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Water Smart

July 19, 2019

By Patricia Gaylor

During the past couple of years at KBIS, we’ve been witnessing a huge shift in how technology can affect the way we live and work. Everywhere I looked at the 2019 show, someone was demonstrating the virtues of voice- or app-enabled technology to pre-heat your oven, peer into a refrigerator or activate your hot shower just by asking Alexa, Siri or Google.

I’m a baby boomer, so I’m behind the curve when it comes to being savvy about technology. Don’t get me wrong, I’m bowled over by how it’s changed the way I work. I just had an entire house I’m renovating in another state measured and drawn into exterior 3D format and had the existing and proposed floor plans created without even a site visit – using a local CAD renderer and Matterport technology. It boggles my mind when I figure out how much time and money that saved.

So I’m a believer, but I’m also still focused on sustainable design and not just technology for convenience sake. To me, all this tech is a golden opportunity to use it for good, but it can be complicated. All of these enhanced products require an extra layer of expertise, no matter how easy they make it sound. Getting one product to respond to a system like Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa is one thing, but when there are several products – some of which are tied into a whole-house system – it turns into a whole other animal.

Saving the Planet – One Product at a Time
I’m doing my best to learn more about the current and future technology, especially since its impact on the home and our lifestyles seems to be increasing at an astounding pace. In the meantime, I’m learning about some new “easy-to-figure-out” products that can conserve water, one of our most precious resources.

Beyond the Water-Sense program, which has been in place for some years now, there’s another side to water-use conservation other than simple water reduction. It’s also the ability to be able to monitor and shut off the water by the sound of your voice. Think about it: Having the capability to stop the immediate flow of water and avoid a potential flood situation is invaluable. I can report this to you firsthand, as my clients and I have experienced a flooding situation not once, but twice in the same house.

The first flood, which was catastrophic (to the tune of over $200K in damage), was caused by a loose plumbing connection that happened while the owners were at work. This pretty much ruined everything from the second floor to the basement, and they actually had to move out for three months until the repairs were completed. The second flood was not so damaged but nevertheless caused them undue stress and the inconvenience of the repairs and clean-up.

At KBIS this year, I witnessed a demonstration on a new product called FLO by Moen, which is a game-changing, home water supply control system designed to help prevent water damage and waste. Moen has partnered with FLO Technologies, and the result is a pretty simple system with a Wi-Fi-connected device that’s installed on the home’s main water supply and connected to your smart phone via an app. FLO by Moen will monitor temperature, pressure and flow within the water supply system and “learn” a home’s typical water habits and spot leaks, some as small as one drop per minute.

FLO by Moen runs daily tests to ensure a home plumbing network is running efficiently. It continuously checks for leaks and potential vulnerabilities in your pipes, and automatically shuts off water to your home in the event of catastrophic failure.

It’s estimated that an average household’s leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, according to the EPA. If there’s a leak detected, the homeowner will be alerted via their phone, giving them the opportunity to handle the situation right in the home, or if they’re not there, remotely shut off the water main from their phone to protect the home from more serious damage. FLO by Moen also has a dashboard that will list your daily water consumption, giving you the exact number of gallons you’ve used.

Voice and touch-activated technology for kitchen faucets has been around for a short time, and I find it to be a cool feature but not one that’s necessarily “green.” But now, having the capability to measure out exact amounts of water without running the tap more than necessary is a great way to save water, as well being able to ask to shut off the water if someone leaves it running. Most smart faucets will shut off after four minutes of running anyway, voice activated or not. So that’s a great safety feature.

We are fortunate to have access to each other and the world through technology; it has had an immeasurable impact on our lives. Technology as a convenience is great, but discovering ways to utilize technology to create a more sustainable world can be the real benefit.

Delta has paired with Amazon’s Alexa to create a voice-activated faucet that doesn’t even require the use of a smart phone app. Available only through Amazon and utilizing its Alexa voice-activated technology,  you can “ask” the faucet to activate or shut off or for a precise, measured pour of water. You can also customize individual measured pours that will fill your water bottle, dog’s dish or coffee pot. It still features touch activation when desired.