I am a recently retired electrical and IT Network engineer.
I discovered Sense.com when my refrigerator broke down last summer.
Because of where I live in the country, it is expensive and impractical to call a technician.
Unfortunately, even the technicians responded by phone that it would be more cost effective to replace my five year old fridge.
So I went on YouTube and worked out how to fix it myself.
Went to parts.com and overnighted the defective component.
By Monday morning, when the technician phoned back, the fridge was all fixed.

I believe that the Sense.com approach will very soon allow us to get email or text alerts when our refrigerators, or our heating systems, or our well pumps are misbehaving or failed.