Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, there festers a nagging worry that a pipe might leak or a hose might break when I’m not home. The thought of water spewing all over my house and laying waste to a place I hold dear makes me cringe.
That’s why I find leakSMART intriguing.
LeakSMART promises to detect water leaks or pipes that are close to freezing, shut off the main water supply and notify the homeowner via a smart device, all in less than five seconds. The system’s creator, Bedford’s Waxman Industries, introduced the system at CES 2015, the international consumer electronics trade show going on through Friday in Las Vegas.
The wireless leakSMART system consists of sensors that monitor temperature and water, a detection hub and a valve that attaches to your main water supply. You set the sensors on the floor near appliances and plumbing fixtures that could leak. If one of the sensors detects a problem, it sends a signal to the hub, which in turn activates the shutoff valve and notifies you.
The video below explains it more fully.
The shutoff valve has been available for a while as an option for Lowe’s Iris smart home network, but the entire leakSMART system is new, company spokeswoman Ann Poston said.
Waxman Industries has yet to determine the cost or where leakSMART will be sold, Poston said. However, she expects the system to be available for preorder in the coming months and in stores by the end of March.
