When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Connect Smart Devices to Your Home’s Plumbing
I spend a lot of time at home delivering water. I water the plants, fill the humidifier, top up the coffee maker, change the robot’s mopping water, and sometimes remember to bring a water bottle to the office to replenish my water supply. A number of products have recently emerged that offer a solution to the problem of transporting water: connect them directly to your water supply. You’ll never have to lug around jugs of water again, and in some cases, you won’t even have to empty your groceries.
Products that need access to your water supplies
When I unpacked the coffee maker, which could be connected directly to the water supply, I was delighted. But soon after, I also unpacked a water dispenser, an ice maker, a humidifier, and a robot vacuum that needed the same things. In most cases this was an option, not a requirement. But even if you wanted to hardwire all your appliances, how many appliances could you realistically do that with? Most likely, you already have a shared water supply with your refrigerator and possibly a filtration system. In some cases, such as a coffee maker or water dispenser, it is expected that it will be located next to the sink on the counter, that is, next to the water supply line, but this is not always convenient.
I liked the Spinn coffee machine and the Terra Kaffe TK-02 , smart coffee makers that expect a direct connection to the water supply. I’m currently testing the Coway Aquamega 200C tabletop water purifier and it wants access to my water line too (and won’t work without it). My plumber simply won’t tolerate adding another water catcher to the countertop, and this becomes even more problematic when you’re talking about a robot vacuum or humidifier. Where should these products connect to your water supply?
Last year I talked about how your washing machine faucets are the source of water in your home, and in this case we used it as the water inlet and outlet for a plant wall. This is another possible access point, but you also don’t want too many splitters coming out of the washer input. In new builds it certainly makes sense to plan for access to running water in areas such as a café, utility room or bathroom, but how will this be fixed in a retrofit and what does this mean for tenants?
In particular, I’m excited about new robot vacuums that can empty as well as fill, like R&D’s Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra and the upcoming Switchbot S10 robot vacuum. These robots not only need access to the entry port, but also to the exit port located close to the floor. A washing machine socket won’t help here.
More plumbing connections mean more leaks.
There’s another component to this problem: Each connection represents another possible leak point in your plumbing. Leaks are already one of the most common insurance claims . While there are smart water leak detectors and even better smart water monitors and shut-off valves, all of these additional devices and connections are sure to result in even more water damage. I haven’t been able to find any talk about this in plumbing industry blogs or publications.
I’ve been talking about the shift from smart technology to new buildings rather than retrofitting, be it smart windows and doors or lighting fixtures, and I think the plumbing issue follows that trend. Will your Sodastream be directly connected to your home in the future? What about smart home gardens or water bowls for pets? As excited as I am about lugging water around the house less, I’m also cautious about what this will mean for floods, leaks, and those who simply don’t have access to running water.
What to consider before connecting products to the water supply
Since this emerging trend is likely to continue if you embark on a remodel or new home build, it makes sense to carefully consider additional access points to your water line. I expect direct-attach robot vacuums/mops to become standard within two to three years. If you plan to visit a coffee bar, having a hotspot there makes sense as well.
If you’re upgrading without a major renovation, work with a plumber to create an access point behind the refrigerator where the line already runs, or under the sink. Your bathroom is another possible access point. While it is possible to make these connections yourself, remember that you are cutting into the plumbing and this is a serious matter. I would consider this to be equivalent to replacing an outlet: the average person can do it, but it will require a little courage and safety precautions. You’ll need to turn off the water and have the proper tools, and know that you can access the water supply from the start (it may be hidden behind a wall). This is where the plumber becomes clutch.
If you connect your appliances to your water supply, you can do some leak and flood prevention work by using smart water leak sensors throughout your home. These small devices can send alerts at the first sign of water on the floor. Smart water sensors can automatically shut off the water supply when they detect a leak, and you can install them near your connection points. If your coffee shop is an endpoint, consider installing a smart shutoff valve on the line and then another one before it. your utility room or laundry room. This is where smart technology can really take the pressure off.
Finally, remember that you usually don’t need to connect these devices – it’s just an option. For me, the freedom of having a coffee machine never tell me “no” when I ask it to make me coffee is worth any potential leakage risks, but everyone is different.