Home Automation For Dummies

Chapter 9

Monitoring Water Use and Detecting Leaks

In This Chapter

Keeping an eye on the amount of water you’re using

Detecting leaks before they get out of hand

Wading through automated water-monitoring products

In my experience, there aren’t many monthly bills that elicit as much of a jolt response as that of an unexpectedly high water bill. When other bills, such as electric or natural gas, are high, the reason is almost always that you simply consumed more than usual of the resource. But when it comes to water, the mind immediately starts racing:

• Is there a leak somewhere?
• Are the kids taking hour-long showers?
• Is the neighbor using our water hose to fill his pool again?

While each of those is troublesome, water leaks tend to strike the most terror into the heart of a homeowner. You scramble around the house, checking every pipe, fixture, commode, and spigot for that steady “drip . . . drip . . . drip . . .” that causes you to grip your wallet ever so tightly.

This chapter discusses water usage and how you can use today’s technology to not only keep an eye out for leaks (and therefore prevent the subsequent damage), but also how to keep tabs on your daily use of ...