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Moen Solutions

Flo by Moen Automatic Health Test

This article includes detailed information on the: 

  • Flo by Moen app, also known as the Smart Water Network app or the Moen Smart Water app 
  • Smart Leak Detector, also known as the Smart Water Detector  
  • Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff, also known as the Flo by Moen Water Shutoff 

 

Small drips in a home plumbing system can equate to more than 100,000 gallons lost per year. As water is slowly released in hidden places like behind walls, ceilings, or underneath slabs, small drips can be especially tricky. By the time the effects become visible, there may already be substantial damage incurred or a spike in your monthly water bill. With your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff proactively monitoring your home plumbing system, such microleaks can be detected quickly before catastrophic water damage occurs. Unlike the Smart Leak Detector that catches major drain-side leaks often more visible to a homeowner, automatic Health Tests run by the Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff can even detect minor leaks hiding in your home's plumbing system.

How does your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff detect microleaks? Meet the Automatic Health Test.

As part of your Flo service and an integral feature of your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff, a Flo by Moen Health Test is automatically run once every day and you can also run them manually as much as you would like. Health tests are pressure-loss tests on your plumbing system to ensure your home is leak-free by identifying tiny leaks that someone would likely never know existed but that could cause significant damage over time.

To perform the Health Test, the Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff will close its valve to prevent any water supply from entering your home so that it can monitor the stability of the water within your pipes. If any water usage is detected while the test is running, your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff will stop the Health Test immediately before you even notice the valve was closed and rerun the test later. The Health Test can be as short as 30 seconds or it may take up to four minutes. If there is very little to no pressure change, you will pass your test. However, if you have a drippy fixture or a leak at any point, the test will fail and your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff will notify you.

Customize your Automatic Health Test

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When it Runs

The Health Test is automatically scheduled to run when you are least likely to use water. That’s how smart the Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff is! We recommend to allow the Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff to learn what the best time to run your Health Test is within the 24-hour range and run it automatically for you. Still, you have the option to limit the time range for when the Automatic Health Test will run and your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff will learn what the best run time is within that specified range.

For example, if where your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff is installed is right outside your bedroom window and the opening and closing of the valve wakes you up when you are sleeping at night, you can shorten the time range for the test to only run during the day from 8am to 8pm. The wider the range, the more opportunities you are giving your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff to learn what the best time is to run the Automatic Health Test.

The Automatic Health Test schedule is specific to each device, so please keep in mind that if you have more than one Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff , the automatic run time may differ and any manual changes made to one Automatic Health Test schedule will not be carried over to another device.

Note: If the Automatic Health Test is disabled, your product warranty and FloProtect deductible (if you have a FloProtect subscription) may be void.

How Many Times it Runs

By default, the Health Test will run once per day. You can customize your Health Test settings to allow up to three daily health tests. More tests mean more protection. The more often your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff tests your home for leaks, the sooner it can alert you if there is one.

Where do I customize my Automatic Health Test?

You can customize your Health Test settings in the Health Test Settings page. There are two ways to get here on the Flo by Moen Appboth starting at the Device Home Page:

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Device Home Page in the Flo by Moen App

Via Device Settings

Device Home Page → Device Settings → Advanced Features → Health Test

  1. At the top right of the screen, select “Device Settings”.
  2. Select “Health Test” in the “Advanced Features” section.

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See Health Test in the Advanced Features Section of Device Settings page in the Flo by Moen App

Via the Health Test Card (shortcut)

While on the Device Home page, scroll down to where you can manually run a Health Test.

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Device Home Page → Health Test Card → Gear icon

Press on the gear icon to the right of, "Check your plumbing for leaks" to jump directly to the Health Test settings page.

What should I do if my Automatic Health Test fails?

As the Health Test can pick up on very small drips, it’s a good idea to inspect your faucets, hose bibs, and any other fixtures for evidence of a drip. Inspect faucet tips for moisture and water collection, inspect your shower head by looking at the floor to help identify a drip.

Hose bibs are a common source of drips, especially if they are older because they may not form a complete seal when shut, and if water drips out the Health Test will fail as a result. If you keep your hose on and rely on the hose nozzle to retain the water, consider shutting the hose off at the hose bib rather than at the hose nozzle.

Next, inspect your toilet fill tanks. A common cause for a slow drip is a bad toilet flapper. If the flapper isn’t forming a good seal, it can allow water to drip or trickle through. This will result in the toilet’s fill valve to activate and fill the water that is repeatedly being lost. Refer to our article on replacing your toilet flapper for more information here.

I’ve checked all my fixtures and hose connections and they seem fine. What next?

If you’ve checked all your fixtures for a potential drip and have found nothing, it’s time to move on to inspecting the angle stops. These are the individual manual shutoffs for your various fixtures.

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Below a sink where two angle stop shutoffs are visible on either side of the pipe, and a Smart Leak Detector placed below that detects any water that leaks and alerts via the Flo by Moen App.

For a sink, they will be located almost directly beneath. You’ll find one shutoff for cold water and one for hot water. Inspect these connections for drips or leaks, and check for moisture. They should be dry to the touch. If you see a drip or feel moisture on the connection, please contact your plumber for more information on replacing the unit.

You’ll also find one of these for each toilet. Inspect that as well for any drips or moisture.

If your angle stop shutoffs are fine, consider shutting them all off and running your Health Test manually. If it passes, it’s safe to assume a fixture after a shutoff is causing the small drip. Open a pair of shutoffs, and re-run the test until the test fails. By process of elimination, you can find the source of your leak or small drip.

I’ve shut off all fixtures and my Health Test is still failing. Now what?

If your Health Test still fails with all your sinks and toilets turned off, you’re at least narrowing down the possibility of the source of the leak.

Consider shutting off your irrigation-related components. If the irrigation to your home is connected to the plumbing from inside the home, it’s possible that your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff is catching a leak in the irrigation system.

A quick way to test if your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff is covering any irrigation is to turn on the irrigation and check your Flo by Moen App for water flow. If you see water flowing, then that section of irrigation is captured in your Health Test.

Some irrigation systems will have a shutoff right before it begins. If you see one, try shutting off the water to the irrigation and re-run your Health Test manually. If your test passes, the leak is caused by some component after the irrigation shutoff. Take a look at your irrigation valves to see if they’re leaking. Sometimes running the irrigation system while visually inspecting the valves will result in a visible leak. Contact your plumber, landscaper, or gardener for assistance in detecting and resolving irrigation-related leaks.

I’ve checked everything and I still can’t find any leaks. What should I do next?

If you’ve searched high and low, and have found no evidence of a drip or moisture around a connection, it may be time to ask for some assistance. But before you call anyone for more help, considering waiting a few days to see if your Automatic Health Test continues to fail. It could be that your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff simply picked up on something intermittent or a one time series of drips.

Should your Health Test continue to fail repeatedly and you are not able to identify the source of the leak, please contact Flo support or your local plumber to see what additional steps may be taken.

There is a possibility that the leak being detected is from a portion of pipe that is hidden beneath the ground, a wall, or running through the attic and there are professional methods to aid in detecting “hidden” leaks.

If the leak is this small, can’t I just ignore it?

Your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff is designed to provide you with information on the health of your plumbing system. Even the smallest drips can result in a large leak if left ignored. Remember that your pipes always have a constant pressure between 40-80psi (potentially more if you do not have a pressure reducing valve installed) and that constant pressure is pushing against all of your fixtures and pipes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whatever may be causing the small leak could give into the pressure and cause an even bigger leak, or a burst. Your Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff will do its best to shut your water off as quickly as possible to minimize water damage impact but it could take several minutes for such a leak to be detected and acted upon. Even with a Smart Leak Detector placed near where a drain-side leak has began that detects the leak in a matter of seconds, the best way to minimize water damage from leaks is to prevent them as much as possible. It may cost more to treat the (next) problem than it may be to prevent it from happening, by investigating leaks to their sources.

It’s best practice to stay on top of detected leaks to at least discover the cause. You may find that it’s a fixture or faucet that can be shut off in the meantime and addressed at a later date. Or, with professional help, you may discover that there was a hidden leak somewhere that could have led to severe water damage somewhere in the home.

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