I'm working w\ my plumbing contractor in the house we just bought to have a shutoff added inside the house, currently the only shutoff is at the curb about 300 feet away.
I've read that Dome (DMWV1) works natively w\ Hubitat, and that others have the LeakSmart. I think the Flo looks more like something that someone without an home automation (eg. HE, ST, Vera etc..) might use, but I'm looking for suggestions.
Does anyone have experience with Dome vs. Flo vs. LeakSmart? The LeakSmart looks the most robust in terms of size and ability to move even the most stubborn valve, moreso than the Dome. And Flo just looks to be the most expensive and difficult to replace in the event of a valve failure \ problem...
I have had the Leaksmart for a long time. Works well. The Sinopé also looks like a nice unit. There are also z-wave ball valves from Homeseer/Fortrezz/Watercop that apparently work well.
I have a WaterCop and have excellent luck with it. I chose it because mechanically it's very robust. When I installed it the robustness was obvious in the valve and the mechanical drive unit.
If I were in your place I would add both a manual valve and a Zigbee / Z-Wave controled valve. When water is squirting out somewhere requiring manual shutoff an easy to access manual valve will be very handy.
Agreed, this is what my Leaksmart setup looks like. I have a bypass to turn water on if the LeakSmart is stuck in the off position, and another manual valve to turn the water off if the LeakSmart doesn’t shut.
I’ve never had to use either yet in 6 years. This photo is old - from when the LeakSmart was installed - that’s why the copper isn’t oxidized. I also have a relatively water-proof box that fits over the whole setup.
I have a z-wave WaterCop on my parents house that becomes unresponsive and I would not trust it unless you power cycle it like some other people on this forum have mentioned. I also have a Dome that works well. If you have a quarter turn valve already I would suggest going with the Dome since it uses the existing plumbing.
I was going to ask if this was recommended, since I really dont want to be at the mercy of the machines when the uprising occurs ... or when the valve \ device is stuck.
Bear in mind that it can be stuck in the on or the off position. And should that happen, it is useful to have a bypass loop with a manual valve as well as a manual valve in line with the automated valve.
I installed the dome shutoff a few months ago because it was native to ST and Hubitat. Pairing was a huge pain both times but there's a secret trick to HOW you click the button 3 times.
It's very responsive and works with any leak trigger or voice command.
I researched FLO but it turned out not to be what I really wanted/needed and there was a subscription for data and it wasn't native to ST, so I decided against it.
Wow you're even more conservative than I am I didn't even think of a bypass valve. However I'm confident I can get the valve open if it is stuck closed. And I won't be rushed as when water is leaking.
Another difference, my valves are in the basement protected from the environment.
defn: basement, a below ground structure, usually concrete. Possible when you can dig down a foot or so and not have water filling the hole
I've read about that problem. It seems WaterCop made some special units for ADT. These units don't play well with normal HA hubs.
I have RM rules that check once an day that the connection between the hub and WaterCop is active.
I test once a week that the valve will close and then reopen. I've not lost communication once since its been installed.
You must live in a really warm area to have exposed water lines. Where I live in northern Illinois, all piping needs to be buried a minimum of 42".
Although my outdoor faucets have self-draining construction to prevent freezing, I still had a line freeze in the far corner of my basement one year. Now I have a temperature sensor located in that corner to alert me if the temperature approaches freezing.
But take care to run a low-voltage wire back to your "equipment rack", and power the WaterCop from the battery backup, as it is no help at all to have the darn thing "work flawlessly" except in the scenario where the valve is truly, badly needed, like the one where a hurricane or freak tornado comes through, takes power down, and sends a tree through the roof, shearing off several pipes. So, hub and watercop want to be "alive" at all times. So they can DO SOMETHING in a worst-case scenario.
And it can happen to you - read the news reports about what happened in Naperville (outside Chicago) last week. Serious tornado well outside the normal range of these beasties. My places are all in hurricane-prone locations, so "batten down the hatches" is an actual Hubitat condition, and why I have a sensor on EVERY window.
I feel for you. I live in Connecticut and we live in a local valley (i.e. a good size hill to our north). SO we're reasonably protected. I see the carnage in the news and am horrified of the damage to peoples lives.
California fires are bad as well.
I didn't even think of a bypass valve. However I'm confident I can get the valve open if it is stuck closed. And I won't be rushed as when water is leaking.
