projects other than boats

[Scott Danforth]

side note.... but its not about the electricity

My father's place was propane - big 1000 gallon tank. the furnace he put is was a newer 95% efficiency unit (with igniter). he came home from hunting up in the UP 6 months later to discover the igniter cracked, furnace quit working (blinking error codes) and the house was 34 degrees with ice forming in the toilet bowls and tanks

so he kept 2 igniters on-hand and installed a wall-mount space heater with a pilot light in the basement. the next 3 times the igniter went out (because they do) the temp dropped and the space heater came on.

the funny thing is the igniter never went when he was home, only when he was out of state hunting or down here.

The last time it failed was after he passed and the temperature got down to -40 for a week. When I got to the house a few weeks later, I used dad's last new igniter

 

[dingbat]

I am trying to get the summer house more 'automated' so that when we are way things can be monitored.

I got the outside lights on automatic switches, along with a few of the inside lights on old-fashioned timers. I got the Ring doorbell and an Ecobee thermostat control. One thing that I have been missing is a water main monitoring system. I finally got the Moen Flo device installed . . .
.

.
I can monitor it from my cell phone, shut the water off/on as needed and set up alerts for unusual usage, leak detection, etc.

I felt a DIY install was not really in my wheelhouse, so I had a local plumber come and do it. The guy did a nice job with a by-pass line and a drain.

Any idea of the flow rate to trip the device?

I like the idea but don’t see how it would work given the dynamics of a well system.

 

[tpenfield]

Any idea of the flow rate to trip the device?

I like the idea but don’t see how it would work given the dynamics of a well system.

It sort of figures things out based on some general settings


.

 

[Scott Danforth]

or you just remember to turn the main ball-valve off when you leave.

I would question if that moen flow sensor would recognize a typical slow leak..... maybe check to see if it catches a toilet ball-**** hang-up or the ice maker kicking on. a supply line can develop a small leak where it sprays such as small stream that I doubt it would be detected

 

[tpenfield]

or you just remember to turn the main ball-valve off when you leave.

I would question if that moen flow sensor would recognize a typical slow leak..... maybe check to see if it catches a toilet ball-**** hang-up or the ice maker kicking on. a supply line can develop a small leak where it sprays such as small stream that I doubt it would be detected

Check their website for details, but it does some learning of your water usage pattern
. Of course, I suppose if you take a late night shower out of character, it may shut the water off

For now it is shut off .
.

 

[flashback]

I guess when it gets smart enough to tell you to flush the toilet it will have learned you!

 

[southkogs]

I guess when it gets smart enough to tell you to flush the toilet it will have learned you!

LOL ... you get a text that says "someone go jiggle the handle!"

 

[flashback]

LOL ... you get a text that says "someone go jiggle the handle!"

And it's even a group text to everyone in Ted's family..

 

[Scott Danforth]

was sitting in the executive room at home at o-dark thirty...... thinking of this thread...... then looked down and the throne shut-off valves are the ones that are supposed to shut off if there is a hose leak...... those have never worked short of cutting the line. any typical slow leak and they never tripped.

so I added a check list item to the camping trip check list "turn off house water"

 

[Pmt133]

When there is a hard freeze up here, the metering device is usually the first to leak. Granted that is the purpose of a frost plate. These types of devices have helped a couple of customers. Still a small sample size for me to say anything confidently.

Insulate and heat the crawlspace is typically the best plan of action for those situations.