Smart home plumbing technology has a lot to offer Louisville homeowners. As other household systems become connected and easily accessible, more homeowners have chosen to make upgrades to their plumbing system to utilize smart products and reap the advantages these systems have for household protection, water conservation, and daily convenience.
The licensed Louisville plumbers of Jarboe’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing share some of the smart home plumbing products available for use with your plumbing system. With these fixtures and systems integrated into your smart home, gain a level of protection and convenience that was never before possible. Learn more about smart home plumbing solutions and how they integrate with your home’s plumbing system and fixtures when you call Jarboe’s today!
Protect Against Water Damage
Water damage poses a major threat to Louisville homes. It’s quite common, as one in fifty homeowners in the U.S. files a water damage claim each year against their homeowners insurance policies. The average claim amounts to about $10,000 in damages. Leaks in the average home waste around 10,000 gallons of water each year.
Water damage claims have increased steadily over the last five years, as more homeowners experience water damage due to plumbing leaks and other causes. Smart home plumbing technology provides means to protect homes against water leaks and the damage they inflict on Louisville residences.
For superior leak detection and water damage protection, smart home plumbing systems use a combination of smart components to find leaks fast and stop them right away:
Leak detection sensors (also labeled as water sensors) are installed in high-risk areas of the home to detect the presence of water outside the plumbing system and water-consuming appliances:
As part of a smart home plumbing system, leak sensors are Wi-Fi enabled and send an alert to the system when water is detected in the area. Typically, they are linked to an automatic shutoff valve that will cut the home’s water supply to prevent major water leakage through the detected leak.
The home’s water main is controlled by a shutoff valve, which, when turned off, prevents water from flowing into and through the home’s plumbing lines. The issue with manual shutoff valves is that someone has to be home to hear the leak sensor’s alarm and physically close the shutoff valve to prevent water leakage – if the house is empty, large volumes of water can spill out into the home before anyone notices.
Automatic shutoff valves, as part of a smart home plumbing system, receive the leak detection alert from the leak sensor via the wireless connection. Upon receipt of this signal, the shutoff valve closes off water flow into the home to prevent water from leaking out.
Smart home plumbing often includes water monitoring systems for comprehensive leak protection in the home. Paired with leak sensors and an automatic shutoff valve, a home’s water monitoring system detects leaks on all fronts by watching water activity in the home 24/7.
A home water monitoring system constantly reads the flow rate, temperature, and pressure of water moving into the home and through its plumbing lines. It senses normal changes, such as when taps and appliances are used, as well as abnormal changes that could indicate a leak. The system notes the change, and homeowners can view this activity via the system’s app, as it may indicate the need for plumbing repairs. However, if the abnormality is severe, the water monitoring system immediately triggers the automatic shutoff valve to stop water flow through a potential leak.
Leak detection and mitigation are great benefits of water monitoring systems, but they also play a role in conservation. The data collected by the system can be reviewed through the app, so homeowners are able to assess household water usage and make goals to save more water through changes in habits and activities.
Since water damage is so costly, homeowners insurance companies like to see the presence of water monitoring systems in the homes they insure. If you install a water monitoring system, your homeowners' insurance company may provide you with a discount on your policy premiums because of the enhanced protection in your home.
In addition to effective leak detection and mitigation, smart home plumbing technology helps Louisville homeowners enhance daily convenience and boost water conservation efforts. These systems collect data and record household water usage, with information accessible through the app portal for review. Self-analysis helps homeowners identify many areas where water use could be reduced for savings, though the technology featured in many systems does this analysis for you, pointing out conservation ideas that can easily be put into play throughout your home.
Smart faucets for showers and sinks are a relatively new technology that allows further connectivity with the home’s plumbing system. These products typically integrate with a home’s smart home hub, like Amazon Alexa or Google Home, for simplified control. Voice commands can be used to turn taps on and off without a touch. Tell your taps to deliver a certain volume of water at the right temperature, and turn off when finished.
With shower systems that are built with smart home plumbing technology, Louisville homeowners are able to improve their showering experience. Turn on the shower at the perfect temperature when you’re ready to step in, adjust temperature and flow rate, even set timers to eliminate long, wasteful showers.
These smart home plumbing taps also track water usage. The data collected helps homeowners closely analyze their water consumption habits and identify areas where changes will create the most benefit in terms of water conservation and cost savings.
Water heaters are a major consumer of energy in the home, behind only heating and cooling systems. With about 18% of an average home’s energy use going to water heating, improvements in efficient usage have a noticeable impact on energy cost and consumption.
Water heaters and water heater controls deliver smart home plumbing solutions for new and existing hot water systems. The smart home plumbing technology connects homeowners with their water heating equipment for effective management of water heater operations.
With spring in full swing, pretty soon lawn watering will make its way back onto daily to-do lists. With smart home plumbing solutions for sprinkler systems, this household chore has never been easier. If you are someone who values a lush lawn, smart home plumbing sprinkler systems are a must – use smart controllers for your existing equipment or install a new smart sprinkler system to service your property.
Features vary between systems, but some of the features users enjoy from smart sprinkler systems include:
As you can see, smart home plumbing products offer unmatched benefits when it comes to home protection, water conservation, and daily conveniences. While not as popular or well-known as other smart technologies for home systems, such as smart thermostats, smart home plumbing solutions are a valuable addition to any Louisville home.
Jarboe’s licensed plumbers help Louisville homeowners install these products and integrate them with existing smart home hubs for quick and easy use. Learn more about smart home plumbing solutions – call Jarboe’s today!