Flo smart home leak detection system wants to save you money

While we were at CES 2018 we discovered a leak detection system that blew our minds, Phyn. Phyn still looks like an amazing system but there is competition — meet Flo. Flo is a smart home leak detection system that costs less than Phyn and provides some of the same functionality. Flo says that in the United States more than a trillion gallons of water is wasted annually due to water leaks. Not to mention damages caused to homes by leaks big and small.

The Flo device utilizes pressure, temperature, and flow sensors along with proprietary machine learning to detect leaks as small as a drop per minute anywhere in the home’s water system. Flo then also has proactive technologies that monitor the home in real time as well as a whole-home test done to ensure the home is leak free and protected. Flo says that, on average, 13 percent of a home’s water is lost to leaks and over $8,500 is paid per water damage claim in the U.S.

“I vividly remember opening the door to my family’s home after a vacation. I saw water raining down from the ceiling,” said Gabriel Halimi, CEO and Co-Founder of Flo Technologies. “At Flo Technologies our purpose is to prevent loss, one drip at a time, and we believe that with Flo we can help proactively prevent families from going through the same physical and financial stress that my family experienced. Our integration with Alexa is a natural progression on our journey to help homeowners understand their water consumption and also protect their homes.”

Flo laid out some basic points about its leak detection system to help us better understand what they’re trying to do.

Preventative Technology – Most systems use point moisture sensors or basic water metering technology limited to flow to detect leaks after-the-fact. Flo measures all vital characteristics in real-time, including water pressure, temperature and flow rates in the water system to detect vulnerabilities and prevent damage.
Multi-Sensor Approach – Flo is the only system to monitor water pressure, which is the only way to detect leaks as small as a drop or two per minute. Those drops are key early indicators of burst pipes or mold damage behind walls.
Learning Algorithms – FloSense™ machine learning technology personalizes Flo’s conservation and security monitoring to the individual home.
Proactive System-wide – Unlike a multitude of individual point moisture sensors that have to be placed in perceived trouble areas, a single Flo device works throughout the home. Its Microleak™ technology proactively checks for the smallest vulnerabilities anywhere in the home water system.
Water Shut-off – If something critical happens, Flo can alert users via its mobile app and stop water to the home. In the case of these catastrophic events, if the user doesn’t respond to the alert, Flo will then shut-off the water to protect the home.
Visible & Invisible Leaks – Flo is a whole-home solution and therefore can detect leaks anywhere in the water system, whether it’s a running toilet or leaking pipe behind a wall.
Repair Diagnostics – Flo can connect users to their local plumbing professionals or help recommend a plumber through their national partnership with American Leak Detection while providing plumbers advanced diagnostics of potential problems – saving time and money.
Conservation – Flo continually learns and shows usage patterns in real-time. Users can check their current water usage, compare historical patterns, and set and monitor conservation goals.
Insurance Discounts – Insurance companies are already offering discounts on premiums making Flo self-funding for the homeowner over time. Some users are already receiving discounts up to $700 off their annual premiums.