Emergency Water Shut Off

Intplm.

Is there a emergency water shut off valve available that does not require electricity but will shut water off if a leak is detected. Was looking into WAGS by Taco but have found that the WAGS has been discontinued?
What else is available that will do this?

Jamie Hall

There is a wide variety of excess flow valves -- Fisher F series, for instance -- which are usually used in the petrochemical field, but can also be used for water.

They are not cheap...

What is the application? How much of a leak, for instance, are we talking here? The excess flow valves are just that -- they stay open at all normal flows, so if the problem is a relatively small leak, they wouldn't help at all.

Intplm.

Thanks @Jamie Hall Looking to shut off a residential water main if a leak is found . Wanted, to help prevent water damage, Similar to the Taco WAGS valve application.

Leonard

Not what your asking about but:
Remember seeing water alarm sensor, believe it was just a compressed dry sponge. When it got wet it expanded ~ 1000% and pushed on electrical switch to complete the circuit. Supplemental sensor for fire alarm panel. Typically used for cellar floor water alarm. Seen other versions using 2 electrical contact pads Output was electrical signal.

Danny Scully

Wags are discontinued @Intplm.? I’ve been receiving non-stop advertisements for them recently. Http://www.wagsvalve.com

heathead

PHYN is a valve that requires electricity and internet . It uses pressure differences in water flow to learn what fixtures are using water and if it is a normal amount. It measure this 240 times a second to tell what fixture is using water. It can see all this from one device mounted near the water main coming into the house. It can see what each facuet and toliet uses in terms of amount of water per day and time of day each is used. It learns the patterns and signatures of a house and then if it see something that is not recognized it will shut the water off. This does take some time to learn, but i think it gets better all the time. This technology is better that having water sensors place around hoping that is sees a leak to then shut off a water main.

Intplm.

Danny Scully said:

Wags are discontinued @Intplm.? I’ve been receiving non-stop advertisements for them recently. Http://www.wagsvalve.com

Thanks @Danny Scully are or are not discontinued. I am now getting that it is not ....Thanks again.

Do you know of any other unit like this that doesn't require electricity?

Danny Scully

They aren’t discontinued @Intplm., I was asking the question because I was confused as to why you thought that. I’m not sure of any other valves that operate in this manner. Is this not what you’re looking for?

SteveSan

Taco has the Leak Breaker that you can run on Batteries. Unfortunately is only turns the water off and not the gas like our WAGS valve did. It only comes with a 3/4" connection. You can always call into Taco Tech Support Mon-Fri 8am-5pm with any questions.

Intplm.

Danny Scully said:

They aren’t discontinued @Intplm., I was asking the question because I was confused as to why you thought that. I’m not sure of any other valves that operate in this manner. Is this not what you’re looking for?

@Danny Scully Thanks for the straightening out. I have looked on suppliers website (supplyhouse.com) and asked a few counter folks. They said discontinued. Was getting confused.
I found out after seeing your post and checking / pressing those that I was talking to. Turns out the website and counter guys were speaking to the fact that they have discontinued carrying it, that is , some models of the wags. Other models that have been updated are not discontinued by the manufacturer.
I will be most vigilant next time. Thanks Again Dan.

Leonard

Any idea what the non-electric WAGS used to sense floor water , and how they activated water shut off valves? Co2 cartirdige . or spring maybe?

Jamie Hall

Leonard said:

Any idea what the non-electric WAGS used to sense floor water , and how they activated water shut off valves? Co2 cartirdige . or spring maybe?

Being curious, I went and looked them up, @Leonard . Seems they have a valve, spring loaded to close, but held open by a one-shot soluble disc. The disc gets wet, it melts, and the spring closes the valve. Ingenious. It wasn't entirely clear whether one can get a new disc and reset them.

Intplm.

Looks like I will be using the taco leak breaker. The wags, (When I finally got the correct availability info) was vague on whether or not you can change discs or that you have to change the hole thing, One shot deal! Not something I want to use.

Thanks to you all for your input.

Erin Holohan Haskell

heathead said:

PHYN is a valve that requires electricity and internet . It uses pressure differences in water flow to learn what fixtures are using water and if it is a normal amount. It measure this 240 times a second to tell what fixture is using water. It can see all this from one device mounted near the water main coming into the house. It can see what each facuet and toliet uses in terms of amount of water per day and time of day each is used. It learns the patterns and signatures of a house and then if it see something that is not recognized it will shut the water off. This does take some time to learn, but i think it gets better all the time. This technology is better that having water sensors place around hoping that is sees a leak to then shut off a water main.

We have the Phyn. It's great.

Intplm.

Ut Oh ! What's PHYN @Erin Holohan Haskell you got me looking again.🙂

Erin Holohan Haskell

Intplm. said:

Ut Oh ! What's PHYN @Erin Holohan Haskell you got me looking again.🙂

Uponor and Belkin are behind it: https://www.phyn.com/ It does require electricity and wifi, though.

Leonard

Sounds like WAGS has uses beyond just a hot water tanks.

Sounds great to put next to cellar water meter. Especially with plastic pipe if rat got in.

Jamie Hall

Leonard said:

Sounds like WAGS has uses beyond just a hot water tanks.

Sounds great to put next to cellar water meter. Especially with plastic pipe if rat got in.

It has to be located in a drip pan where water from the leak can collect...

Leonard

Still useful on floor if your on winter vacation and a pipe breaks/freezes. 1-2 inches is better than few feet.

Dad had a pipe break/freeze in back room of a commercial garage while on vacation. Don;t remember much water on main floor, but it may have been draining out under overhead door.

Guessing the compressed sponge electrical switch I talked about earlier might operate on only ~ 1/8 to 1/4 inch of water. Sponge is suspended about that much above floor.

Also seen another electrical switch version with brass pads on bottom ~ 1/16 inch off floor, transistor activates a relay.

bob eck

Check out the Drop Connect
www.dropconnect.com
I stock them and we can ship them anywhere.
Send me a email for pricing.