Notifications and Alerts

How PlumBuddy Notifications Work

PlumBuddy sends push notifications to your phone whenever something important happens with your water system. Notifications are delivered through the PlumBuddy app on both iOS and Android devices. Everyone on the account receives the same notifications, so all household members stay informed.

Types of Alerts

PlumBuddy sends different types of alerts depending on what is happening with your system.

Leak Detected

This is the most important alert. PlumBuddy has detected water flow that exceeds your threshold for longer than your timer allows, or a paired PlumAssist puck has detected water where it should not be. If auto-shutoff is active, the valve has already closed by the time you see this notification.

What to do: Check the alert details to see which device triggered it and whether the valve has closed. If a PlumAssist puck triggered it, the alert will tell you exactly which puck (for example, “Water detected at Kitchen Sink”). Investigate the source of the water and address the issue before reopening the valve.

Valve Closed

The valve has been closed, either automatically by the system or manually by another user on the account. This alert tells you your water supply is off.

What to do: If the closure was automatic, check for the associated leak alert. If someone else on the account closed it manually, no action is needed.

Valve Opened

The valve has been opened. This is informational — it lets you know when water supply has been restored.

Device Offline

A device has lost its connection to the PlumBuddy servers. This could mean a WiFi outage, a power issue, or the device has moved out of WiFi range.

What to do: Check your home WiFi. If your internet is working, try power-cycling the device by unplugging it for 10 seconds and plugging it back in. See our WiFi troubleshooting guide for more detailed steps.

Low Battery

A PlumAssist puck’s battery is getting low. You typically have a few weeks of remaining battery life when this alert appears, but you should replace the battery soon to avoid gaps in coverage.

What to do: Replace the CR123A battery in the indicated PlumAssist puck. After replacing, test the puck by dabbing the sensing pins with a wet towel to confirm it is working.

Flow Alarm

Water flow has exceeded your threshold and the timer is counting down. If the flow continues, the valve will close when the timer expires. This is your warning before automatic shutoff.

What to do: If the water use is intentional (filling a bathtub, running sprinklers), you can dismiss the alarm or switch to Standby Mode. If the water use is not intentional, let the timer run — the valve will close automatically to protect your home.

Managing Notification Preferences

Enabling Notifications

When you first install the PlumBuddy app, it will ask permission to send push notifications. We strongly recommend allowing notifications — they are your primary way of knowing about issues with your water system.

If you declined notifications during setup, you can enable them later:

• iPhone: Go to Settings, then Notifications, find PlumBuddy, and turn on Allow Notifications.
• Android: Go to Settings, then Apps, find PlumBuddy, tap Notifications, and enable them.

Critical Alerts

Leak detection and valve closure notifications are sent as high-priority alerts. On most phones, these will bypass Do Not Disturb settings so you are notified even while sleeping. This is by design — a water leak at 3 AM needs your attention.

Multiple Users

Every user on the PlumBuddy account receives the same notifications. This means both you and your spouse, your property manager, or anyone else on the account will be alerted simultaneously. You cannot selectively mute notifications for individual users at this time.

Alert Cooldowns

To prevent notification fatigue, PlumBuddy applies a cooldown period after certain alerts. If the same condition keeps triggering (for example, a sensor that keeps getting wet and then drying), the system will wait before sending another notification for that same event. This keeps your phone from buzzing continuously without missing genuinely new issues.

Tips for Managing Alerts

• Do not disable notifications. It can be tempting to mute alerts after a false alarm, but notifications are your first line of defense against water damage. Adjust your thresholds instead.
• Investigate every leak alert. Even if the first one turns out to be a false alarm, do not ignore them. Each alert deserves a quick check.
• Clear resolved alerts promptly. Open the app, review the alert, and clear it once addressed. This keeps your notification history clean and makes new issues easy to spot.
• Keep the app updated. New versions of the PlumBuddy app may include improvements to notification delivery and alert types.