Moen Flo Part 2 UPDATE | How its been working & what I've learned

[@michaelfertitta4606]

I just had one installed in our home, second leak was enough for me. I love this thing!

[@BiffSarin]

This was a VERY informative video. Thank you for the valuable insight!

[@thelonelandlord]

Glad to help!

[@leecote8126]

This was a great video. Thanks.

[@shingdao7]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I've had my FLO installed for 3 years before it stopped working...meaning showing a zero flow rate. Turns out there is a known issue with the internal plastic turbine/impeller in that the 2 magnets in the turbine rust over time and make the unit inoperable. Moen is apparently aware of the issue and does offer a replacement turbine for a fee and I believe they have updated the design so that the magnets are not as exposed as the previous version. This issue is apparently exacerbated if you have hard water. Also, Moen and the CPSC have recently announced a recall on that FLO battery back up due to fire hazard. I do love the FLO when its working though.

[@thelonelandlord]

thanks for the info, very good to know.... and about the recall, I will update the video description with a link to that-- thanks!

[@CBurns-x8v]

That's what my concern is since I have been researching about getting one. The plastic turbine going bad especially since I'm in a hard water area. Does anyone have any more information on this?

[@shingdao7]

@@CBurns-x8v The new units come with the updated impeller design. I can't speak to their longevity beyond a year or so but I've not experienced any issues with the flo since install a year ago.

[@CBurns-x8v]

@@shingdao7 Thank you for that, of course, everyone's installation and usage will be different. I just wanted to know about that because that was one of the big issues which I would assume they would update for later production models. One more question of you know. Starting should I get the floor sensors or would I be ok with just the Flo for initial usage?

[@shingdao7]

@@CBurns-x8v I don't own the Moen leak sensors but use a competitor product. I think water/freeze sensors are a great addition to the Flo valve but you could add them later.

[@DavidVelasco-xz2bv]

Great video, thanks for taking the time to post.

[@eternitywas]

You can put your WIFI network on a UPS (battery backup) as well

[@jeffm2787]

The impeller turbines are the weak link. Outside of that I've been happy with mine. I've repaired my turbine with different magnets with success. Pushed a sharp pin through the back, pushed the magnets out and installed new ones.

[@QuantumEntanglementForFun]

I have had Moen for two years. It’s been very good although I have a couple of comments: (1) my turbine/impeller also rusted and I had to replace it. Unlike the person above, Moen charged me $31 even though I only had the system for 2 years and it had rusted. On the plus side, it was very easy to fix. (2) with the failure of turbine, Moen should have a warning if there is no flow detected for a few days. I don’t know how long mine wasn’t working until I noticed it one day by chance. (3) I get “pressure too high warning” all the time. My plumber says it is normal for the size of my house. I wish there was a feature in the app to allow the user to increase the threshold. Or have the system learn over time that my system needs a higher threshold. This is my biggest annoyance with the system. (4) I do have a sprinkler system. My issue is Moen has a 2 hour limit for sprinklers. I have a large property and sprinklers are programmed to run for 3 hours. Every time it runs, Moen shuts the water off. It would be nice to have a feature that allow users to increase the 2 hour limit. I ended up splitting the program in two and run 1/2 on one night and the second the next night.

[@thelonelandlord]

great info, thanks for sharing! good to know the impeller is easy to replace... I have heard this issue but yet to run into it on any of ours

[@ericnewton5720]

I wouldn’t have the irrigation line run through this device.

[@brucec954]

Looking at getting one of these but concerned about sprinklers. Apparently, Moen also makes a sprinkler controller that can talk to the shutoff valve to let it know its ok. Would be interesting to hear people's experiences with this.

[@azegarek]

same here - concerned about it getting confused when I run my irrigation system.

[@Supertomscustoms]

I’ve only had it installed for 18 months in a brand new home and it’s already broken. I still get readings and I can engage the valve via the app, but the water continues to flow regardless of position. I contacted Moen and they just sent me a coupon for 50% off a new $800 device.

[@sportsonwheelss]

how does it works with reverse osmosis system? there would be small leak when it filters water.

[@RichardGrenz]

As to irrigation upstream of the Flo unit, the only issue I see is a low-pressure alert when irrigation is active, and that flow is significant. Other than that, should be transparent to the Flo operation.

[@JeffreyMota]

Thx for the video and review... it does seem weird to me though that it wouldn't register low pressure when you sprinklers turn on since it is before the FLO and would create a type of loss/negative pressure

[@thelonelandlord]

very interesting point --- I'm not exactly sure what size the main is where the sprinklers tee off.... and the Flo does provide a graph of water pressure over a 24hr and 7day period and it does fluctuate, but no more than about 10psi.... not enough to trigger a low pressure warning. I should note the sprinkler system at this property is zoned and each zone is fairly small (only 2-3 sprinkler heads per zone) thanks for watching!

[@danscreativespace]

Thanks for the video! So did you leave it on sleep mode (reset it every 72 hours) until it learned the patterns? Or did it just start learning the patterns and you would cancel the alerts?

[@thelonelandlord]

Early on I was continually re-setting sleep mode... lately however I have let it go and just aware of alerts. It does alert via app, text message & phone call--- however I will say our biggest problem as of late is people showering at 1-2am in the morning for some reason! This has been shutting off the water and I don't find out until I wake up the next day....

[@danscreativespace]

@@thelonelandlordthanks For the input, yes that is what I’m afraid of. I have a three family multi family home and these patterns wouldn’t be as consistent. I’m wondering if the device eventually learns even the unusual behaviors

[@johnkettler7163]

Thanks, great video! I see you have a link to the recalled battery. Is that still on recall or have they resolved the issue with a new battery? Thanks!

[@thelonelandlord]

As far as I know, they have not come out with a replacement option. Another note, Stay tuned…. My turbine went out on this one, waiting for replacement and will update!

[@helensmith8325]

thank you for this information. I was looking for sleep mode info as FLO shuts off my water with my irrigation on in the middle of the night. It is a new system (about 3 weeks) so perhaps it will learn and stop alerting me and shutting down? I thought I could just put it into sleep mode but your info about the 72 hrs is helpful. thank you. will look for your part 1 on this device.

[@ericnewton5720]

I would not run irrigation through this device. The whole point of the device is detecting out of normal water flow, like a pipe burst or something. You will never be able to accurately detect a pipe burst when the irrigation system is running.

[@dhammer6715]

Get UPSs to back up the Moen and the wifi. Even Jackeries will work.

[@betterwithrum]

What home owners insurance are you with? Ours doesn't offer a discount, might need to switch

[@greekmaster1001]

How come you didn't install the optional sensors I Install sensors for all my clients

[@Lost_Cove_Lloyd7]

It looks like the flow of detector is having issues with a water refiner system a customer of mine has set up prior to the detector. When I engage The refiner the flow detector shuts the water off

[@paulschultz4969]

How does the Moen FLO know the difference between a suspected leak and say, the use of the garden hose outside to wash your car or water your lawn?

[@thelonelandlord]

Good question- long uses of water can initially fool it into a leak, but it eventually learns as long as you interact with the app. If it notices a large amount of water usage, it will send you a warning that it will shut off the valve in 5 minutes. If you clear the warning, it will ask what type of event caused this usage and will adjust. We had this happen on long showers early on.

[@dylanburns8769]

A!so, when you use primer appropriately on PVC(!), only apply to the inside of fittings

[@thelonelandlord]

I’ve also never heard of this - and I’ve worked with many plumbers. Maybe regional differences?

[@ericnewton5720]

This is not true. Use primer on both inner surface in fitting and outer surface on pipe. The point is to treat all surfaces for better glue adhesion.

[@DroseMr]

I have a split beyond my main. Can you set one to turn on and one to turn off as shortcut for bypassing water softener but also set both to shut down w leak sensors ?Thanks

[@thelonelandlord]

I don't see why not... you just have to turn the one off manually or remotely via the app. I'm not aware of a feature that lets you do it on a schedule.

[@gnewman18]

I got a notice from Moen, that the battery is being recalled and to stop using it immediately

[@thelonelandlord]

Thanks George - I was notified of that also and updated it in the video description… I really need (and plan) to edit this vid though because this is a big deal

[@lemketron]

Have you ever seen Flo indicate low pressure when everything is fine? Mine was installed yesterday and is reading 3psi which is ridiculous. I checked the turbine and it is spinning fine.

[@thelonelandlord]

I have two units in service now, have not run into this problem….

[@mitchpalmer57]

Can you manage more than one property with the same log ins? Or do you need multiple email addresses?

[@thelonelandlord]

Yes they make it easy to add multiple properties under one account and switch between them

[@AFpaleoCon]

So if you’ve had anywhere from 1 to 12 guests and it didn’t shutoff, what makes you think it will work on a leak?

[@thelonelandlord]

It uses historical data from that it compiles to determine potential leaks. It still makes mistakes sometimes on very long showers at odd times of day, but it does continually get better. It is also likely that a bad leak would have a much higher GPM than a typical shower head. Small leaks are tested for daily and reported.

[@ThePostalbiker]

question - if the power is off and there's no wifi, and battery backup is installed, do the leak sensors still communicate with the Flo to shut off the water if a leak is detected?

[@thelonelandlord]

I can’t speak directly as I don’t have any of the sensors at our properties… we are just relying on the Flo monitor to determine leaks… but from what I understand, they communicate via wifi so the sensor would not work if the wifi is down

[@717273mopar]

So this unit has to be piped into the water line?

[@thelonelandlord]

Yes, it must be installed on the main line as close as possible to where it enters the home.

[@atlant2566]

Do you have problems with turbine getting rust?😊

[@thelonelandlord]

The turbine did recently stop working... replaced with moen-supplied new one. easy swap, video upcoming...

[@davidmerkrebs9967]

how does it know the difference between a burst pipe or simply filling your bathtub with 30 gallons of water

[@thelonelandlord]

Adaptive learning… it begins to learn your fixtures and how long you typically run them & at what GPM rate. This does result in some false alarms especially early on until it learns. It gives you a 5 minute warning before shutting off if it detects excessive water usage… It’s not gonna catch a burst pipe immediately. The goal is to prevent hours of water damage…

[@azegarek]

@@thelonelandlord I'm thinking about purchasing this product. My concerns are both - false alarms and confusing actual leaks with 'normal' usage. After reading the comments my concerns about false alarms are somewhat allayed but not the opposite - how can you be confident that it won't confuse an actual pipe burst with a bathtub filling?

[@ericnewton5720]

You wouldn’t ever want the Flo unit to be behind the irrigation branch. It would never be able to accurately determine an actual pipe break or if the sprinklers are running. Flo is perfectly installed after any irrigation branch and IMO after any water softener because of its regen cycle.

[@notcharles]

Your sprinklers are UPSTREAM from the MOEN unit.

[@thelonelandlord]

you're right... my mistake thanks for watching!

[@johnbrzenksforearm8295]

Your main line is CPVC? You are fired.

[@thelonelandlord]

Sorry John didn’t build the house - thanks for watching!

[@johnbrzenksforearm8295]

@@thelonelandlord , I'm picking on ya. CPVC is actually a good pipe as long as sun doesn't shine on it. PEX is the same way.

[@DamonWakefield]

@@johnbrzenksforearm8295 Unless rats chew through the PEX. Pretty common occurrence where I live. That's why I repiped with copper to replace my old galvanized.

[@ericnewton5720]

I would not run irrigation through this device. Irrigation should be teed off before this device. The biggest point of this device is detecting a pipe burst or catastrophic water event. It can’t accurately detect that when irrigation is running because irrational uses high gallonage.

[@thelonelandlord]

100% accurate

[@Dc-jg2ti]

False. This device should be intended to detect excessive water usage due to a leak to prevent a $5k water bill. Water damage is not the only thing being prevented here

[@Dontmineabit]

Moen recalled all 10,000 units of its backup battery power option because they heat up and catch fire. They will refund you for the device. See the Moen and internet for details.

[@thelonelandlord]

yes I did update that info in the description of the video, bummer...

[@POWER_WAFFLE]

Thank you for that critical piece of info!

[@NJBeachbum12]

Just add a UPS. I’m getting ready to buy the valve and sensors and will add a small UPS. Anyone using a UPS and what size are you using?