The folks at Phyn have announced a new water leak monitor that’s quite a bit cheaper than its first-gen device. The new Phyn Plus continues to offer real-time mobile notifications when a leak is detected in your home. You can keep tabs on water usage by month, day, hour, or in real time via the app or web dashboard, all without needing to pay fora monthly subscription.
Alexa and Google Assistant can provide hands-free information on the status of your home plumbing, while IFTTT compatibility can use that data to trigger other automatic actions in a connected home. When things get ugly, you can remotely turn off the water, that way you don’t have to race home from work to prevent a real disaster. Phyn also offers a pared-down Smart Water Assistant that installs on the hot and cold lines by your sink.
Phyn uses shifts in water pressure to figure out what’s running in your house. To do this, it needs to be installed right by your home’s water main before the water goes out to your various faucets. The sensor uses ultrasonic shifts to detect when each faucet turns off and on. Other sensors rely on moving parts that can wear down and fail over time. Ultrasonic sensors are also more accurate at high and low flow rates.
The average American home wastes around 10,000 gallons of water a year due to leaks. As water scarcity becomes a bigger challenge across the world, being efficient with our home plumbing and preventing leaks becomes a higher priority.
Phyn has been something of a joint venture between well-known connected home manufacturer Belkin and Wisconsin-based Badger Meter, both of which have been making similar hardware for some time. Of course, Phyn isn’t the only player in this space. We’ve previously looked at Flo water systems, and they perform admirably for similar tasks.
While the feature set hasn’t changed much with this generation of Phyn, it is 25% smaller, and about 60% cheaper. The new Phyn Plus is available for $500, down from the original’s $850, starting today. Be sure to check in with your local service providers, as they might have rebates available to knock the price down a few more bucks.
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