Moen Leak detector

[cbo111]

I saw an Moen advertisement for this leak detector that will send a message to your phone if it detects a leak. Might be handy for the laundry room? There was a code on the website that offers it for $49. Anybody out there try this or something similar?

 

[skyking1]

I got a three pack of audible water alarms for about that much. I have them under the sink and in the water heater tray and under the bathroom sink.

 

[cbo111]

I got a three pack of audible water alarms for about that much. I have them under the sink and in the water heater tray and under the bathroom sink.

Do they send a text to your phone?

 

[skyking1]

That would be a no. They beep loudly and bother the dogs, who amplify the signal.

 

[OldShooter]

Of the leaks that you have experienced in your life, quite possibly none, how much money would you have saved if you had gotten an alarm from a gadget? How many places would you have to put gadgets in order to have a reasonable probability that one would be in the right place for the next leak?

 

[skyking1]

I have had a couple of small leaks that it alarmed under the sink. My roomies had overloaded a recycle bin that then bumped the trap enough. Did it save me trouble? probably. Under the kitchen sink is a classic leak place, with the confluence of pressure water to the sink and the D/W and the drain from the D/W.
When I remodeled the kitchen, I lined the space with roll flooring that I cut in the corners and ran up the walls 6" or so, and sealed at those cut corners. That way a leak would run out on the kitchen floor rather than leak under the cabinet and buckle the wood, etc.
The water heater pan I have not had an alarm from. I do have an old water heater though, I replaced the elements and thermostats and tuned it up, but it could quite possibly hole itself. I'd rather know when that happens.

 

[Zona]

We use YoLink sensors. We have them under the kitchen sink and on the floor in every bathroom. After returning home from a long vacation we ran the dishwasher for the first time and immediately got a text notifying us of a leak. Saved our under-sink cabinet floor, as we rarely open that side of the cabinet.

We like that it will email us so that we know about a link even if we are traveling, so we can ask our home watch service to investigate.

 

[JoeWras]

I've got the B-Hyve system. Really helped me find my recent water heater leak early. It sends a notification to my phone and also an email.

In this case, it was more helpful to me to get a head start on the issue than to save money. I also have a sensor in my attic HVAC pan to get lead time on issues there since it is out of sight. That unit is old and has a cracked condensate pan I repaired. It needs monitoring.

Equipment properly placed in pans can starve off most damage. Of course, sometimes you get a leak that sprays. That's where these sensors help you catch before it gets too bad.

 

[dmpi]

I just have three audio alarms. I have them to protect against a leaky basement. So far...nothing. One area people often forget is the feed line for the ice-maker in your fridge. It's notorious for generating a slow leak that's out sight but can rot your floor boards.

 

[Hermit]

I just received 3 more from Amazon. Four total. One in each bath covering toilet and under sink. One in kitchen covering dishwasher and under sink. One in the washer closet. I need one more in mechanical room covering water heater and water pressure tank. These have 6 feet of thin rope that sends email if it gets wet. It also sends notification on low or high humidity.

One of these would have helped at DD's a month ago. Her water heater sprang a leak and the water ran under the furnace and out under a wall into the carpeted basement family room. The water heater was six inches from the floor drain, but the water went the other way. The new water heater has a pan with a drain to the floor drain. Replaced about 100 square feet of padding. The carpet dried without a stain. A leak notification may have saved a lot of grief and some padding.

 

[Sunset]

I have the homesitter alarm, it cost a bit more than $50 when I bought it.

https://www.amazon.com/Control-Products-FreezeAlarm-Temperature-HS-700/dp/B002MUAIP8

It will phone me, and a backup number if it detects a leak, freezing temp or power failure.
The old one I have works on a phone line, which could be an issue in many folks homes.

It really works, and phoned me at work to tell me we have a power failure during a large rainstorm, which was an issue as the sump pump would fail to work.

 

[JoeWras]

I just have three audio alarms. I have them to protect against a leaky basement. So far...nothing. One area people often forget is the feed line for the ice-maker in your fridge. It's notorious for generating a slow leak that's out sight but can rot your floor boards.

It's more than that with a fridge. An older fridge's internal drain tube can get blocked and this can cause condensate drainage to miss the pan and hit the floor. So, you get double coverage. And yes, the slow leaks are the ones that can really do damage.

 

[H2ODude]

Retired 11 years ago as water/sewer/stormwater utility director; have very deliberately flushed all my knowledge down the drain and not kept up with the technologies. Recently former customer service manager was retiring and came out when they installed latest tech meters at my home as initial test. Collect data every 15 seconds or something like that. Wasn't really making notes but he said eventually they will use this data to alert customer of suspected leaks. FWIW up until something like 2005 the city manually read meters every three months on residential; switching to radio read was a massive project that included move to monthly billing. Through it all, this customer service manager managed to get the meter swap done with temp workers hired for the project and we had not a single news story of anyone getting any obscene bills or other embarrassing phenomena. Savings over using contract was substantial.

Anyway, metering technology is pretty amazing these days. I remember when utilities were dipping their toes in the automated business, trying it with phone lines. Powering the units was the big challenge since most are buried in (wet) ground far from the house.

 

[Fermion]

I read this as a "Muon leak detector" and was worried that there was a subatomic particle I now had to worry about.

 

[JoeWras]

Anyway, metering technology is pretty amazing these days. I remember when utilities were dipping their toes in the automated business, trying it with phone lines. Powering the units was the big challenge since most are buried in (wet) ground far from the house.

What a throwback. A long time ago, in a different world (1990s), I worked on an ISDN project. One implementation was "2B+D". We always talked about the "D" being used for meter communication. I'm not sure any large implementations happened. DSL and ADSL wiped out ISDN pretty fast, and then wireless advanced so rapidly that anything tethered to a meter seemed to be ridiculous.

 

[ERD50]

Do they send a text to your phone?

That would be a no. They beep loudly and bother the dogs, who amplify the signal.

I wish people would include links to the product they are talking about, this looks like it, and yes, it can be configured to text you:

https://www.amazon.com/Moen-920-004-Smart-Detector-1-Pack/dp/B0855BFQCZ?th=1

Will this unit push notifications sent as emails or alerts to your phone when app is not on
Answer: Hello,Yes you can adjust your notification delivery for the system to send you an email, SMS Text, or Push notification. Please contact our Support Team if you have additional questions. Thanks!
By Flo by Moen Support Manufacturer on August 11, 2020

Yes it will. You can control notifications by text!, Email or through your phone app. You will definitely know if there is an issue. By CCNY on August 11, 2020

Yes, they come across as alerts. Love the product and the app. By Spike56 on August 11, 2020

Yes! By John Wolff on August 12, 2020

Of the leaks that you have experienced in your life, quite possibly none, how much money would you have saved if you had gotten an alarm from a gadget? How many places would you have to put gadgets in order to have a reasonable probability that one would be in the right place for the next leak?

I don't see the logic to that. Every place you put one adds to the security you get. It's not like I have to cover everything to get any protection at all. It's not a case of building a 10' fence and leaving the gate open, it more like building a good fence around the most likely places to need protection.

I have one near the water heater (unlikely to cause damage, in the basement near a drain, but why not?). I also ran the cable down the drain about 6", so if the ejector pump fails/clogs, I'd at least get a warning before it over flows.

One near the sump pit (though my back-up pump send an alarm anyhow - belt and suspenders for $10). One near where the water enters the house, one under the kitchen sink, and I plan to add one by the fridge.

I like to put them where they are easy to test, which I do with a damp rag across the sensor - I can put that on a stick for the ones that are tucked away.

I've bought a bunch of these - they are only ~ $12 (I think I got them cheaper) - only an audible alarm, no texting, but cheap enough for me to put in lots of places. If we traveled more, I might be more motivated to get one that texts me, and I just might hook up my own system for that (it's really easy with a cheap Arduino board and a little programming). A BIG advantage of doing my own would mean I'm not dependent on these external services that might go away some day. It just a bit of canned code that I used, for email/text, add your wifi info and email addresses - then just call the email code when you want. Configure it anyway you need.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Basement-Watchdog-Battery-Operated-Water-Alarm-BWD-HWA/100038838

-ERD50

 

[OldShooter]

... I don't see the logic to that. Every place you put one adds to the security you get. ...

Logic is very simple: The behavioral economists will tell you that we humans are not very good with probabilities. Specifically, we tend to overvalue and fear events whose probabilities are close to zero. So the point of my question was to explore the probability that the OP's gadget would ever provide any benefit. The prior is the probability of a leak somewhere, then the question becomes whether the gadget had been installed in the place where the leak is occurring, whether the battery in the gadget is dead, and whether the OP is in a position to do anything with the texted information when he receives it.

As you say, the more gadgets, the more protection. But protecting against very low probability events is not likely to be cost-effective.

We did have a water leak a couple of years ago; a mouse took to snacking on the pressure hose to our dishwasher and broke through when no one was home. Our homeowner insurance covered the damage. No gadget needed.

 

[ERD50]

.... As you say, the more gadgets, the more protection. But protecting against very low probability events is not likely to be cost-effective. ...

Sure, but at $10 a gadget, I see it as very cheap insurance. As with almost all insurance, you really hope you wasted the money - cost effectiveness isn't really the point.

.... We did have a water leak a couple of years ago; a mouse took to snacking on the pressure hose to our dishwasher and broke through when no one was home. Our homeowner insurance covered the damage. No gadget needed.

I'd rather avoid the hassle and the hit to the HO insurance (with chance of increased rates). Sure, it might not catch everything, but I think for the price, anything it does catch is a plus.

-ERD50

 

[Texas Proud]

Of the leaks that you have experienced in your life, quite possibly none, how much money would you have saved if you had gotten an alarm from a gadget? How many places would you have to put gadgets in order to have a reasonable probability that one would be in the right place for the next leak?

Of the leaks that I have had only one would have been where a leak detector would have been. The bottom of my hot water heater blew out.. and I mean BLEW OUT... there were 50 gallons of water on the floor in seconds... we were outside when it happened, just outside the back door and it was loud...



My other two leaks were in copper pipes at my old house.... there were pinholes in the copper and a smallish leak that I saw running down the wall... they were not in a place where you would think a leak would happen...

 

[JoeWras]

I enjoy handy-work, and I do it as a volunteer. I considered going into it part time, but decided not to because of the risk. One nut not installed properly on a dishwasher supply could result in a $30k claim. Hardwood floors aren't cheap.

I prefer not to deal with insurance whether I'm insuring my business, or whether I'm claiming on my homeowners for something that could have been avoided with gadget that costs less than $100.

 

[ERD50]

.... when they installed latest tech meters at my home as initial test. Collect data every 15 seconds or something like that. Wasn't really making notes but he said eventually they will use this data to alert customer of suspected leaks. ...

That reminds me - I need to ask our water supplier about this.

Our smart meters do have a leak detector, but there is no alarm or anything. You need to open the lid, shine a bright flashlight on it (the display is 'solar' powered), and then it displays the total meter reading, current GPM, and a "leak" icon. A flashing icon is water use during 50 of 96 consecutive 15 minute time periods (24 hours). A solid ON icon is water use during ALL 96 consecutive 15 minute time periods (24 hours).

What I'd like is to get an email alert from the water company if any leak detection occurs. I assume this is sent to the water company along with billing info, but I don't know. It's not all that useful when you have to go and look, but I should put that on a weekly list of things to check in the house (I informally do this know, radon water column, look under sinks for leaks (esp those w/o a water alarm), etc..

-ERD50

 

[JoeWras]

My other two leaks were in copper pipes at my old house.... there were pinholes in the copper and a smallish leak that I saw running down the wall... they were not in a place where you would think a leak would happen...

Of course. Or another possibility is a bad PEX crimp in a wall. And so on.

You try to protect the high risk areas best you can. Devices help, but are not a be-all, end-all. Further up the chain there was mention of whole-house detection. I don't know how those work, but I think they are really helpful. EDIT: ERD50 mentions such detection. I know there are also auto-shutoff devices you can install too.

When the water heater blows out, this should be detected sooner than later and an auto-shutoff occurs.

BTW, water heaters are devilish. A friend's sprung a leak at the top, near the water inlet. I small stream shot out in an arc, up and over landing on the floor just past the pan. It was perfect, perfectly nasty. Water detector wouldn't have seen that one either.

 

[H2ODude]

I enjoy handy-work, and I do it as a volunteer. I considered going into it part time, but decided not to because of the risk. One nut not installed properly on a dishwasher supply could result in a $30k claim. Hardwood floors aren't cheap.

I prefer not to deal with insurance whether I'm insuring my business, or whether I'm claiming on my homeowners for something that could have been avoided with gadget that costs less than $100.

I'm done doing things for pay, but do enjoy helping out neighbors who are amazed at my ability to do stuff like sweating in a burst freeze proof spigot or change out a toilet (Really? Yeah, a lot of non-DIYers around me). BUT, the last toilet I did next door gave me pause. Neighbor had stumbled in the dark and broke the tank, dumping ~2 gallons of water all over. He cleaned up, and I told him I'd set a new one if he bought. I did, and then a week or two later he noticed water stains in ceiling downstairs of the toilet. I freaked out thinking maybe I'd misjudged the landing on the wax ring. Turns out it was just the water from the original burst, found its way along all the drywall seams. But, I'm rethinking my volunteer electrical and plumbing repairs based on that.

 

[H2ODude]

What a throwback. A long time ago, in a different world (1990s), I worked on an ISDN project. One implementation was "2B+D". We always talked about the "D" being used for meter communication. I'm not sure any large implementations happened. DSL and ADSL wiped out ISDN pretty fast, and then wireless advanced so rapidly that anything tethered to a meter seemed to be ridiculous.

What sort of killed the phone line was the phone company wanted a buck or two a month for it IIRC. Imagine if it got implemented back then; is anyone using a wired home phone (land) line anymore? Not sure if it went anywhere but there were systems coming out that would read meters w satellite. Long way from meter books brought back to office to enter into the computer! And the complaints about readers "curbing" readings, as in looking at the paper book and guessing what today's likely reading would be and entering it rather than opening the box for a true read!

 

[thod]

BTW, water heaters are devilish. A friend's sprung a leak at the top, near the water inlet. I small stream shot out in an arc, up and over landing on the floor just past the pan. It was perfect, perfectly nasty. Water detector wouldn't have seen that one either.

I had one that was really hard to figure out for a long time in my water heater.
Somewhere in the bottom a leak started inside, where it would basically drip into the 'combustion' area (natural gas heater). Basically, the leak was converted to steam and went out the flue pipe area.

Eventually I figured it out when all my metal stuff in the garage started developing a patina of rust on anything not painted.