Earlier this year, when I got the best smart water leak detector I could find, I remembered coming home from vacation to a filthy flood from an old pipe bursting in my basement This happened over a decade ago, and the stench of mold still traumatizes me

Now, in my new home (albeit a DIY smart home), I have taken steps to ensure that my finished basement does not suffer the same misfortune: the Flo by Moen Smart Water Detectors, an easy-to-install pack that pairs with Alexa and sounds an alarm when water is present series, and thanks to them, I feel safe when I'm not home

I set up my Smart Water Detectors pack at the start of the summer In my beachside community, excessive humidity was probably a bigger concern than cracked pipes One of the best dehumidifiers solved the problem when the water sensor read the amount of moisture in the air But transitioning our home to winter meant preparing for the cold weather to put the pipes to the test

Along with knowing how to insulate windows for winter, how to aerate radiators, or how to winterize hydrangeas, you also need to know how to keep your plumbing intact when the temperature drops

Frozen pipes are prone to cracking When water in a plumbing system freezes, it expands, adding pressure to the pipes and, voila, you're dealing with a rather expensive dilemma: According to Fixr, the average cost to repair a cracked pipe is $500, but this doesn't include the cost of replacing personal effects, ruined carpeting, or walls The damage could be in the thousands of dollars

With a leak detector like mine, you can at least know the early signs of a leaking pipe, whether you are home to hear an alarm or receive push notifications from a smartphone app If they are home, they can manually shut off the water supply to stop the leak before a professional comes to fix it

However, if you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time in the winter, you may want to consider a smart water shutoff system instead; Flo by Moen offers a $499 smart water shutoff device that can shut off the water by itself if it detects a large leak, in addition, It can also monitor overall water usage; the $699 Phyn Plus Smart Water Assistant has the same capabilities Both are installed inline by a plumber in the home's main water line and can shut off water to the entire house at your command or when triggered by a leak (For a more "DIY" solution, there are affordable devices that are disconnected from the water line, such as the Flo by Moen pucks ($78) and the Resideo Wi-Fi Water Leak & Freeze Detector ($79), that at least keep an eye on potential plumbing concerns at least keep an eye out for potential plumbing concerns Both will also let you know about suspicious temperature changes; if your HVAC system malfunctions or for some other reason, such as your house dropping below freezing, you risk a pipe burst Smart thermostats (do you know what a C-Wire is?

For a more "DIY" solution, an affordable device separate from the water pipes, such as the Flo by Moen pucks ($78) or the Resideo Wi-Fi Water Leak & Freeze Detector ($79), can at least keep an eye on potential plumbing concerns at least keep an eye out for potential plumbing concerns Both will also let you know about large temperature changes; if your HVAC system is malfunctioning or your house has a reason to go below freezing, you risk a pipe bursting Smart thermostats (do you know what a C-Wire is?

The best smart home devices do more than just make your days more convenient If you haven't yet learned how to save thousands of dollars by building a connected space, you could save just as much by intelligently defending against common points of failure in any home At least I know that is one of the biggest motivators for setting up the ultimate smart home