Flo by Moen Updates Since August 2020

by Margaret · Published August 3, 2021 · Updated November 18, 2021

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This post covers all the latest features Flo by Moen has introduced to the device and Flo app from August 2020 until now.

If you have not seen the first series of posts I made just before FloSense 2.0 came out, you can stop and check them out first or read it after this post because this is a follow on review of Flo by Moen’s features.

Everything in those posts are still valid, but Flo has since enhanced the features I showed in that one. I’ll also cover some of the features that already existed but I missed covering fully at the end of this video.

In August of 2020 Flo by Moen released a big update giving you more control of your water monitor through FloSense, the artificial intelligence embedded in Flo. It introduced a sensitivity slider as well as manual overrides.

Of course, if you are getting alerts you want to be 100% sure you have no existing leaks before modifying these settings. Obvious, but for completeness, you have this unit to protect you and dismissing leaks is definitely the opposite even if it is a really hard to detect leak hidden within a wall, ceiling or below the house. Definitely check out the other posts and videos concerning small leak detection with Flo or other more economical tools here on the blog. I also have videos with the results of how small of a leak each method can detect. (linked at the bottom of this post)

Warnings aside, you can modify the Device Settings.

BIG CHANGES with FloSense: More Control

Under Advanced Features you’ll see FloSense.

Sensitivity Slider

Once inside, FloSense allows you to use the slider to change the alert sensitivity to be more sensitive or less sensitive.

As the information button states, “The Smart Water Shutoff uses FloSense to proactively monitor your home’s plumbing system. In the event of unusual activity, it will trigger an alert to notify you. You can manage the level of responsiveness of the system to trigger alerts with the Alert Sensitivity Bar, by decreasing it to receive less alerts or increasing it for added protection.”

Manual Overrides

If, however, you have a situation where a regularly scheduled event, such as irrigation or a water softener, keeps getting flagged as an issue, you can set up a manual override. Manual overrides also help Flo recognize these events to stop flagging them as the algorithm incorporates these events at a faster rate.

Flo by Moen manual override settings. <Click to enlarge>

Going into the manual override screen you have to name your new rule, and then start specifying when the event runs along with which day.

I had fun synching up the screen records when creating manual overrides in the Flo app.

Examples of changing the flow rate limit.

Next, you have to set water event thresholds for flow rate, water usage and water duration. You can also choose if this manual override will apply to home mode, away mode, or both.

Last, you get to decide how the Flo by Moen device should react to an event. If you want to enable auto shutoff, the shutoff delay period can be anywhere between 0 seconds to 1 hour.

It would be nice if it could also say the event runs every three days like you can see here in the Melnor RainCloud app…

Settings for Melnor Raincloud which include an option for every 1-7 days.

…but this added functionality in the Flo app is much improved from what was there before last August (which was nothing) and it is much improved for your sanity by avoiding receiving a false positive alert.

If you overlap the manual overrides the Override positioned higher on the list will be the one applied to override FloSense™. Flo recommends positioning the Override with the higher water event alert thresholds higher on the list. So here, I’m putting the scheduled water softener time above my very restrictive time around the clock while I’m away.

Flo by Moen Manual Override order matters!

Event Log Update

The next update in the Flo app occurred sometime between September 2020 and January 2021. If you recall, I mentioned how Flo logs all water movement, which is the result of the turbine design tracking water flow along with no backflow preventer installed before the unit:

Flo by Moen’s turbine design logs backflow.

The resulting event history is difficult to wade through and find actual usage as opposed to backflow if you have an open system with no backflow preventer.

It is hard to detect real events without backflow preventer installed before Flo by Moen.

It seems an algorithm change was put in place, eliminating the backflow recordings around the time the last toothbrush is rinsed and starts back up around the time the first toilet is flushed in the morning.

Flo by Moen overnight backflow logged prior to last real use of water at 11:28 pm (on right).

Flo by Moen algorithm change for removes the backflow events overnight. As you can see the first toilet/sink was logged at 6:43 am.

It’s a step in the right direction, and seems like an easy enough update from a software standpoint. You can still see the behavior during the day, which is hard to get around with the turbine design of the unit.

Just know you may have to put in a backflow preventer to eliminate this behavior if you do not want to see it. This will change your house to a closed system and current code may require an expansion tank if you have a storage water heater. Check with your city first for your specific requirements before you make these changes.

Automatic Daily Plumbing Health Check Update

The automatic daily plumbing health checks had an update towards the beginning of February, 2021. If the health test is interrupted…let’s say from a water softener running…instead of skipping the nightly check, Flo will attempt to run the test again about an hour later. Flo will continue to test at hourly intervals until it is able to run a complete test. As you can see, each attempt is logged in the notifications tab.

Flo by Moen Health Test retry update.

Local Mode

Now here is the last update that gives you the ability to protect a property from water damage with Flo by Moen where there is no wifi. This feature was introduced with little fanfare earlier this year, but it’s a significant one if you are a builder or homeowner protecting a house under construction where a WiFi network has NOT been set up yet.

To be clear, local mode is not available to you if you have your device online. If your device is online and goes offline for any reason, the device will fall back to the data stored on the device, which allows Flo to continue to monitor water usage applying your own households habits stored locally as long as there is still power to the unit.

In comparison, local mode is a specialized mode where the device will not be connected to WiFi. There are three settings: Low, Medium and High, of which high is the default.

For all modes, it will auto shut off if a single event exceeds specific thresholds. Currently, high mode will trigger a shutoff at 10 gallons consumed, 5 gpm for more than 10 seconds, or 5 minutes of water use. Medium triggers shut off at 20 gallons consumed, 5 gpm for more than 10 seconds, or 10 minutes of water use. Low allows for 50 gallons consumed, 8 gpm for more than 10 seconds or 15 minutes of water use.

The gotcha for builders here is making all trades aware of this device protecting the home. You can imagine a drywaller or painter trying to clean tools, triggering the warning, causing the device to shut off the water. Since the device isn’t online you can’t simply open up the app and turn the valve back on. There might be a few choice words exchanged as the paint or mud is drying on tools. However, it will catch a leak if a plumber forgets a crimp while installing the entire plumbing system and prevent said drywall and paint from getting destroyed before a leak is caught.

The result of a plumbing leak inside a wall…

You can also manually run a health check in local mode.

I do not have a unit to show this and I’ll default to the article (linked here) for more information since how it is used may change and Flo will keep the website current. There is a little more local mode can do, such as LED behavior, etc., so check it out if you are interested in using Flo in this capacity.

Even the Flo by Moen Smart Water Detectors now have local mode capability.

Freeze Protection

Since Flo is in the Moen family, they synched up with the smart faucet side of Moen to create the ability to DO something about frozen pipes, rather than just send you a warning. This is REAL smart tech functionality.

U by Moen faucets

More Details on Away Mode

Now here are a few features I missed in the last video. As I hinted at before, there is an away mode. In this mode, Flo will continue to monitor the usage in your home and the algorithm will be more conservative and more likely to send alerts as it learns what is normal when water is used in away mode. Of course, if you do not have any extra systems you can use manual overrides to crank the security down to the max. Or, as you can see here, prioritize the irrigation and water softener above the maximum security setting and all should be well.

Flo by Moen Plumbing Size

Flo by Moen also comes in different sizes. This is a ¾” Flo:

It also comes in 1”, and 1.25”, with larger prices to match the larger sizes.

What’s Inside Flo by Moen:

As you can see inside, there is a last chance plastic cross attempting to prevent larger debris from impeding the free wheeling turbine.

Click on this video. Seriously. It goes right to the part where I spin the turbine and you can see what is inside the line where water flows.

As a result, you will see some decrease in pressure to the house, but from my own experience, this was minimal. The maximum flow I saw in the Flo app was 9.3 gallons per minute.

The max gpm I saw in the Flo app.

Give that measurement a little wiggle room because

The pressure was at 62.8 psi
Your pressure is probably different than mine
The hose bibb that was free flowing is on the back of the house with who knows how many turns which also decreases the flow rate as the plumbing meanders under and out of the house.

Flo by Moen starting pressure for max gpm. The pressure goes down when the water is flowing.

These devices are continually improving .

We’ll see how this Flo experiment continues, especially as I also continue to test Phyn Plus and share my results from both systems with you.

FLO ARTICLES REFERENCED:

FloSense Explained
FAQ on FloSense
Local Mode Press Release Feb 8, 2021
How to Use Local Mode