Flow Rate and Timer

Understand how PlumBuddy uses flow rate thresholds and timers to detect leaks and trigger automatic shutoff.

How Auto-Shutoff Works

PlumBuddy watches two settings together to decide when to shut off your water: the flow rate threshold and the timer. Both conditions must be met before the valve closes. This two-part system prevents false alarms while still catching real leaks.

Here is the simple version: if water flows faster than the threshold continuously for longer than the timer, the valve shuts off to prevent damage.

Flow Rate Threshold

The flow rate threshold is a gallons-per-minute (GPM) limit. Water flowing below this rate will not trigger a shutoff, no matter how long it runs. Water flowing above this rate starts the timer.

How to Think About Flow Rate

Different activities in your home use water at different rates. Here are some common examples:

  • Bathroom faucet: 1-2 GPM
  • Kitchen faucet: 2-3 GPM
  • Shower: 2-3 GPM
  • Washing machine: 3-5 GPM
  • Garden hose: 5-10 GPM
  • Filling a bathtub: 4-6 GPM
  • Burst pipe: 10-50+ GPM

If your threshold is set to 5 GPM, a single shower running at 2.5 GPM will not start the timer at all. But a burst pipe pushing 15 GPM will start the timer immediately.

Choosing the Right Threshold

A good starting point for most homes is 5-8 GPM for Home Mode. This allows most normal water activities without triggering shutoffs, while still catching high-flow emergencies like burst pipes.

For Away Mode, consider setting the threshold much lower (1-2 GPM) since nobody should be running water while you are away.

Timer

The timer controls how long water must flow above the threshold before shutoff. Longer timers allow for extended water use like filling a bathtub or running sprinklers. Shorter timers catch leaks faster but may interrupt legitimate water use.

How the Timer Works

The timer starts counting the moment water flow exceeds your threshold. If the flow drops below the threshold before the timer runs out, the timer resets. The valve only shuts off if flow stays above the threshold for the entire timer duration.

Choosing the Right Timer

  • Short timers (5-15 minutes): Best for Away Mode when nobody is home. Catches leaks quickly.
  • Medium timers (15-45 minutes): Good for Home Mode in most households. Allows showers and washing machine cycles to complete.
  • Long timers (45-90 minutes): For households that regularly use large amounts of water at once, such as filling a pool or running multiple fixtures simultaneously.

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Threshold 5 GPM, Timer 30 minutes Your teenager takes a 20-minute shower at 2.5 GPM. Nothing happens because the flow is below the threshold. Good.

Scenario 2: Threshold 5 GPM, Timer 30 minutes A supply line bursts under your kitchen sink, sending 12 GPM through the system. After 30 minutes of sustained flow above 5 GPM, the valve shuts off. You get an alert on your phone.

Scenario 3: Threshold 8 GPM, Timer 15 minutes You fill a bathtub at 5 GPM for 10 minutes. Nothing happens because the flow is below the threshold. Then you turn on the garden hose at 7 GPM while the tub is still filling. The combined flow is 12 GPM, which exceeds the threshold and starts the timer. If you finish filling the tub within 15 minutes, the timer resets. If the combined flow continues for more than 15 minutes, the valve shuts off.

Adjusting Your Settings

  1. Open the PlumBuddy app.
  2. Long-press on the mode you want to adjust (Home, Away, or Standby).
  3. Use the sliders to set your desired flow rate threshold and timer.
  4. Tap Save.

You can also set custom values for a single valve using the Override feature, which lets you adjust settings for one valve without changing your mode settings for the whole property.

Tips for Fine-Tuning

  • Track your first week. Pay attention to any shutoffs that happen during normal water use. If you get false shutoffs, raise the threshold or extend the timer.
  • Seasonal adjustments. You might want higher thresholds in summer when irrigation and pool use increase your water consumption.
  • Multiple fixtures. Remember that running multiple fixtures at once adds up. Two showers plus a washing machine might exceed your threshold even though each individual fixture is well below it.