Installing automatic shutoffs is a great choice – if the system detects a leak, the water is shut off automatically, even if you’re out. You can turn the water on or off with your phone anywhere in the world, avoiding having to use a ladder or get someone to help you.
There are 2 types of shutoffs – those that need a plumber to install (ball valves with motors), and external actuators which clamp on to the valve and turn the existing valve. Here are the pros and cons of them (you’ll need 2 of them, one for hot and cold water):
- YoLink’s Motorized Ball Valve ($140/ea. at Amazon). This is a separate shutoff valve, that will be installed into your plumbing line in addition to the existing manual shutoff valve.
- Pros
- Most reliable
- Easiest for you (plumber needs to install it)
- Uses little power, as it’s turning it’s own valve instead of the existing manual valve (some are very stiff)
- Cons
- Expensive – the parts are cheap, but the plumber can be expensive depending on your unit’s plumbing details. Caliber is the cheapest plumber so far (~$700), but other companies/situations will vary (mine was NOT an easy install, so it was $$$)
- Hard to replace – again, you’d need a plumber (may be possible to replace the motor if it fails w/o having to replace the whole valve, I haven’t looked at that yet).
- You’ll need an ACR to do the plumbing work
- Pros
- YoLink’s “EVO” valve actuator ($179/ea. at Amazon). You remove the handles from your existing valves, and these clamp on the valve stem and valve body, and then turn the valve as if you’d used the handle. No plumber required, DIY.
- Pros
- Much cheaper than the motorized ball valve above – less than $400 for both valves
- No plumber required
- No ACR required
- Easy to remove and put the old handle back on if needed.
- Has it’s own handle you can use to manually turn the valve open/shut if needed.
- Has both batteries and 120V A/C power (120V is optional)
- Cons
- Not quite as reliable as the motorized ball valve
- It need to be installed carefully and tightly to ensure it turns the valves all the way off. If it’s not installed properly, the valve might still let water flow.
- Some valves are really stiff if they’ve never been used. This has a massive gear reduction for the motor, but you need to test it to be sure it works.
- You might not have room for both of them, if you’re pipe are really close together or the valves are at weird angles.
- If you use the device’s handle, you need to remember to push the clutch button to free it from the motor and gears before it will turn.
- Not quite as reliable as the motorized ball valve
- Pros
Don’t forget! Just because you added some hardware to your YoLink system, it doesn’t mean it knows what to do – you have to tell it to turn the valves off when theres a leak. Making water shutoff automatic
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