Article from Volume 9, Issue Number 2, 2022
View Article PDF Back to Latest Issue
Water Leak Devices - Spring 2022
By Duane Rohne | Other articles by Duane Rohne | Feature
If you've experienced a water leak, you might be ahead in the water leak detection game. Prior experience of discovering a water leak, cleaning up the mess, dealing with repairs and insurance is not something anyone wants to repeat. Motivation is never so keen as when you’re ankle deep in water.
Insurance Professionals, Condominium Corporation (CC) Directors and Property Managers have all noted that water damage and resultant claims in condos are on the rise. Prevention and early detection are key to minimizing damage and loss.1
Your home is often your largest financial asset. Prudent advice suggests that protecting that asset is wise. Insuring your most valuable asset comes with costs, previous claims for water damage can inflate your insurance costs or increase your deductible limits to uncomfortable levels. Prevention and early detection have always been recommended. A Toronto Globe and Mail article about a condo developer that is addressing the issue head on is a good read.2 Water leak technology has come a long way over the past few years. For a primer of the landscape, here are some helpful solutions.
For the do-it-yourself owner, there is a vast array of detection devices. These devices fall into three general categories:
DEVICES THAT ALERT YOU TO A WATER LEAK BY EMITTING AVERY LOUD AUDIBLE ALARM.
These devices have been available for years and are well-accepted solutions. They are often quite inexpensive. I have surveyed two big box home stores in Winnipeg and found battery-powered devices for less than $20 each.
DEVICES THAT EMIT AUDIBLE SOUNDS AND PAIR TO YOUR WI-FI NETWORK.
These devices take advantage of newer, widely available technology. Again, a survey of local home stores and internet searches shows these devices available from about $75.00 and up.
DEVICES THAT CAN EMIT AUDIBLE SIGNALS, PAIR TO A WI-FI NETWORK, SENSE WATER LEAKS AND CLOSE WATER SUPPLY LINES AUTOMATICALLY.
Some manufacturers may monitor these systems 24/7 from a remote location. These devices are the most expensive, often ranging from a few hundred to a thousand dollars or more. This kind of device might be a strong recommendation for anyone that travels frequently or for extended times. If you cannot close your water lines or forget, this system automatically closes water supply lines as it notifies you of the water leak.3
In writing this article I spoke with Rob Santos, owner of Duke Plumbing. Rob has experience with condominiums and the myriad of problems that can occur within large or complex water systems with multiple units. He told me he has installed hundreds of leak detection devices of all styles for his clients. Rob said water damage is a significant problem, especially with multi-unit living. Your water leak might not remain within your unit, meaning you could be liable for damage outside your unit. Industry experts routinely peg water damage cost averages at about seven thousand dollars per incident. Early detection and intervention can save you or your condo corporation thousands of dollars per incident. Rob said some clients have installed detection devices throughout their buildings to achieve total coverage.
Habitat Magazine has an interesting article about condo water leaks. The article refers to a Toronto Ontario Condo - Thornwood II - that decided to install detection devices supplied to them by a Canadian company called Alert Labs. The devices were installed inside each condo unit and all common areas.
I purchased two detection devices and have placed them under my washing machine and dishwasher. After some minor setup steps and tests, I now receive alerts on my smartphone if the detectors sense any water. Multiple tests revealed sensors can detect just a few drops of water and send the alert to my phone in seconds that also identifies the device and location. My cost for the two devices was less than $70.
One local experienced handyman I spoke with showed me the system he installed recently in his condo. He has 9 detection devices under or near every potential water leak location and two shut-off valves. One valve shuts off water to his hot water tank, the other to his main supply water line. An app on his smartphone paired the entire system to his Wi-Fi. The app uniquely identifies every sensor and valve. He can monitor each sensor's activity in addition to the sensor's battery status. If a sensor linked to a valve detects water, the valve automatically closes to stop water flow and notifies his smartphone immediately.
If he’s away from his condo for an extended time, and forgets to close the main supply line, he can close the valve remotely from his smartphone. He purchased the entire system at a local home supply store for less than $500 and only took an afternoon to install.
A couple of decades ago, a water leak risk management program was likely a mop bucket and gumboots. A modern approach for water damage can now include any one of the noted water leak detection systems for CC’s and individual unit owners.
DUANE ROHNE Condo Owner Director, CCI Manitoba
1 https://globalnews.ca/news/8066391/condo-strata-insurance-crisis-why/
3 Your condo bylaws or rules may require a licensed technician or plumber to install a system that requires a cut into a water supply line.
From Issue
Vol. 9, Issue 2, April 2022
View PDF
