Re: Experience with Floodstopper - whole house water leak detection

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Jax" <jax@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

> There have been some questions about these devices - I just installed
> one.  We have been worried about water damage in the house we just
> moved into.

And there's good reason to.  Houses that have flooding claims history can be
"blacklisted" and become uninsurable because of the potential for serious
mold damage to occur down the line.  I'm not sure how one goes about selling
an uninsurable home without taking a bath. (Arf Arf!)

> I considered both the "floodstopper" (http://www.a-leak-detector.com/)
> and "watercop" (http://www.watercop.com/).  I settled on the
> "foodstopper" since it had both wired and wireless controls (didn't
> want or need to depend on wireless in all locations - it seemed
> stupid to put a wireless sensor 15 feet from the valve).  The watercop
> also doesn't allow any number of sensors per transmitter.  But, the
> floodstopper is more expensive (both seem overpriced) and seemed a bit
> more professional.  The entire system was over $600!

Wow!  That's a lot of bucks.  My current design calls for the plumber to
install 3 electrically controlled valves.  One is for the main shutoff for
the house water and it will be backed up by the original manual valve.  The
other two valves will control the lines that run to the front and back yards
so I can leave the house water on but insure that no one can open up the
spigots when I am away.  It will also be a poor man's two zone sprinkler
control.

> I ordered from http://www.a-leak-detector.com/ without a problem and
> the unit operates as advertised, very simple to operate.  I used 10
> sensors from the controller and 2 wireless transmitters for those hard
> to reach places.

It sounds like you made the same choice I would in going for the unit with
the most sensors.

> I had a plumber install the valve ($85) and did the rest myself.

Good to know what at least one plumber charged for the call!

> did take longer than I expected to install, runtime wires nicely, mount
> everything, etc.  Since the sensors are cheap and can be daisy chained
> I put them all-over, sinks, toilets, and of course the laundry and hot
> water.  One note - you have to mount the valve horizontally,

That's a bummer.  I'll have to go check my supply line but IIRC, it shoot
out of the cinderblock basement wall and then heads straight up.  Will the
unit not operate vertically?

> this worked for me (by remotely mounting the control box) but it
> could be an issue for some.

I guess I'm "some" then!

> Issues I have with the system; It doesn't have an audible alarm, I
> didn't read the model description carefully and missed this.  So, you
> could have a leak, it could shut off your water and you would not even
> know all night.

That's an interesting point.  I intended to somehow link the sensor net to
my HA system to alert me to the shutoff.

> Since there is latent pressure in the lines water still runs for a while
> after the shutoff.  Also, there is no way to bypass it, E.G. you are
> going to mop the floor or want the water on even if there is a puddle
> someplace.  I emailed them about this and they just said it is as it is.

Hmmm.  I suppose the way to prevent that would be to have a solenoid
controlled "dump valve" that drained into a basement slop sink or drain
tube.  If you hooked it up so that it opened when the whole house valve
closed, the remaining pressure and water in the house plumbing would be
spilled harmlessly into the sink.

> This is a VERY simple device - one transistor and some relays.  It
> should have every bell and whistle for$600+!

The unreasonably high prices (when compared to the relative cheapness of
electrically controlled valves) are leading me to design my own system.
That would ensure I'd be able to add the bells and whistles at some later
date.  Somewhere I read you can make a very cheap (one shot) water detector
from a clothespin, some small brass wood screws, some wire and an aspirin.
You wire the clothespin so that current flows when the clothespin's fingers
touch.  Then, you insert an aspirin to keep the contacts separated.  When
water hits the aspirin, it dissolves and the contacts close.

> So - I do have working leak detection, my wife has one less thing to
> worry about - it was a lot of work and there are some issues.  I
> frankly don't know if I would do it again, I may use the watercop (it
> does have an alarm and, of course, has no wires), or, I may just have
> something make noise if there were a leak.

I don't think it would be too hard to hack into the system you have already
and add a sonalert or two that fired via relay when the valve got a "close
command."

--
Bobby G.