Moens Smart Products May Save You Plenty Of Money…And Aggravation – Forbes

Smart Leak Detector

Give Moen credit. The plumbing fixture company is making the expansion from the likes of regular old faucets, sinks and shower heads into smart versions of those products as well as flood prevention devices.

I have been trying out the companys Flo by Moen Smart Water Detectors. You just download the smartphone app (iOS or Android), electronically pair it up with the 3.5-inch long, 1-inch-thick detectors naming them in the app after wherever youre placing them and set them down discreetly on the floor of your bathroom, laundry room, under the kitchen sink, or wherever water can get to. You can also snap them into the included cases, stick them to the wall, and plug in the included remote sensing disc to dangle down to the floor. Whichever method you choose, thats the entire setup. Then if any of the sensors come in contact with water, you instantly receive notifications on your phone. With the three-pack I tried, I put mine next to a toilet and in the cabinets under two bathroom sinks. The sensor will also notify you if it detects freezing temperatures or high humidity. Trust someone who had to move out of his house for 60 days after a broken $7 water line to the toilet caused a flood: You want leak detectors in your home. They can save you loads of money, time and worry.

Another part of Moens system you can buy is the Smart Water Shutoff. Essentially it hooks up to the water valve coming into your home, and perpetually checks for leaks and vulnerabilities in your house pipes. At your choice, it will either notify you if it detects an event and give you the option of shutting off your water remotely, or it will automatically shut it off for you and notify you. Talk about peace of mind while youre on vacation. To be honest, I wanted to set this up at our home. A local plumber who specializes in installing this Moen product came to the house and ultimately determined that we had an unusual setup: He could install it, but it would require repiping and then adding a power cord across our front porch. I opted to skip. But even he told me that in most every home he sees the installation of the Smart Water Shutoff is a breeze. He said that his customers have loved the product so far and in fact, he installed one at his own home because he was so impressed. Plus he mentioned that some insurance companies will subsidize the installation costs on their homeowners policy.

Moen is also selling smart kitchen faucets that you can simply communicate with by voice to pour water in precise amounts and at exact temperatures. There are several models in the companys product line.

For now, Im just trying out Moens water detectors. I now have this type of detector from four different manufacturers around my home. They all work similarly ringing out a loud alarm when water touches them as well as notify my smartphone. But take it from someone whos experienced a flood: Ill take any help I can get in keeping our home dry.

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Moens Smart Products May Save You Plenty Of Money...And Aggravation - Forbes