How does Alarm.com Water Valve Management work?
The Alarm.com Water Management solution works by combining a Z-Wave Water Valve and wireless radio frequency (RF) Water Sensors to detect floods and leaks and automatically shut off a home's water supply.
The Z-Wave Water Valve can be installed by a certified plumber and can enroll into any Alarm.com Z-Wave network.
A Z-Wave Emergency Water Shut-off Valve System has two basic components:
- A motorized ball valve and housing containing a wireless Z-Wave radio transceiver.
- RF flood/freeze sensors enrolled into the security panel. These sensors communicate directly with the security panel devices and are added to the system like other security sensors.
Note: Z-Wave flood/freeze sensors are not compatible with security panel-based systems at this time.
The Z-Wave Water Valve and RF flood/freeze sensor work together to detect water leaks and overflows. After creating an automation rule on the Alarm.com customer website, the sensor can automatically turn off the water supply by sending a signal from the flood sensor to the security panel, then from the security panel to the main valve when the water sensor is triggered. These sensors can also turn off the water supply when potentially freezing temperatures are detected.
For more information about how Water Valve Management works, see Water Management - Frequently Asked Questions.
Note: Installation of a Z-Wave Shut-off valve requires cutting into water-bearing pipes. We recommend using a certified plumber for installation.
Restrictions
The Water Valve uses Z-Wave, so it has the same range limitations as any other Z-Wave device. As most water mains/pipes are located in basements and walls, be particularly aware of Z-Wave range and its limits.
Additionally, the Water Valve uses AC power and needs to be located within range of an AC power source.