Do you know that water damage emergencies are the most often insured events?

In fact, only a small cause is needed: a tiny hose in the flushing cistern gets broken on its own accord, or another hose to the automatic washing machine slips off the adapter, or there is a leaking faucet …. The insurance compensation for such losses can be in the order of ten or even hundred thousand crowns, to say nothing of the time you have to spend for securing of your claim. That is – if you are insured at all. Have you ever considered the fact that prevention measures are always cheaper than remedies expended consequently after such unfortunate events? Of course, damaged things can be replaced by newly purchased items, but how about irreplaceable things? What about historical artefacts, memories for past events, old photographs, or long-standing work results as well as other items that cannot be easily purchased?

Nowadays, we think it quite normal to provide against the occurrence of health hazard, while the fire prevention measures are adopted as a matter of course. Do you know that even the insurers themselves claim that the losses caused by water damage emergencies account for more than 30% of all insured events? In this, I leave aside minor losses not obvious at first glance. This concerns long-term water leaks (e.g. leaking toilet cisterns, leaking faucets, etc.) or losses caused by simple negligence, such as a wrongly closed hose in your garden.

Let’s look at the facts*

*Source: Insurance Industry Research, 2013 Water Damage Defense

Of course, if you leave for vacations, you can always close the main water supply to your house – and Bob's your uncle. But - what about irrigation systems? Or fire-fighting systems? The shut-down of the water feed will not help you in such cases. In addition, this is certainly not the most comfortable option of your house protection during your everyday absence. The best of all it would be to have an intelligent system or equipment, which can independently evaluate whether the water supply is in accordance with your needs or whether there is an undesirable water leak. But – where you can find it?

We have a solution for you. AS-WaterOwl is an all-Czech system consisting of an intelligent water meter and a water leak detector meeting all the above described requirements. The system is not satisfied only with detecting of water leak on the floor (for this a local contact sensor is sufficient), but it can discover even leaks you are not aware of, however that can cause real problems. Water leaks beyond walls, in floor structures or in the case of a leaking valve in a boiler, where water was flowing into the sewer system for several years without any use. We have experienced even an event, where water was slowly flowing through a leaking pipe joint in the ceiling sprinkler system and soaking consequently into the thermal insulation layer. This layer was gradually saturated with water until its weight became too heavy and the load-bearing structure collapsed down to the floor. Mercifully, nobody was hurt, “only” the damage in the order of several hundred thousand crowns resulted.

So – what exactly the AS-WaterOwl system can do? Immediately after its installation to the existing water distribution system (best of all in the “by-pass” manner), the equipment works in its analytical mode. It evaluates the usual water consumption in the household and, after some time, the system will create a model of typical water consumption. This curve can be modified by the user according to his/her needs in order to avoid automatic water supply interruptions at minor excesses in the consumption. If unauthorised water consumption takes place, the equipment will close the main valve automatically and prevent thus potential damage or losses. Of course, it is possible to further adapt the curve and, within a short period of time, to set the water consumption “guidelines” so that to eliminate undesirable closing of the water supply in the period when we are present on the premises.

And what the AS-WaterOwl system can do over and above this? After any intervention of the unit, the system will call your attention to this either through your smartphone, tablet or computer. In such case, you can easily check the situation and, if necessary, to unblock the equipment even if you are present on the other side of the globe. Apart from the protection itself, the AS-WaterOwl system provides to you exact reviews about consumed water quantities, because even in the household it is applicable the rule “he who does not measure, he does not control”.

Even though this equipment came into the world less than two years ago, it is already a part of various existing and new building systems. We can proudly claim that we are taking part in the protection of important buildings in the Czech Republic, such as the National Theatre in Prague, Tugendhat in Brno, or the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University. The AS-WaterOwl system is also used in leading companies such as O2, Agrofert, Komerční Banka, or Brno Heating Plants. RD Rýmařov, the manufacturer of prefabricated timber houses, started to install this equipment to its houses as standard furnishing for all the supplies. Almost one thousand owners of family houses, apartments and public buildings belong to satisfied customers for the period of the AS-WaterOwl system existence.

The top advantage of the offered product is the fact that even its first intervention prohibiting an emergency occurrence will cover its acquisition costs. You do not believe? Make sure by yourself … and try to look perhaps here .