Saved by the Floodstop

Just as I was starting to think it was looking messy the floodstop saved me. My wife came home after swimming and decided to soak her swimming costume in the utility sink to get rid of the chlorine. She then put a load of washing on, seemingly unaware that our washer also discharges into the said utility sink.

Beep beep beep. Discharge all over the floor, but at least it prevented a rinse cycle...

I can't/won't install them because of their notorious failures with malfunctioning.

Ditto, I have charged a few people to come and reset their flood safe hoses.

I hate Floodstop hoses

I will have to agree that the Floodsafe hoses are annoying and I would never use them again. Here is my experience.

Upon moving into our new home last year, my bro-in-law gave us his washer and dryer as he was re-married and didn't need a second set. I prefer braided hoses, and all that was at Home Depot was the Floodsafe hoses which I figured couldn't be all that bad. Upon hooking them up, I noticed how awful the incoming water flow was into the tub. I had to replace the water valve on the Whirlpool washer because it had been stripped previously to me getting it. Why do manufacturers use plastic nipples on the valves? It is just a problem waiting to happen, but that is another issue.

So, I finally put one of the older rubber hoses back on and, to verify my guess, I had a stronger water flow into the tub. Since one of the hoses was messed up, I left my machine hooked up with 1 rubber hose and 1 Floodsafe hose. I even removed the water low-flow piece that was in the Floodsafe line, and it only helped some.

Fast forward to last week when we had no water in our house, turned out the water main broke down the street and they were out there repairing it. I spoke with the foreman and he said I didn't need to flush my lines as i was the highest up the hill and he was going to open the lower hydrant. Well, the next day, our washing machine didn't let any cold water in. I could hear the solenoid trying to open, but I figured maybe some sediment either clogged the incoming filter on the cold side, or jammed the solenoid. After pulling the washer out of its hole, I then realized that the Floodsafe line was the cold supply.

I immediately realized the problem. With all the air in the lines from having the water shut off, the Floodsafe closed down when the washer solenoid opened. I shut off the valve, began to remove the hose and heard it release the vacuum (of course I am having to lean all over the machine to get to the valve in the wall. I hooked it back up, turned back on the valve and turned on the washer, and it did it again. It took 3 repetitions to finally get it to stay on because at any point when another air pocket came through, it shut down the Floodsafe hose.

Needless to say, I am going to be removing the Floodsafe line and going back to a regular braided hose. This thing has been more frustrating than I could have imagined. But, if it were to prevent my house from flooding, I might feel different, but at this point, I am not feeling that way.

He's not talking about the flood safe hoses....

http://hometech.com/security/floodstop.html

Motorized shutoff valves for flood prevention?

Man is that overkill or what?

It sounds good in theory but if deposits form on the valve components and they increase the resistance needed to close the valve and overcome the torque that the motor can supply then you have a malfunction.

Solenoid actuated valves would probably be more reliable but they cost more.

They are self-cleaning. The circuit board opens and closes the valves automatically once a month.

I too was beginning to think it was overkill. But on the washer it saved me.

Ian Gills said:

They are self-cleaning. The circuit board opens and closes the valves automatically once a month.

I too was beginning to think it was overkill. But on the washer it saved me.

Click to expand...

Thank you for noting the automatic cycling ... I have been installing these for years and I see no mention of it in the installation guide but it is noted in the brochure. This is a nice "insurance policy" and I offer it as an add-on sale to the customer. They do work.

There are places where they do not work. I got so many false alarms with the very occassional bead of sweat that fell off my toilet tank on a muggy day that I removed one in the bathroom. They really cannot be used in areas that might be prone to damp with ordinary use, because they are so sensitive. You start to lose a lot of favor with your family when everyone is woken up in the middle of the night by a beeping crapper.

I would recommend them though for washers and maybe water heaters as well.

And make sure you have an electrical socket nearby. These babies eat batteries for breakfast.

Ian Gills said:

There are places where they do not work. I got so many false alarms with the very occassional bead of sweat that fell off my toilet tank on a muggy day that I removed one in the bathroom. They really cannot be used in areas that might be prone to damp with ordinary use, because they are so sensitive. You start to lose a lot of favor with your family when everyone is woken up in the middle of the night by a beeping crapper.

I would recommend them though for washers and maybe water heaters as well.

And make sure you have an electrical socket nearby. These babies eat batteries for breakfast.

Click to expand...

I never have used the batteries.

The unit is so flimsy and the cover does not latch well so I figure the odds of my customer damaging the unit changing a battery is so much higher than a flood that is timed with a power outage.

The only place I use these is on water conditioning equipment and I insist that the customer runs their dehumidifier to avoid the false alarms.

I'm renovating the laundry room and looked into these based on Ian's comments. I bought the set and have tested it but am not fully installed yet as the room isn't ready. I also bought a Furman relay. The Floodstop has both normally-open and normally-closed switch terminals that toggle when the floodstop detects a leak. So, the relay turns off power to the appliance when the floodstop actuates, saving a substantial mess if the leak is due to, say, the drain rather than the supply lines.

You can also use X10 parts to do this, which would be a little cheaper than the Furman, but I got the Furman off *the well known auction site* for a good price. The Furman is probably more reliable than X10, which uses the usual X10 FM link.

This thing is a great idea and the price isn't outrageous. I do find that it smacks of "cheap". I would rather see USA made than Chinese... had I known it was Chinese I would have probably got one of the pricier competitors. Particularly, the cables and connectors appear to be extremely fragile. They really should build the relay function into the device, though.

Thanks Ian for the tip. It's cheap if it prevents a flood.

You are the kind of customer that they made the FVIR water heater burners for. I keeps people from suffering the consequences of their own actions. In your case, draining into a sink with a plugged drain, with the water heaters it is from using gasoline to remove floor tile adhesive around the water heater. As far as the Floodsafe hoses, they respond to sudden flows of water, which is why they have to be turned on slowly or they will close. Turning on the water to the system, such as from a main repair, activates the hose too quickly so they turn off.

Ian Gills said:

. ..... decided to soak her swimming costume in the utility sink ...

Click to expand...

Was this a halloween swim party that a costume was required?

Furman + Floodstop = Maximum Protection!

Glad to see I'm not the only one using the Furman + Floodstop configuration for maximum protection. Overkill? ... well, maybe. But I won't feel like its overkill if it protects me just once. My washing machine is on the second floor right over the entertainment center area of the living room. Any flood failure in the wash room would be catastrophic for the electronics in the entertainment center. I have posted a full article on how to install the Furman relay with the Floodstop here:
http://www.savagehomeautomation.com/projects/floodstop-washing-machine.html

Thanks, Robert