By Tim Gentry , REALTOR, Blue Ridge Realty & Investments, LLC
Water is one of the most valuable resources on the planet. If you’re familiar with the rule of threes you know that the human body can go (roughly): three minutes without air, three days without water and three weeks without food. Using that metric, water is second only to air in importance to the lives of human beings. You know the kind of difference water can make to your body (after a run or after a few too many adult beverages) and a plant (I swear I wasn’t trying to kill you…I just kept forgetting to water you! Drink up!) and the flammability of the surrounding landscape. We use water to clean (our environment and our bodies) and we use water to cook (have you ever considered the magic that happens when water is applied to a potato to first clean it, then to cook it?). Water, in short, is life.
On the flip side of that, water is also the most destructive force on earth. Left unchecked, over time, a trickle of water can create a terrible calamity (never forget, the Grand Canyon was created by water). Many homes that have suffered a fire end up having more water damage than smoke or burn damage.
An unchecked leak in your home can lead to disaster; not just costing you a lot of money (plus the time and trouble of overseeing repairs) but also the potential loss of sentimental and irreplaceable items. Plus there is always the safety and environmental concern of what a leak or flood might leave behind to grow.
While we tend to think of broken pipes as a major cause for leaks there are many other things that can cause water leak: clogged lines, broken seals, excess water pressure, loose connections, broken valves, just to name a few. Refrigerators are responsible for almost as many leaks as dishwashers.
However, there are now smart water leak detectors that, well. detect leaks. The good part of this is obvious: once you know there is a leak you can cure the issue before it becomes an ISSUE.
There are a variety of systems that can be purchased ranging from $29 to $499 to one that was “customizable” and did not have an available price, but offered a free quote.
Most of these systems use smart technology and notify your phone of a problem (some even have physical alarms that will sound off). There are some of the more complex systems that have the ability to shut off water valves to prevent further leaking/damage. There are whole home systems (which are recommended to be installed by a professional) and stand alone systems where a single sensor is placed in a potential trouble spot. Many of these also send freeze alerts and a few even send high humidity alerts.
Amazon has a variety of options for these systems and if you talk to your favorite plumber or handyman, she or he probably has an opinion about the best one suited to your needs. When you think of all it could save, the systems are a relatively small investment of both time and money.
A water detection system or sensors are a great way to keep water (and worry) at bay!
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