Another option and only $299:
Not sure how to do the cool block link like the previous post
Moat of these devices look like vaporware.
Thatās what links Iāve posted look like when I copy and paste the entire address from the address bar. The thumbnail generates on its own.
Anyone know anything about this?
@Beachcomber I have used both Flo and Phyn Plus, which are both listed a bit further up in the thread. I have not tried the one you linked. However, based on my usage of the aforementioned, I would be cautious about installing them. They are wildly innacurate in my opinion. Hereās an example:
2:02 AM - This was my water conditioner, which Iāve told Phyn about 100 plus times. It comes on at the same time every day. It gets it right for a week or so and then it goes it something else.
2:03 AM - Which is the same as 2:02 AM. This is my water conditioner still. Phyn thinks itās my water SOFTENER which only comes on once every 14 days and always at 3 AM.
2:26 AM - Phyn thinks Iām in the bathtub ā¦ but itās still the water conditioner.
6:39 AM - Phyn thinks Iām using two sinks at once, but one was the toilet.
What I think itās good for is being able to remotely close your water valve in the case of an emergency when youāre not home. Phyn is able to detect major and minor leaks well and I have tested both.
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Curious, why did you ultimately go with Phyn over the Flo? Flo used to have a monthly fee which immediately turned me off, but now that that has been dropped, they seem like the better option. Is your hesitancy just because their ādetectionsā can be entirely off like you highlight, or is there another, more detrimental, reason not to get one, or any, of these water devices?
Basically it came down the following in this order:
- Phyn uses ultrasonic vs Flo using turbine
- Phyn uses Badger to manufacture the product and Badger is well known in commercial construction for reliability and accuracy.
- Phyn is backed by Tech companies while Flo is backed by an OG Plumbing Company
- Phyn was made in the USA, Flo in China
- Monthly Fee
Based on the aforementioned I assumed (we know what that means) that Phyn would be more advanced on the technology side and better suited for exact detection and monitoring.
Good to know. I was unaware that they dropped the fee. I purchased when they still had the fee.
So I would say that a water meter is probably tripple the investment of a Sense (since weāre on the Sense forum). The time to install plus the cost is much higher. I installed it myself since my family owns a mechanical construction company and I was soldering pipe at the age of 8.
Just like with Sense or any other home monitoring device, what is the purpose of getting one? I think everyone needs to ask themselves that. For me, Iām just a huge nerd and I love data. Also for me, there was a small sense of security knowing that if something looked wrong the device would shut my water off. Floods are second worse to a fire and in many places a fire is covered in a home owners policy where flooding is not. I had to disable the auto leak shutoff because it kept shutting the water off when my water softener was cycling which then left me in a mess. I would have to re-cycle, waste water, waste salt, my water heater would go crazy because it detected a loss of pressure. My RO in the house would beep because it detected loss of pressure.
All that being said, to each their own. Get it if you want to geek out on it. I honestly donāt know anyone who regularly goes out to their main and shuts the water off for kicks and giggles, so itās kinda a unique thing. But donāt be surprised if you fall into disappointment over the lack of accuracy.
One last thing. I didnāt purchase it because I wanted to save on water or reduce my water cost. Iām on a well so Sense actually provides better insight into my cost of water than a water meter.
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What caught my eye on the flume unit I listed above was the ease of install around the water meter (literally 15 seconds) and $199 cost.
As I had stuck toilet flappers, I wanted not so much individual detection, but to be warned of something of that nature. Granted, there is no automatic shutoff which could be hood or bad.
However the last thing I want is a service that disappears in a year and my $199 becomes a brick.
See this is where my comment about everyone having a reason for buying into smart home devices. For me I donāt care to monitor something when Iām home (for the most part). My concern is mostly when Iām not home. If Iām on vacation and get an alert for a water leak I can shutoff the water and thatās what I want. As I mentioned cost and water usage isnāt that important for myself. The immediate turn off for the device you linked would be another hub! I have too many hubs already.
If you get it let us know how it goes.
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I would avoid Flume. I had one set up for 1 year and it worked great! Loved it until the battery on the device that wrapped around the water meter ran out. The battery is not replaceable and you need to buy a new unit altogether. Itās not even rechargeable. Totally disappointed.
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They claim the battery pack lasts 2 years.
I take it that is not the caseš¤·š¼āāļø
What does a replacement battery pack cost?
Looks like the new ones do have replaceable batteries which are about $20 each replacement. From what Iāve seen on forums most people get 2-4 months out of a pack of batteries. The common comment is that the 1.5 year estimate is unrealistic.
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2-4 months is ridiculous. Iād rather have the 4 AA battery option.
Hereās a link to the topic on Amazon. Some people even claim 2 weeks to 30 days.
I was asked to shell out 120 bucks if I remember right. They no longer supported flume 1 and gave me a discount to get flume 2. Since my battery ran outā¦ that was my only option.
IF I were to get a smart water meter, I would totally get it for the shutoff aspect. I was super jazzed about the Phyn, but my interest has since petered out. Maybe at some point Iāll get burned by a water leak and get it again, but Iāve since turned my attention to saving more electricity and money that way than water leaks. Thanks for all the great info though!
I had a neighbor that had a leak when away. What a mess.
The leak detection and shutoff certainly sounds good. But itās cutting off all the time that could certainly be a major hassle.
The current Flume uses a battery carrier containing 4 standard AA lithium batteries, and they are replaceable in the carrier. You can order a second carrier, and either use it for quick swap or install both in the unit for longer life.
I estimate a single battery pack with lithiums to last over a year. Of course, if you use Amazon Basics alkaline batteries, youāll get a much shorter time.
You can see the battery pack here complete with Energizer Lithiums peeking out of the carrier.