4 ms·

About ten years ago I sat through a funding pitch for a monitor that detects sudden changes in residential water flow rates. Cost was about $250/home, and part

by tacon 11y ago

About ten years ago I sat through a funding pitch for a monitor that detects sudden changes in residential water flow rates. Cost was about $250/home, and part of the pitch was that insurance companies would help cover the cost to save catastrophic damage. Apparently washing machine hoses burst on a regular basis, and such an event in an unoccupied home is very expensive. I haven't heard anything about that problem/solution since.

mikestew 11y ago
When our washer hose burst, and the adjuster said it's the most common insurance claim, I asked why the insurance company doesn't just send out new washer hoses every five years. Seems like it be more cost-effective than a $250 device that I'm sure doesn't work as well as the maker claims. And yeah, I previously never gave washer hoses much thought, either. Go change yours this weekend. They're cheap, and a hell of a lot less trouble than the alternative.
- ghaff 11y ago
  Yeah, with respect to water, the simplest solution is probably to have valves that you shutoff. I have them on both washing machine and [EDIT] dishwasher but don't routinely close them. It probably should be part of my routine at least when I go on trips. The problem is that as soon as you introduce control systems, you also introduce new failure modes. What happens when the smart thermostat crashes in winter which probably happens more frequently than a really dumb mechanical one? Of course, it's not like your heating system can't shut down for other reasons as well. It's hard to figure out how to plan for rare failures. Ultimately you probably want someone who checks in on your house because smart systems can only handle so many eventualities. But that's may be costly.
scoopr 11y ago
You can get moisture detector for some smart home systems/alarms, that is installed under laundry/dishwasher. Also that is why all houses at least here have to have faucet/valve for laundry/dishwashers, and that is supposed to be kept closed when the machine is not in use. My faucet in kitchen for dishwasher actually has a simple electronic valve, that automagically closes the valve after several hours.
bcoates 11y ago
Is it common to have washing machines in rooms without floor drains?
- rootbear 11y ago
  Townhouses. I live in one and my washer is on the second level, off the kitchen. It sits in a pan with a hole in the bottom that goes to a drain pipe. That might save me from a slow leak, but could never deal with a catastrophic failure. I do have a shutoff valve and I keep it closed when I'm not actually using the washing machine.

by tacon 11y ago

mikestew 11y ago

When our washer hose burst, and the adjuster said it's the most common insurance claim, I asked why the insurance company doesn't just send out new washer hoses every five years. Seems like it be more cost-effective than a $250 device that I'm sure doesn't work as well as the maker claims. And yeah, I previously never gave washer hoses much thought, either. Go change yours this weekend. They're cheap, and a hell of a lot less trouble than the alternative.

ghaff 11y ago
Yeah, with respect to water, the simplest solution is probably to have valves that you shutoff. I have them on both washing machine and [EDIT] dishwasher but don't routinely close them. It probably should be part of my routine at least when I go on trips. The problem is that as soon as you introduce control systems, you also introduce new failure modes. What happens when the smart thermostat crashes in winter which probably happens more frequently than a really dumb mechanical one? Of course, it's not like your heating system can't shut down for other reasons as well. It's hard to figure out how to plan for rare failures. Ultimately you probably want someone who checks in on your house because smart systems can only handle so many eventualities. But that's may be costly.

scoopr 11y ago

You can get moisture detector for some smart home systems/alarms, that is installed under laundry/dishwasher. Also that is why all houses at least here have to have faucet/valve for laundry/dishwashers, and that is supposed to be kept closed when the machine is not in use. My faucet in kitchen for dishwasher actually has a simple electronic valve, that automagically closes the valve after several hours.

bcoates 11y ago

Is it common to have washing machines in rooms without floor drains?

rootbear 11y ago
Townhouses. I live in one and my washer is on the second level, off the kitchen. It sits in a pan with a hole in the bottom that goes to a drain pipe. That might save me from a slow leak, but could never deal with a catastrophic failure. I do have a shutoff valve and I keep it closed when I'm not actually using the washing machine.