Amanzi ayinto exabisekileyo nebiza kakhulu, kodwa angaba yingozi kakhulu ukuba abonakala kwiindawo ezingafanelekanga ekhayeni lakho, ingakumbi ngendlela engalawulekiyo. Bendisoloko ndivavanya i-Flo by Moen smart water valve kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo kwaye ndingathi ibingandigcinela ixesha elininzi nemali ukuba bendiyifakile kwiminyaka embalwa eyadlulayo. Kodwa ayigqibelelanga. Kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo ayibizi kakhulu.
Ngokusisiseko, uFlo uza kukubona aze akulumkise ngokuvuza kwamanzi. Uza kuvala nomthombo wakho wamanzi xa kwenzeka isiganeko esibi, njengombhobho oqhumayo. Yiloo nto endiyibonileyo mna. Umbhobho oseluphahleni lwegaraji yam wabanda waza waqhuma ngolunye ubusika ngelixa mna nomfazi wam sasihamba. Sabuya emva kweentsuku ezimbalwa saza safumana ingaphakathi legaraji yethu yonke litshabalalisiwe, amanzi esaphuma kuqhekeko olungaphantsi kwe-intshi enye kumbhobho wobhedu ophahleni.
Ihlaziywe nge-8 kaFebruwari 2019 ukuze ixele ukuba iFlo Technologies yenze ubudlelwane obucwangcisiweyo neMoen kwaye yathiya le mveliso igama elithi Flo nguMoen.
Yonke i-intshi yesikwere sedrywall yayimanzi, inamanzi amaninzi eluphahleni kangangokuba kwakubonakala ngathi kuyana ngaphakathi (jonga umfanekiso, ngezantsi). Uninzi lwezinto esasizigcinile egaraji, kuquka nefenitshala yakudala, izixhobo zokusebenza ngomthi, kunye nezixhobo zokulima, zonakele. Izivuli zeengcango zegaraji kunye nazo zonke izixhobo zokukhanyisa kwafuneka zitshintshwe. Ibango lethu lokugqibela le-inshorensi lidlule kwi-$28,000, kwaye kwathatha iinyanga ukuba yonke into yomiswe kwaye itshintshwe. Ukuba besifakelwe ivalvu ekrelekrele ngelo xesha, ngekungekho monakalo mkhulu kakhulu.
Umbhobho wamanzi owaqhaqhazela waza waqhuma ngelixa umbhali engekho ekhaya kangangeentsuku ezininzi wabangela umonakalo ongaphezulu kwe-$28,000 kwisakhiwo kunye nezinto ezikuso.
I-Flo inevalvu enenjini oyifaka kumgca ophambili wokuhambisa amanzi (1.25-intshi okanye ngaphantsi) xa ungena ekhayeni lakho. Ungakwenza oku ngokwakho, ukuba ukhululekile ukusika umbhobho onika amanzi ekhayeni lakho, kodwa uFlo ucebisa ukufakwa kobuchwephesha. Bendingafuni ukuthatha mathuba, ngoko uFlo wathumela ingcali yeplamba kulo msebenzi (ukufakelwa akubandakanyiwe kwixabiso le-$499 lemveliso).
UFlo une-adaptha ye-Wi-Fi ye-2.4GHz ekwibhodi, ngoko ke kubalulekile ukuba ube ne-router engenazingcingo enamandla enokwandisa inethiwekhi yakho ngaphandle. Kwimeko yam, ndinenkqubo ye-Wi-Fi ye-Linksys Velop ene-node ezintathu, enendawo yokufikelela kwigumbi lokulala elikhulu. Umgca ophambili wokuhambisa amanzi ukwelinye icala lodonga lwegumbi lokulala, ngoko ke isignali yam ye-Wi-Fi yayinamandla kakhulu ukulungisa ivalvu (akukho khetho lwe-ethernet edibeneyo).
Uza kufuna ne-AC outlet kufutshane nomgca wakho wokuhambisa ukuze unike amandla ivalvu ye-Flo eneemoto kunye ne-adaptha yayo ye-Wi-Fi. I-Flo smart valve iguquliwe ngokupheleleyo, kwaye inesitena samandla esingaphakathi, ngoko ke iplagi yombane ekugqibeleni iya kungena ngokulula ngaphakathi kwesiciko sangaphandle se-receptacle esifana ne-bubble. Ndikhethe ukuyixhuma kwi-outlet ngaphakathi kwekhabhathi yangaphandle apho kufakwe khona isifudumezi sam samanzi esingenatanki.
Ukuba ikhaya lakho alinaso isixokelelwano sokuphuma sangaphandle kufutshane, kuya kufuneka ufumanise ukuba uza kuyinika njani amandla ivalvu. Ukuba ugqiba ekubeni ufake isixokelelwano sokuphuma, qiniseka ukuba usebenzisa imodeli ye-GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) ukuze uzikhusele. Okanye, iFlo inikezela ngentambo yokwandisa eqinisekisiweyo yeenyawo ezingama-25 nge-$12 (ungasebenzisa ukuya kuthi ga kwezine xa zidibene ukuba ufuna ngokwenene).
Ukuba umgca wakho wamanzi ukude kakhulu nendawo yokukhupha umbane, ungadibanisa ukuya kuthi ga kwezi ntambo zokwandisa ezintathu zeenyawo ezingama-25 ukuze ufikelele kwindawo yokukhupha umbane.
Iisensors ezingaphakathi kwivalvu yeFlo zilinganisa uxinzelelo lwamanzi, ubushushu bamanzi, kwaye—ngelixa amanzi ehamba ngevalvu—isantya amanzi ahamba ngaso (silinganiswa ngeegaloni ngomzuzu). Ivalvu iya kwenza “uvavanyo lwempilo” lwemihla ngemihla, apho ivala unikezelo lwamanzi lwekhaya lakho ize ijonge naluphi na ukwehla koxinzelelo lwamanzi oluya kubonisa ukuba amanzi ashiya imibhobho yakho kwenye indawo ngaphaya kwevalvu. Uvavanyo lwenziwa phakathi kobusuku okanye ngenye imini xa ii-algorithms zikaFlo zifumanise ukuba awusebenzisi manzi rhoqo. Ukuba uvula itephu, uhlambe indlu yangasese, okanye utya ntoni ngelixa uvavanyo luqhubeka, uvavanyo luya kuma kwaye ivalvu iya kuvulwa kwakhona, ukuze ungaphazanyiswa.
Iphaneli yokulawula iFlo inika ingxelo ngoxinzelelo lwamanzi lwendlu yakho, ubushushu bamanzi, kunye nesantya sokuhamba kwamanzi ngoku. Ukuba ukrokrela ukuba kukho ingxaki, ungayicima ivalvu apha.
Lonke olu lwazi luthunyelwa efini luze lubuyele kwi-app ye-Flo kwisixhobo sakho se-Android okanye se-iOS. Iimeko ezininzi zinokubangela ukuba ezo zilinganiso ziphume ngokukhawuleza: Masithi uxinzelelo lwamanzi luyehla kakhulu, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba kunokubakho ingxaki ngomthombo wamanzi, okanye luphezulu kakhulu, nto leyo ebeka uxinzelelo kwimibhobho yakho yamanzi; amanzi abanda kakhulu, nto leyo ebeka imibhobho yakho esichengeni sokubanda (umbhobho oqandisiweyo uya kubangela ukuba uxinzelelo lwamanzi lukhule); okanye amanzi ahamba ngesantya esiphezulu, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba kunokwenzeka ukuba umbhobho uqhekeke. Ezo ziganeko zingabangela ukuba iiseva zikaFlo zithumele isaziso sokutyhala kwi-app.
Ukuba amanzi ahamba ngokukhawuleza kakhulu okanye ixesha elide kakhulu, uya kufumana umnxeba werobhothi ovela kwikomkhulu laseFlo ekulumkisa ukuba kunokubakho ingxaki kwaye isixhobo seFlo siza kuyicima ngokuzenzekelayo i-water main yakho ukuba awuphenduli. Ukuba usekhaya ngelo xesha kwaye ungazi ukuba akukho nto imbi—mhlawumbi ubunkcenkceshela igadi yakho okanye uhlamba imoto yakho, umzekelo—ungacinezela nje u-2 kwikhibhodi yefowuni yakho ukuze ulibazise ukuvalwa kwefowuni kangangeeyure ezimbini. Ukuba awukho ekhaya kwaye ucinga ukuba kunokubakho ingxaki enkulu, ungavala ivalvu kwi-app okanye ulinde imizuzu embalwa uze uvumele uFlo akwenzele yona.
Ukuba bendifake ivalvu ekrelekrele efana neFlo xa umbhobho wam uqhuma, kuqinisekile ukuba bendingayinciphisa inani lomonakalo owenziwe kwigaraji yam nakwizinto ezikuyo. Kunzima ukutsho ngokuchanekileyo ukuba ukuvuza bekuya kubangela umonakalo omncinci kangakanani, nangona kunjalo, kuba iFlo ayiphenduli ngoko nangoko. Kwaye ubungayi kufuna ukuba kwenzeke, kuba bekuya kukucaphukisa ngee-alamu zobuxoki. Njengoko kunjalo, ndifumene uninzi lwazo ngexesha lovavanyo lwam lweenyanga ezininzi lweFlo, ikakhulu ngenxa yokuba bendingenaso isixhobo sokunkcenkceshela esicwangcisiweyo sokuhombisa umhlaba ngexesha elininzi lelo xesha.
I-algorithm kaFlo ixhomekeke kwiipateni eziqikelelweyo, kwaye ndihlala ndingenzi nto xa kufikwa ekunkcenkcesheleni igadi yam. Indlu yam iphakathi kwesiza seehektare ezintlanu (esahlulwe kwisiza seehektare ezili-10 esasikade siyifama yobisi). Andinalo ingca yendabuko, kodwa ndinemithi emininzi, amahlathi eerose, kunye nezihlahla. Bendisoloko ndizinkcenkceshela ngenkqubo yokunkcenkceshela ngamaconsi, kodwa iisquirrel ezigayiweyo zazihlafuna imingxunya kwiipayipi zeplastiki. Ngoku ndinkcenkceshela nge-sprinkler eqhotyoshelwe kwipayipi de ndifumane isisombululo esihlala sihleli, esingangeni kwisquirrel. Ndizama ukukhumbula ukufaka iFlo kwimo yayo "yokulala" ngaphambi kokuba ndenze oku, ukuthintela ivalvu ukuba ingaqalisi ubizo lwerobhothi, kodwa andisoloko ndiphumelela.
Umgca wam wamanzi ophambili umi nkqo, nto leyo ebangele ukuba i-Flo ifakwe ijonge ezantsi ukuze amanzi ahambe kwicala elifanelekileyo. Ngethamsanqa, uqhagamshelo lombane alunamanzi.
Ukuba uyazi ukuba uza kuba kude nekhaya ixesha elide—umzekelo, xa usekhefini—kwaye awuzukusebenzisa manzi amaninzi konke konke, ungabeka uFlo kwimowudi ethi “away”. Kule meko, ivalvu iya kusabela ngokukhawuleza kakhulu kwiziganeko ezingaqhelekanga.
Ivalvu ekrelekrele yisiqingatha nje sebali likaFlo. Ungasebenzisa i-app yeFlo ukuseta iinjongo zokusetyenziswa kwamanzi nokulandelela ukusetyenziswa kwamanzi kwakho ngokwezo njongo imihla ngemihla, veki nganye, nangenyanga. I-app iya kukhupha izilumkiso nanini na xa kukho ukusetyenziswa kwamanzi okuphezulu okanye okwandisiweyo, xa kufunyenwe ukuvuza, xa ivalvu ingasebenzi (njengoko kunokwenzeka ngexesha lokucima kombane, umzekelo), kunye neminye imicimbi ebalulekileyo. Ezi zilumkiso zingeniswa kwingxelo yemisebenzi kunye neziphumo zovavanyo lwempilo lwemihla ngemihla.
Kubalulekile ukuqaphela apha, nangona kunjalo, ukuba uFlo akanakukuxelela ngqo apho amanzi avuza khona. Ngexesha lovavanyo lwam, uFlo uxele ngokuchanekileyo ukuvuza okuncinci kwinkqubo yam yokuhambisa amanzi, kodwa bekuxhomekeke kum ukuba ndiwufumane. Oyena mntu ubangele oku yayisisigqubuthelo esidala kwindlu yangasese kwigumbi lam lokuhlambela leendwendwe, kodwa ekubeni igumbi lokuhlambela likufutshane neofisi yam yasekhaya, ndandikhe ndeva indlu yangasese iphuma nangaphambi kokuba uFlo axele ngengxaki. Ukufumana ipompo yangaphakathi evuzayo mhlawumbi bekungayi kuba nzima ukuyifumana, kodwa ipayipi yamanzi evuzayo ngaphandle kwendlu kuya kuba nzima kakhulu ukuyichonga.
Xa ufaka i-Flo valve, i-app iya kukucela ukuba wakhe iprofayili yekhaya lakho ngokuphendula imibuzo malunga nobukhulu bekhaya lakho, ukuba linamanqanaba amangaphi, izinto eziluncedo kulo (ezifana nenani lamabhafu kunye neeshawa, kwaye ukuba unedama lokudada okanye i-hot tub), ukuba une-dishwasher, ukuba i-efriji yakho ine-icemaker, kwaye nokuba une-heater yamanzi engenatanki. Iya kuthi ke iphakamise usukelo lokusebenzisa amanzi. Njengoko abantu ababini behlala ekhayeni lam, i-app ye-Flo iphakamise usukelo lwee-gallons ezingama-240 ngosuku. Oko kuhambelana noqikelelo lwe-US Geological Survey lwee-gallons ezingama-80 ukuya kwi-100 zokusetyenziswa kwamanzi ngomntu ngamnye ngosuku, kodwa ndifumanise ukuba ikhaya lam lisebenzisa ngaphezulu koko rhoqo kwiintsuku endinkcenkceshela ngazo igadi yam. Ungazibekela usukelo lwakho kuyo nayiphi na into ocinga ukuba ifanelekile kwaye uyilandele ngokufanelekileyo.
I-Flo inikezela ngenkonzo yokubhalisa ongayikhetha, i-FloProtect ($5 ngenyanga), enika ulwazi oluthe kratya malunga nokusetyenziswa kwamanzi akho. Ikwabonelela ngezinye izibonelelo ezine. Isici esiphambili, esibizwa ngokuba yi-Fixtures (esisasebenza kwi-beta), sithembisa ukuhlalutya ukusetyenziswa kwamanzi akho ngokwezixhobo, nto leyo eza kwenza kube lula ukufikelela kwiinjongo zakho zokusebenzisa amanzi. I-Fixtures ihlalutya iipatheni zokuhamba kwamanzi ukuze ichonge indlela amanzi akho asetyenziswa ngayo: Zingaphi iigaloni ezisetyenziselwa ukuhlamba izindlu zangasese; zingakanani iigaloni ezithululwa kwiimpompo zakho, kwiishawa, nakwiibhafu; zingakanani amanzi asetyenziswa zizixhobo zakho (umatshini wokuhlamba, umatshini wokuhlamba izitya); kwaye zingaphi iigaloni ezisetyenziselwa ukunkcenkceshela.
Izixhobo zifakiwe kwinkonzo yokubhalisa yeFloProtect enokukhetha. Izama ukuchonga indlela osebenzisa ngayo amanzi.
Le algorithm ayizange ibe luncedo kangako ekuqaleni kwaye yayiza kuhlanganisa uninzi lwamanzi endiwasebenzisileyo kudidi "lwamanye." Kodwa emva kokunceda i-app ichonge iipateni zam zokusebenzisa amanzi—i-app ihlaziya indlela osebenzisa ngayo amanzi ngeyure, kwaye ungahlela kwakhona isiganeko ngasinye—ikhawuleze yachaneka ngakumbi. Ayikabi gqibelele, kodwa isondelelene kakhulu, kwaye yandinceda ndaqonda ukuba mhlawumbi ndichitha amanzi amaninzi kakhulu ekunkcenkcesheleni.
Ubhaliso lwe-$60 ngonyaka lukwakunika ilungelo lokufumana imbuyekezo ye-inshorensi yabanini bezindlu zakho ukuba ulahlekelwa yilahleko yomonakalo wamanzi (ifikelele kwi-$2,500 kwaye kunye neminye imiqathango onokufunda ngayo apha). Ezinye izibonelelo zincinci kancinci: Ufumana iwaranti eyongezelelweyo yeminyaka emibini yemveliso (iwaranti yonyaka omnye iqhelekile), ungacela ileta eyenzelwe wena ukuba uyinike inkampani yakho ye-inshorensi enokukufanelekela isaphulelo kwiprimiyamu yakho (ukuba umboneleli wakho we-inshorensi unikezela ngesaphulelo esinjalo), kwaye uyafaneleka ukuba ujongwe kwangaphambili ngu-"concierge wamanzi" onokucebisa izisombululo kwimiba yakho yamanzi.
I-Flo ayisiyo ivalvu yokuvala amanzi ezenzekelayo ebiza kakhulu kwimarike. I-Phyn Plus ixabisa i-$850, kwaye i-Buoy ixabisa i-$515, kunye nobhaliso olunyanzelekileyo lwe-$18 ngenyanga emva konyaka wokuqala (asikayijongi nanye kwezo mveliso). Kodwa i-$499 lutyalo-mali olukhulu. Kukwafanelekile ukukhankanya ukuba i-Flo ayinxulumananga nee-sensors eziza kubona ngqo ubukho bamanzi apho kungafanele ukuba khona, njengasesinkini esiphuphumayo, ibhafu, okanye indlu yangasese; okanye kwisitshizi sokuhlamba izitya esivuzayo okanye esingasebenziyo, umatshini wokuhlamba impahla, okanye isifudumezi samanzi ashushu. Kwaye amanzi amaninzi anokuphuma kumbhobho oqhumayo ngaphambi kokuba i-Flo ikhalise i-alamu okanye isebenze yodwa ukuba awukwenzi oko.
Kwelinye icala, uninzi lwamakhaya lusengozini enkulu yokonakala kwamanzi kunaleyo ibangelwa ngumlilo, imozulu, okanye inyikima. Ukufumanisa nokuthintela ukuvuza kwamanzi okubi kakhulu kunokukongela imali eninzi kuxhomekeke kwimali yakho yomshuwalense; mhlawumbi okubaluleke ngakumbi, kunokuthintela ukulahleka kwezinto zakho kunye nokuphazamiseka okukhulu ebomini bakho okunokubangelwa ngumbhobho wamanzi oqhumayo. Ukufumanisa ukuvuza okuncinci kunokukongela imali kwibhili yakho yamanzi yenyanga, ingasathethwa ke ngokunciphisa impembelelo yakho kwindalo esingqongileyo.
I-Flo ikhusela ikhaya lakho ekonakaleni kwamanzi okubangelwa kukuvuza kancinci kunye nokusilela okukhulu, kwaye iya kukwazisa nangenkunkuma yamanzi. Kodwa ibiza kakhulu kwaye ayizukulumkisa malunga nokuqokelelwa kwamanzi kwiindawo apho kungafanele ukuba khona.
UMichael ugubungela iingoma zekhaya elikrelekrele, ezolonwabo lwasekhaya, kunye nezonxibelelwano lwasekhaya, esebenza kwindlu ekrelekrele awayakha ngo-2007.
I-TechHive ikunceda ufumane indawo yakho yobuchwephesha. Sikuqondisa kwiimveliso oza kuzithanda kwaye sikubonise indlela yokufumana okuninzi kuzo.
Ixesha lokuthumela: Julayi-03-2019