Hurricanes and overflowing rivers are not the biggest flooding threats to your home. The most common causes of water damage come from the inside. Broken pipes and leaking appliances cause 14,000 water damage emergencies throughout the United States every year. On average, these emergencies cost the property owner $7,000 each in repairs.
If a water damage emergency happens at your home, apartment—or a rental property you manage—hopefully, someone is there to stop the leak, or you’ve installed a smart water valve meter to automatically prevent a catastrophe.
What Kinds of Damage Do Home Water Leaks Cause?
Water leak emergencies usually happen from broken freshwater pipes around toilets, sinks or appliances. They can also involve leaking dirty water from washing machines, sink drains and toilets. Unfortunately, a serious incident like this will leave no area of your home untouched, potentially affecting the following areas:
- Floors: As water flows downward, puddle buildup will cause damage to your flooring and anything on the floor, like rugs and furniture.
- Walls: A serious plumbing leak can cause structural damage to your walls, especially when they’re made from wood. A minor leak can destroy your baseboards as well, requiring extensive restoration work.
- Ceilings: Multi-story homes could experience extensive ceiling damage if a leak comes from a second story. This damage can also affect electrical connections passing through the ceiling.
- Furniture and other items: Household items are at risk. You may need to replace water-damaged furniture, art, documents and other items after a serious leak as well.
The worst part of water damage relates to mildew and mold—which quickly set root following a serious leak. The smells and unsightly spots from mildew and mold are difficult and extremely costly to uproot.
How a Smart Water Valve Meter Stops Water Leak Emergencies in Their Tracks
At PointCentral, we use smart water valve meters to stop water leak emergencies in their tracks. Regardless of whether someone is home when a water leak occurs, our “Smart Water Valve+Meter” from Alarm.com will detect a serious leak and cut off the water supply automatically to circumvent damage.
Here’s how the Smart Water Valve+Meter works:
- Installs at the main water supply: Install the smart water valve meter at the main water supply for your home.
- Monitors water flow: The smart water meter monitors all water flow into the residence, always watching for large leaks—for example, when the water continues flowing for longer than a typical shower, or when large volumes of water start quickly passing through the meter.
- Automatically closes its emergency valve: If a leak is detected, the smart water meter automatically closes its valve using an onboard actuator. This limits the damage a water leak can cause.
- Sends an alert to your phone: Wherever you are, you will receive an immediate alert to your smartphone, telling you that the system cut the water supply to prevent serious damage.
In addition to emergency leak protection, your smart water meter will also notify you of small leaks, running toilets and dripping faucets. This is particularly advantageous for rental property and vacation property owners, who may not be present to watch for leaks in the properties they own. The system will also notify you if there’s a problem with excessive water consumption at a property and if temperatures have dropped to a level where pipes could freeze during the winter months.
PointCentral: A Complete Solution for Smart Property Automation
Whether you’re a rental property owner or a homeowner, the money and time-saving benefits of PointCentral smart home technology are clear. If you want to learn more about the full range of benefits that come from a professionally-designed smart home system, contact the PointCentral team now!
