Automatic Water Shut Off Valve
Buyer's Guide

Why do you need an automatic water shut off valve?

Amazingly, most plumbing problems occur when you are away from home. You come back to a mess that wasn't there when you left.

You had a leak detector, you just weren't there to hear it.

Water detectors are great for incidental accidentals like doggy bowl mishaps or Christmas tree overflows.

But if there's a water supply line involved for, say, a water filtration system,

your leak detector must also be an automatic water shut off valve.

Otherwise, wood floor water damage just goes from bad to worse, and quick, (sheetrock, insulation, subflooring, furnishings, heirlooms...)

These cost more, of course.  So, consider these ABC's, before you buy.

Wired Systems

FloodStop for:

Washing Machines 

Water Heaters 

Ice Makers/Toilets/Under-sink Filtration  

This was the first automatic shut off valve I purchased for my home, and have never felt the need to buy anything else.

They run on AC current, but also have battery backup in case of a power outage.  When designing your system, you may be interested to know that extension wires are available,

and that, at the time of this writing, an additional sensor can be purchased and added to double your coverage with a single valve, such as a dishwasher and an icemaker, or toilet and sink.

(So long as both appliances share the same main supply to be shut off when necessary, and that the main supply box has an extra port for the additional sensor to plug in to.)

Whole-House Wireless Systems

Kohler H2Wise+

Smart Home Water Monitor and Automatic Shutoff Valve, Water Leak Detector and Water Usage Tracker

is a whole house/zoned water shut off system, available here.

The ABC's of a
Automatic Water Shut Off Valve

Landlords and Property Managers

My recommendation is to make the investment in automatic water shutoff valves and write water alarm language into your contracts

just as you would for smoke alarms.

The reality is if the top unit has a water leak, so does every unit below it.

And those units have ceilings affected, not just floors. Ideally, we want a water alarm and/or an automatic water shut off valve in place as insurance.

And what's the best insurance? (Just like a best water alarm...)

It's the insurance you never need!

Soooo...

Inspect your plumbing, and hire a pro, if need be.

Update your plumbing, and hire a pro, if need be.

Purchase safeguards like the dishwasher leak pan.

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