Water Damage Happens to Other People, Not Me - Right?

Almost ever home owner leaves their home for extended periods of time, whether it's a weekend, week or even a month without giving their water lines a second thought. They deserve a second thought, damage caused from burst water pipes is one of the most common and most expensive home insurance claims year after year.

There are many locations in your home which are particularly susceptible to water damage for a variety of reasons. Water damage is typically caused by one of two events occurring, pipes bursting causing water to continuously leak from the pipe or floods whether they are caused from toilets left running, faucets left on or even extreme rain events.

Some of the most common household appliances which cause these disasters are:

1. Washing Machines

2. Hot Water Heaters

3. Toilets

4. Dishwashers

However any appliance which uses water and is often left unattended while running can be a potential problem. A good home automation and alarm system will have multiple notification options to alert you when a water alarm is occurring and also an option to neutralize (shut off) the leak. You can also choose from many sensor types depending on the appliance or location you are concerned about.

For most locations and leak situations you would be fine with what is called a "spot water sensor", there are many brands of these and they do exactly what you would think. You place the sensor in one "spot" and when water is detected there it will trigger an alarm. If you would like to cover a large area, for example a room with multiple potential leak points a "rope" water sensor works very well. These sensors are typically slightly more expensive than a spot water sensor but can be strung out in loops, waves etc. and cover a much larger area monitoring for any potential water leaks or flood. The third type of water sensors can be used to monitor for both rising or falling water levels. These are typically used in industrial situations where water levels in tanks or tubs are being monitored.

After choosing which type of water sensor will best help protect your property and valuables the second step is to decide what exactly you would like to happen when a water alarm is detected. Virtually every water sensor has what are called "Dry Contacts" or "Alarm Contacts" as an output. These are open or closed switches which open, or close, when water is detected. You can attach them to alarm dialers, alarm panels etc. and have them call you, neighbors etc. when an alarm is detected.

The second most common application is to have the sensor tied directly into a shut off valve which you install somewhere on your water line. Some systems are designed for shut off valves right at the appliance, I.e. your washing machine leaks and it turns off the water to the washing machine. I prefer a system which has a shutoff valve as far "upstream" as you can go, normally right at where the water line enters the building. This way any leak, anywhere will automatically shutoff water to the building instantly stopping any problems.