It doesn’t take a lot of money to set up leak detection – $200-$250 is all it costs to set up leak sensors and get alerted on your phone/watch that you’ve got a leak – anywhere you’ve got cell service or internet. Automatic water shutoffs are a great extra.
The bare minimum
- Install leak sensors – any brand. Even if you are out of town, a smartphone alert will tell you if you have a leak, and you can call Bluestone to shut off your water.
- YoLink leak sensors (types I and II): ~$200-$250
- Type I – “hockey puck” – sensor has metal prongs on top/bottom to detect leaks. Put under every sink/toilet
- Type II – “tails” – sensor is a 3′ cable (several can be plugged in together), any part of the cable that gets wet will set off the sensor. Put under refrigerator, dishwasher (if possible), washer/dryer
- You’ll need a hub to “talk” to the sensors and your phone (you can get a starter kit with a hub and several sensors on Amazon)
- YoLink leak sensors (types I and II): ~$200-$250
Better
- Install external actuators for water shut-off ball valves.
- TODO : CHECK THIS WITH NEW HARDWARE – Not possible in many units as the hot- and cold-water lines are too close together. If they can be moved apart by a qualified plumbing vendor, this will work.
- Clutch pin allows manual operation of valve.
- YoLink: ~$420 ($210 x 2)
Best
- Install motorized valves
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- Most robust, reliable solution
- Allows manual shut-off as well as automatic
- May require modification of the plumbing manifold
- YoLink: $220 x 2, worst-case plumbing ~$2000-$3000
Glossary
- Plumbing zone – Rather than each floor having it’s own shut-off valves, in the tower the water is controlled by zones – for example, to turn off the water on the 20th floor, the zone for that controls floors 16-23, so they would all be without water.
- Manifold – If you look at your shut-off valves, after the valve the water goes into a pipe with many smaller pipes coming out of it – each of these goes to a sink, toilet, etc. This is the manifold.