Imagine you’re on a three-week Mediterranean cruise, and you come home to a burst pipe that has flooded your primary bathroom, soaked through the floors, and destroyed surrounding rooms as well. Water damage is every homeowner’s worst nightmare, but smart water shutoff valves are a recent innovation that will help prevent many water-related catastrophes in the future!

Moen Flo Smart Water Monitor & Shutoff

What is a Smart Water Shutoff Valve?

A smart water valve is a device installed at the point where the water line enters your house. It monitors water flow and pressure to detect issues like running toilets, frozen pipes, or persistent leaks. You can even set the system to automatically shut off water to the rest of the home when it detects leaks. Smart valves will catch most of the following:

• Dripping sinks & showers

• Running toilets

• Frozen or burst pipes

• Washing machine hose failures

• Water heater leaks

• Paired accessories can also monitor refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines

If you’ve ever dealt with a burst pipe or flooded bathroom, you’ll appreciate the peace of mind this feature provides! Within just the next few years, we expect smart water valves to become a very popular add-on to many New Construction Homes and Remodeling projects.

How do smart water shutoff valves work?

The first 1-2 weeks after installation, the device continuously monitors water flow, pressure changes, and usage duration to establish normal patterns in your home. Once the learning period is over, the system continues to track your water usage and is prepared to notify you if anything is out of the ordinary.

Moen Flo Smart Water Monitor & Shutoff

Additional Features for the Tech Nerds

If you’re tech-savvy and want to maximize the data you’re receiving, you can organize it by labeling all your plumbing fixtures in the app. Take a few minutes to walk through your home, turn on each faucet, flush each toilet, and label each event as “Primary Bath Sink” or “Guest Bath Toilet”. Mapping these locations will improve your understanding of the data in the app.

Other Benefits of Smart Valves

Of course, emergencies like burst pipes and flooding are rare. Do smart water shutoff valves serve any other uses?

• Drips & Small Leaks - Some smart valves can detect even the smallest leaks — even slow drips over time. Being notified early on will allow you to address problems BEFORE they become emergencies.

• Overuse Detection - Like tracking your budget, tracking water usage allows you to spot overuse patterns. Maybe a teen in your house spends far too long in the shower. Now, you finally have evidence to back your arguments!

• Home Insurance Discounts - Many insurance companies offer discounts for installing a smart valve in your home.

Cost of Smart Valve Installation

Most smart water shutoff systems range from $1,000–$3,000+ installed, depending on the system and plumbing conditions. Considering the savings you’ll make by decreasing unnecessary water usage and insurance premiums, and of course, avoiding catastrophe, it’s a no-brainer upgrade for many homeowners.

Saved by the Valve!

Now, imagine you’re coming back from the Mediterranean. On your trip, you received a phone notification, alerting you to unusual water usage in your bathroom. You shut off the water remotely through the app and called a neighbor to check on the bathroom. A plumber took care of the burst pipe, and you’re coming home to a fully functional bathroom instead of a nightmare situation!

Ready to Relax?

Smart valves are a great add-on to any home project. If you’re planning a Remodel or Custom Home with Ferguson Builders, make sure to mention you want to incorporate one, and we’ll factor it into the plan for your project!