Imagine a scenario in which your home intelligently manages its water supply. It accounts for every drop, virtually eliminates waste and alerts you to maintenance needs well in advance. While it may seem like science fiction, it’s nearing reality because of smart plumbing technologies. Smart plumbing refers to plumbing systems that integrate with home automation and other advanced features. Such innovations are already in use in large-scale commercial applications. Let’s explore what these advancements will mean for the future of home plumbing.
Core Smart Plumbing Devices
Smart plumbing will be made of smart monitoring equipment, remotely controlled valves and connections to smart appliances. Here are some of the features that this combined system will have:
Smart Meters
A meter is a device that measures water volume in gallons. It determines how much a home has used in a period. A meter also provides information helpful in determining if there’s a leak. While traditional water heaters have been quite basic, smart meters are anything but. They have onboard computers for precise measurement, data tracking, calculations and so forth. Smart meters are also Wi-Fi-capable, which lets them send data to the cloud and to other smart devices in the home.
Smart and Remote Sensors
The manufacturing of modern plumbing sensors is sophisticated. These sensors are getting smaller and cheaper and able to have impressive onboard computing capabilities. Their small size means that plumbers can install them practically anywhere, including inside pipes. Sensors will eventually replace traditional leak detectors. They’ll also allow for greater coverage, which will let plumbers identify problem areas more quickly and precisely. Plumbing systems will also use these sensors beyond just leak detection, such as for flow rate, temperature and water quality monitoring.
Automated Shut-Off Valves
Automated shut-off valves can be closed and opened partially and fully by your smart system. Such valves are already available but typically only used in advanced leak prevention setups. That will change in the future. Many, if not all, valves in future plumbing systems will be smart valves. These valves will let the system disable the water flow as soon as it detects a leak. It was also allow for fine and dynamic adjustment of water pressure and flow rate. Future smart valves will be able to alert you to issues like a bad gasket or limescale accumulation.
IoT-Enabled Appliances
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of physical devices, sensors and software. IoT is the future of smart homes and home automation. IoT-enabled devices include appliances that can take part in that network. We often think of our plumbing system as our home’s pipes and fixtures. It extends beyond that to the appliances connected to it.
Water Heaters
Smart tank and tankless water heaters are already emerging on the market. These allow you to adjust the temperature from your phone. You can also switch to vacation mode on your tank. Demand response modes allow for participation in utility programs and the optimization of energy usage and savings. These units often have integrated leak detection and automated shut-off valves that can help prevent leaks.
Refrigerators
You may think of a smart refrigerator as an appliance that orders your groceries for you. While some versions of refrigerators have some capacity to do that, there are plumbing advancements as well. These include smart water and ice dispensers along with built-in water filters that can alert you when it’s time to change them.
Dishwashers
Smart features will help the modern high-efficiency dishwasher become even more efficient. That includes the electricity consumed and the water and soap used. Future dishwashers will have longer lives because of early problem detection and maintenance alerts. IoT-enabled dishwashers can even operate around peak energy rates and avoid operation based on data from the HVAC system.
Washing Machines
Similar to dishwashers, future washing machines will use less electricity, water and detergent. They’ll also be quieter because of on-the-fly adjustments and deliver longer equipment lifespans.
Water Quality Monitoring
There is a much greater emphasis on water quality both from a health and plumbing maintenance perspective nowadays. Active water quality monitors will be more prevalent. They’ll send water quality reports to the homeowner and be able to adjust water filtration solutions as needed.
Water Purification
Smart whole-house water purification systems are only becoming more affordable. The industry expects more widespread adoption. American households have a greater awareness of potential health issues and are conscious about lowering their use of plastic water bottles. Modern water purifiers can improve taste and smell but also remove most potentially harmful impurities.
Water Conditioning
Water conditioning may refer to water purification but largely refers to pH adjustment. Acidic water is typically a well water problem but can be an issue with municipal systems. Future water conditioners will detect and adjust the pH dynamically. Acidic water is potentially a health concern, and it causes wear and tear on your pipes, valves, appliances and so forth.
Water Softening
Hard water is a problem for both well water and municipal systems. It affects cooking and skin and hair health. Hard water also causes limescale accumulation that damages your plumbing. It’s particularly bad for tankless water heaters. Smart anti-scale devices will become more prevalent. Households that want more comprehensive protection will opt for point-of-entry smart water softeners instead.
Home Automation Integration
Future Smart plumbing systems will integrate into home automation systems in ways that improve quality of life. Experts expect this to be what drives the early adoption of smart plumbing solutions.
Safety
Smart plumbing will make for safer plumbing. There are already faucets, showerheads and water heaters that can detect temperature and adjust it automatically to prevent scalding.
Cost and Energy Efficiency
Smart plumbing will lower your costs. This includes minimizing your daily water and electricity expenses but also your long-term equipment costs. It will also reduce the environmental impact of households. Experts expect smart plumbing systems to reduce annual household water consumption by 20%.
Alerts and Notifications
An exciting aspect of smart plumbing is the ability to monitor and control it from your phone. That communication works both ways. Your smart plumbing will alert you to problems but also notify you about water usage, appliance efficiency and so on.
Personalized User Experiences
Smart plumbing will also allow for customized user experiences. Consider a bath that fills to your preferred depth and temperature with your phone. There will also be showerheads that identify the user and adjust temperature, pressure and pattern based on that.
Local Plumbing Experts in Greater St. Louis
Level 9 Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing has been serving Des Peres, St. Louis, Washington and the surrounding areas since 1975. Our plumbers clean and repair drains and install and service leak detection systems and tank and tankless water heaters. We have expert HVAC technicians that install, maintain and repair all cooling and heating systems, including geothermal heat pumps. Our technicians are on call 24/7 for repairs.
We offer maintenance plans that will save you money while keeping your equipment on schedule. Our team also specializes in whole-house air purification, dehumidification and humidification. Call today or contact us online with questions or to schedule an appointment or consultation.
