I am fairly new to smartthings and am just setting up stuff in my house.
One thing I would like to do is have my Fortrezz water valve close when a certain mode is activated. I have created a new mode called Vacation and I have a routine that activates that mode. What I would like to happen when that mode is activated is for the water valve to be automatically closed.
I can’t seem to find a way to have actions happen based on a mode being activated? Is this possible?
Thanks
Yes you can do this but you do it in the routine setting instead of a separate automation.
In the settings for the routine you set up. Near the bottom, right above where you set it to change to vacation mode - there is a setting to open/close valves.
I saw that option when I created the routine but I wasn’t sure if that was the best way to do it or not.
Thank you!
You might want to check with the water valve but most do not recommend repeated closing and opening of the valve. Just FYI. I would not want the valve to spring a leak on you.
Yeah I don’t want to cycle it too often. Twice a year we go away for a week or two, so that is the only time it would be used so it’s only 2 opens and 2 closes that I would be thinking of.
I have mine auto close anytime we leave the house April-September (when the whole house humidifier isn’t needed).
I haven’t had an issue with mine and it has been installed for a few years.
During the off months the valve will auto close/open on it’s own, to ensure the valve doesn’t get stuck.
I emailed WaterCop and they said to cycle the valve at least once every 4 weeks to exercise the valve and prevent scale and sediment from building up in it.
RE: Cycling Water Valves or not
I have a Dome water valve. I’ve set it to automatically turn off if it senses water from any of my six sensors. I also have it notify/remind me each week to test the system. I do this by testing a different sensor each week with a wet finger. This tests the sensor, the controlling webCoRE piston and my Dome Water Shutoff Valve. Cycling the valve like this also ensures that it doesn’t eventually get stuck due to sediment buildup, etc. This type of periodic cycling/testing is widely recommended and done within the SmartThings community. I also checked online to see what the manufacturers say about this. I couldn’t find anything specifically on the Dome site but other manufacturers recommend doing it periodically and at least one said that the valve would last a minimum of 250,00 cycles.
To each their own I guess. But, my limited research and experience say it’s a good thing to periodically cycle/test the system. It’s a practice that is followed by many users and recommended by valve manufacturers. Having said all of that, I don’t think I’d have the valve shut off each time I left the house and then back each return just so there are no leaks. That’s why we install leak sensors.