I’m exploring smart water meters for my park and came across a company that sell a meter with a shut-off valve that could be controlled remotely.
Has anyone used a similar system with shut-off valves?
What would be the biggest benefits?
Appreciate any insights!
To me it probably wouldnt be worth the extra cost. If its froze you couldnt shut it off unless you do before it freezes. Some Metrons are supposed to have a heat sensor but also more expensive. Alot of states legally dont allow Landlords to shut off a utility for any reason. Cities can, we cant by state law.
Thanks for the response, JAY-E. I contacted the submetering company, and they said if the tenant did not pay the water bill, the shut-off would be done by them, not by me, the landlord.
I think if they can really shut off for nonpayment, that would be a game-changer for me.
How much does it cost on average to replace a meter? Has anyone done it recently?
Check your state law. Submeter company should follow it. Metron meters are around $200 now depending on dealer. Plus install labor.
We just installed water meters at one of our parks. It was $9,000 for 30 Units.
We are in CA, so things are costly out here.
If I had a more reliable crew at that park, we would have self-installed, but alas, that’s one of the drawbacks of a remote park.
As far as the shut-off valves are concerned, double-check with your state codes. It’s probably not legal to do what they want to do.
Looks like usage dropped in half, but to be fair, only one month overlapts (Feb). The rest may be higher due to seasonal variability (E.g. lawns).
Be careful with the shutoff valve. In some states it is illegal to shut off water on a tenant.
I’m no expert, but I could see the benefit of having a shut off valve is if there is a leak, etc. I have quite a few trailers that have old pipes so I have to shut the water off for the park to do any work…makes it much more of a nuisance to tenants.
I agree. I once saw a meter that had a valve that shut off the water flow to a trickle of just a few drops. It was enough to provide water to refill the toilet after an hour, but not enough to be considered an full shutoff. I was very excited about it. However, when I researched the laws in my states, I found that you can not only not shut off the water to a non-paying tenant but you cannot restrict the flow in any way. Thus this great idea became a non-starter.
Granted, it is good for emergency leaks. But are you really going to spend this extra money for a leak that may happen in 1 home every 5 years? Might be cheaper to have your manager search for leaks on a regular basis.
