) and woke up to
what sounded like a racehorse pissing on steel shed.  It broke in a
starburst pattern with water spewing in every direction at once.  That's
when I got religion about water leaks.  Fortunately it was in an unfinished
basement, so I didn't get very much religion.  But I'm working on it.

>  BTW, the Watercop also has an output to a relay on my Stargate so I get
> a phone call and an email if the sensors have triggered it.

Too cool!  I thought you were an Omni user.  Can't that do the same thing?

--
Bobby G.