Expertise: Water Damage Remediation

Water damage... It's a scary term for any wise homeowner.
Research by Travelers Insurance found that homes are 10 TIMES more likely to be damaged by a water leak than by a fire. These leaks are no small issue. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency found that the average house leaks nearly 10,000 gallons per year. Without preventative measures, these leaks can lead to stressful situations, higher insurance premiums, resident displacement and costly renovations.

One of the largest contributors to water damage? Toilets.

Greg Capizzi, founder of aquaHALT, faced this exact issue after a toilet leak occurred at the condominium he manages, which necessitated renovations of four apartments and cost the condominium $320,000 in damages. It inspired him to create and to patent aquaHALT, a toilet leak detection system tucked discreetly behind the toilet bowl that stops toilet leaks by automatically cutting off the water at its source.

House & Home spoke with Capizzi about the importance of installing a leak detection system and how it could save homeowners time, money and frustration.

Why are water leak detection systems important?
Water leak detection systems are another line of defense for home protection. Just like a smoke or carbon monoxide detector, leak detectors can avoid significant damages. The average water leak can waste from one up to 11 gallons of water in a single day and cost homeowners on average $11,098 in damages. In many cases, insurance companies aren't quick to pay for the damages. This could result in out-of-pocket payments, drawn-out back-and-forths with the insurance company and hours spent on the phone, before any work is even done. Once work begins, homeowners have to contend with potential displacement, repairmen in their homes and a mess. Dealing with a water leak is a nuisance and one that can be easily avoided with a proper water leak detection system. In fact, water leak detection systems like aquaHALT are so effective, many insurance companies are beginning to require them or offer discounts for households with them – so it not only saves homeowners money in costly damages, but also can even provide them discounted coverages.

What makes aquaHALT stand out from other leak detection systems on the market?
There are different water-sensing devices out there, which all operate in their own function. Some are installed on the main water lines for your home that once activated turn off the entire house. Such devices are costly and sometimes come with a yearly subscription. Most are Wi-Fi based and can fail since Wi-Fi is not always a stable connection. Water-sensing devices that are Wi-Fi based also only send a notification. Therefore, these systems are sending you an alert, if Wi-Fi allows, while water is constantly flowing, creating more and more damage.

Alternatively, aquaHALT – recently named one of TIME's Best Inventions for 2023 – is battery-operated just like other detectors in your home. This ensures reliability, as it requires neither electricity nor a Wi-Fi connection. In addition, aquaHALT will do more than send you an alert: Once a leak is detected, aquaHALT will automatically shut off the water locally to stop the leak while allowing your household to continue to use other water sources—minimizing the inconvenience. The device will beep to alert you to the problem until it is physically reset.

Where can people purchase the aquaHALT?
aquaHALT is currently available on our website and Amazon.

What other products are in the works for water AUTOMATION?
We are currently working on a double valve shut-off for sinks that will be able to handle hot and cold water. We're also looking to extend our line to work with icemakers.

aquaHALT by water AUTOMATION
(732) 631-3225
waterautomation.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 24, Issue 2 (Luxury Living Spring 2024)
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