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D-Link mydlink Wi-Fi Smart Water Sensor (DCH-S161) $39.99

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 11th, 2019 7:22 pm
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jun 25, 2012
3158 posts
217 upvotes
Winnipeg, MB
I have one of these setup to monitor the sump pump. It has saved my basement a couple times
Deal Addict
User avatar
Oct 14, 2010
1879 posts
1407 upvotes
Barrie ON
Snowcrash01 wrote: This is one of the stupidest things I have ever read. .........There is no way to remotely turn off the water to your house
Snowcrash01 wrote: If you cut off the water supply to a dishwasher while it is operating it can be ruined, it will damage the heating element and the seals.
Well you've scored 100%

From https://home.howstuffworks.com/dishwasher.htm

1) dishwashers monitor themselves to make sure everything is running properly. A timer (or a small computer) regulates the length of each cycle. A sensor detects the water and air ­temperature to prevent the dishwasher from overheating or damaging your dishes.

2) Although dishwashers are watertight, they don't actually fill with water. Just a small basin at the bottom fills up. There, heating elements heat the water to 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Then a pump propels the water up to the water jets, where it is forced out and sprayed against the dirty dishes.

3) The final step in a wash cycle is optional - the dry cycle. The heating element at the bottom of the dishwasher heats the air inside to help the dishes dry.

So to summarize, your dishwasher will not overheat and damage the seals if the water is shut off, because the timer and sensors will limit the time that the heater is on. The heater will also have a thermal switch in the circuit to prevent overheating. The same heater that heats the water to wash the dishes, is also used to dry the dishes. In other words the heater runs when no water is in the dishwasher without damaging the heating element or seals.

Even for your theory to work, someone would have to start the dishwasher while you were away on vacation.
Member
Jun 21, 2009
389 posts
435 upvotes
I've run two of these at the cottage. They die within two years. The APP does not cache credentials either when it upgrades, so you will miss alerts by not realizing that you are not logged in.

I'll pass on the dlink stuff, I switched to battery powered honeywell sensors
Jr. Member
User avatar
Aug 11, 2013
144 posts
193 upvotes
Snowcrash01 wrote: How ever did people manage to live in houses for hundreds of years with running water and no automatic shutoff? The way I look at it is this stuff can help make your life better but you shouldn't try to automate everything either. Maybe I'll look at installing one of those shut-off mechanisms (I may already have the ball shutoff because my main water shut-off isn't a turn valve). If there is a catastrophic failure and we are out of the city (which is uncommon) it will be a matter for home insurance, also our hot water, washer and dryer are also in our old unfinished basement so while inconvenient it would not be a disaster if they leaked.

If you cut off the water supply to a dishwasher while it is operating it can be ruined, it will damage the heating element and the seals. I actually unlinked my ecobee from smart things fairly recently because I didn't want all the connections in one place and I found they were often fighting (ecobee would try to set it one way, the smart things another)
A dishwasher price starts from $500. Water damage restoration may start from $5000. ;)
Deal Addict
User avatar
Apr 30, 2009
2569 posts
750 upvotes
Ottawa
Snowcrash01 wrote: How ever did people manage to live in houses for hundreds of years with running water and no automatic shutoff? The way I look at it is this stuff can help make your life better but you shouldn't try to automate everything either. Maybe I'll look at installing one of those shut-off mechanisms (I may already have the ball shutoff because my main water shut-off isn't a turn valve). If there is a catastrophic failure and we are out of the city (which is uncommon) it will be a matter for home insurance, also our hot water, washer and dryer are also in our old unfinished basement so while inconvenient it would not be a disaster if they leaked.

If you cut off the water supply to a dishwasher while it is operating it can be ruined, it will damage the heating element and the seals. I actually unlinked my ecobee from smart things fairly recently because I didn't want all the connections in one place and I found they were often fighting (ecobee would try to set it one way, the smart things another)
are you still riding horses to get anywhere you need just because people lived without cars for hundreds of years?
and while we are at it, stop using internet, start communicating with smoke signs.

People want and they will advance. We are just so lucky to live in this time and age and see so much advanced tech surrounding us...might as well start using some of it to simplify our daily activities.
IT Services provider in Ottawa area.
Member
Mar 23, 2017
472 posts
604 upvotes
Toronto
golden_m wrote: are you still riding horses to get anywhere you need just because people lived without cars for hundreds of years?
and while we are at it, stop using internet, start communicating with smoke signs.

People want and they will advance. We are just so lucky to live in this time and age and see so much advanced tech surrounding us...might as well start using some of it to simplify our daily activities.
And do your daily activities involve turning off your main house water? Because mine don't...

You don't need to evangelize tech to me, I have a fairly robust SmartThings setup at home that I am constantly tweaking. I just don't automate something that I don't see the value in. I have used that valve exactly twice in 2018 when doing minor plumbing repairs and am fine manually turning it.

I use a different water sensor to alert me if the hose has popped out from my washing machine return (I have an old style wash basin beside it with a return for the hose but its not super tight) which popped out and flooded a couple of times. I don't want or need that to turn off my main shutoff so I haven't automated that.
Member
Mar 23, 2017
472 posts
604 upvotes
Toronto
Rick007 wrote: Well you've scored 100%

From https://home.howstuffworks.com/dishwasher.htm

1) dishwashers monitor themselves to make sure everything is running properly. A timer (or a small computer) regulates the length of each cycle. A sensor detects the water and air ­temperature to prevent the dishwasher from overheating or damaging your dishes.

2) Although dishwashers are watertight, they don't actually fill with water. Just a small basin at the bottom fills up. There, heating elements heat the water to 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Then a pump propels the water up to the water jets, where it is forced out and sprayed against the dirty dishes.

3) The final step in a wash cycle is optional - the dry cycle. The heating element at the bottom of the dishwasher heats the air inside to help the dishes dry.

So to summarize, your dishwasher will not overheat and damage the seals if the water is shut off, because the timer and sensors will limit the time that the heater is on. The heater will also have a thermal switch in the circuit to prevent overheating. The same heater that heats the water to wash the dishes, is also used to dry the dishes. In other words the heater runs when no water is in the dishwasher without damaging the heating element or seals.

Even for your theory to work, someone would have to start the dishwasher while you were away on vacation.
I will concede I was wrong there, I was always told growing up when my dad turned off the main shutoff to not use the dishwasher so it may be older models or whatever. I'm still not willing to try it with mine.

Someone could turn it off when I'm at home and running it myself if it is exposed to the web. Not likely by any means but I'm still paranoid about a cloud based system. I may switch over to home assistant or another Linux based personal server but that's a whole other mess.
Deal Addict
Sep 17, 2002
1091 posts
477 upvotes
This sensor and a tray is what I'm thinking...overkill but at least water will be contained until leak is resolved. Somone is always home in our place but it's at least to contain/minimize any water damage.


Tray...

Above link is just one type...
Deal Addict
User avatar
Apr 30, 2009
2569 posts
750 upvotes
Ottawa
Snowcrash01 wrote: And do your daily activities involve turning off your main house water? Because mine don't...

You don't need to evangelize tech to me, I have a fairly robust SmartThings setup at home that I am constantly tweaking. I just don't automate something that I don't see the value in. I have used that valve exactly twice in 2018 when doing minor plumbing repairs and am fine manually turning it.

I use a different water sensor to alert me if the hose has popped out from my washing machine return (I have an old style wash basin beside it with a return for the hose but its not super tight) which popped out and flooded a couple of times. I don't want or need that to turn off my main shutoff so I haven't automated that.
Awesome, thanks.
upvoted ;-)
IT Services provider in Ottawa area.
Deal Addict
Sep 3, 2014
1513 posts
2127 upvotes
BC
I’m installing a Dome actuator this weekend. Remotely controlled actuators are used pretty much everywhere except in homes and other similar sized buildings to turn water on and off.

I do see the value in an auto shutoff.

I’ve had two basement floods in the last four years:

One from a cold water pipe that came of under the basement bathroom sink.

One from failure of basement sewage sump pump.

$5000 in deductibles and $50,000 in repairs.
Deal Addict
Apr 4, 2007
4206 posts
1749 upvotes
Montreal
If anyone is looking for a z-wave water valve, Amazon.ca has the watercop controller for $59 (less 8% ebates at the moment). You will need to buy the appropriate sized valve from them (which costs around $80, depending on pipe size). This is a rebranded Fortrezz valve and normally the kit goes for over $500! I have one that I bought elsewhere and it works great … just bought another as a spare (or perhaps for a family member).
9 left in stock as of this posting.
https://www.amazon.ca/WaterCop-Z-Wave-E ... s=watercop
3/4" valve:
https://www.amazon.ca/FortrezZ-BVALVE07 ... rezz+valve
1/2" valve:
https://www.amazon.ca/WaterCop-Water-Sh ... rcop+valve

Yes, with this you have to install the new valve after your existing main shutoff valve, so it's not for everyone, but I believe it is a more robust solution than the clamp-on ones.
Edit: if worried about doing the plumbing for this you could use a sharkbite that will screw into the valve and then push-fit to your pipes. No soldering, just cutting.
Last edited by GT!! on Jan 11th, 2019 5:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Newbie
Nov 11, 2005
26 posts
11 upvotes
I installed a Zooz Z-wave plus ZAC03 valve control You will need a ball valve for it to work, for a gate valve won't work with this product.

I also used some of the xiaomi Aqara water sensor You can actually get it to integrate with SmartThings by using a custom device handler

Anyhow, here's a video of it working:

Relatively low cost solution for flood prevention in your home.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 1, 2006
2716 posts
2392 upvotes
Toronto
Very interesting and useful thread. If I go out of town I shut off the main water supply of the house but I don't shut it off when I go to work each day. So it makes sense to have water sensors and remote main water shutoff for day to day living since water damage is catastrophic almost immediately.
Deal Addict
Sep 3, 2014
1513 posts
2127 upvotes
BC
wesleyjw wrote: I installed a Zooz Z-wave plus ZAC03 valve control You will need a ball valve for it to work, for a gate valve won't work with this product.
Zooz seems to have binned that product. It looks similar to the Dome one...

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