Episode #843
March 29, 2025
Recently I had to buy new homeowner’s insurance.
After much comparative shopping I found a very good offer from Farmers. In order to get a favorable rate the agent separated the water damage coverage into its own line item with its own deductible. I agreed to the policy on the spot.
As with many insurance offers there was a catch. To cover my older house with a separate water damage line item Farmers requires the installation of a Moen Flo Smart Shutoff valve.
Moen Flo Shutoff device is installed just after the manual shut-off valve for the house. In an initial training period your normal water use is monitored. Thereafter it compares the flow patterns in real-time. A leak (even a small one) can be detected and the water shut off to your house automatically.
My first thought was my best advice while I was a computer consultant: “Never trust a computer.”
But this device was a requirement of the policy, so what choice did I have?
If the Moen Flo turns off my water and my inspection shows that the device was in error I can turn it back on manually. There is also an app on my iPhone that allows me to turn the water on remotely. Of course, this is an Internet appliance, so I can control it from nearly everywhere I am.
I bought the shutoff valve from Moen at a special discounted price for Farmers customers. The price included installation from a home services company named Frontdoor. Frontdoor, in turn, found a local plumber in their network to do the installation.
Here is the money trail:
Farmers makes money with reduced water damage payouts.
Moen sells a bazillion smart valves.
Frontdoor takes a cut of the installation.
Plumbers get paid handsomely for a little pipe-cutting installation.
New Farmers clients pay for it all.
I was happy to pay. I got a great price on my homeowners’ insurance.
The plumber was excellent. He was a young professional who had installed 150 units in the last eight months. Companies that work for Frontdoor and Moen do a lot of these installations. My plumber’s work was clean, efficient and expert.
So far the device is working as advertised. I accidentally disconnected power to the valve and a few minutes later received an email that my Moen Flo was offline. Once plugged back in I was told the device was back online. At the end of the week I received another email which summarized my water usage.
It is nice knowing that if I get a leak while I am out of town or unavailable the water will be shut off and I will be notified. If a neighbor determines that the warning was in error I can turn the water back on with my iPhone.
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