It’s always interesting to see the new types of gadgets and technology that people are working on.
A product featured during this year’s Consumer Technology Association’s annual trade show (or CES) is something KPRC 2 Investigates put to the test for part of our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation.
KPRC 2 Investigator Amy Davis interviewed Digital Lifestyle Expert Mario Armstrong on KPRC 2 + to talk about the newest things coming from the CES show this year. The show is happening right now in Las Vegas. One of the new tech devices he mentioned is the Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff made by Moen, a device made to detect leaks in your home and alert you to avoid water damage.
This is the same device Amy showed as a potential solution for frustrated water bill customers who don’t trust the city water meter readings.
Amy and KPRC 2 Investigative Producer Andrea Slaydon have been working for 20+ months on the ‘DRAINED’ Investigation, helping people with water bill issues.
Water monitoring device put to the test
James York, owner of Southern Plumbing, watched our ‘DRAINED’ Investigations and suggested Amy try out the MOEN device.
“It was intriguing, your story, and so, I thought well, maybe this will help with a lot of the confusion,” said York.
The Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff made by Moen calculates all of the water that flows into your home. York thought it could work to confirm or refute the city’s water meter.
The head of connected products at Moen, Mason Hall, told us the device can even show you where you are using the most water in your house. [More from Moen here.]
“It actually can provide you consumption information down to the type of fixtures you have in your home. So, whether that be a shower, a faucet, an appliance, like a washing machine.”
How does the Moen FLO Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff work?
After the installation, you connect the device to your Wi-Fi and then download the Flo by Moen app. For the first 30 days, the device is learning your habits. For example, when your family bathes or you’re cooking or doing the dishes or washing clothes. Every time you turn on the water anywhere in your house the device keeps track.
When Amy’s son showered for eight minutes, he used just over 22 gallons of water.
Flushing the toilet uses about 1.9 gallons of water.
Every night the device runs a health test and sends you a notification if it detects a leak, no matter how small. It helped Amy find a drip in a bathtub we hadn’t used in months. If the device detects a large leak or abnormal amount of water usage it would send you an alert. If you don’t respond the device shuts off the water supply to your home to protect you and your property.
“Annual household leaks accumulate to a massive amount of water waste every year,” said Hall.
Amy said at her house, the water measured by the device matched what the city showed. While she questioned some of her bills, the readings from the device never showed she was using hundreds of thousands of gallons, like some homeowners. The Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff runs about $500.
Moen and Southern Plumbing worked together to help us show you how all of this works.
Want more tech news? You can check out other gadget and tech news coming out of this year’s CES here.
2024 ‘DRAINED’ Investigation
We are still working on our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation into Houston water bill issues. Right now Investigator Amy Davis is looking into what happens after you request a hearing to fight your water bill. If you need help with any water bill issues you may have, first look through the many ‘DRAINED’ stories we have done to see if you can find the help you need there. You can also email Amy or Producer Andrea Slaydon if you can’t find the help you need.
RELATED: If you are reading this looking for help, here are 5 steps to take the minute you get a water bill you don’t think you owe.
