Unexpected Minor Leak Alerts?

Receiving "minor leak" alerts when you know no one is actively using water can be puzzling. Sometimes, even small, intermittent usage from certain household systems can trigger these notifications.

If you're seeing alerts similar to, for example, 10-20 minutes consuming 10-30 litres (settling to around 1 L/min) at seemingly random times of day, and you know no one was using taps, showers, washing machines, or dishwashers, here are some common culprits and solutions.

Common Sources of Intermittent Low-Volume Flow

• Toilet Cistern Refilling/Slow Leak: A running toilet is a very common cause of unexpected water usage. If a flush seal isn't perfectly seated, the cistern can slowly leak and then refill itself, creating a small burst of flow followed by a trickle.
• Water Softener Regeneration: If you have a water softener, it periodically flushes and regenerates. While full cycles are often longer, specific stages or models might draw water in the pattern you're seeing.
• Humidifiers or Ice Makers: Appliances like humidifiers with automatic refills or the ice maker in your refrigerator can periodically draw small amounts of water.
• Heating System / Boiler Top-Up: Some central heating systems or boilers have automatic fill or pressure relief valves that might intermittently draw water to maintain pressure.
• External Automated Systems: Even small, automated garden watering systems, like drip irrigation, might run for short periods at unexpected times, potentially on a less frequently used zone.

How to Manage These Alerts

You have a couple of options to help manage these specific types of alerts and prevent unnecessary shut-offs:

1. The "Relearn" Function:

   • The "relearn" function in the app teaches your system to recognise this specific pattern and volume of water usage as normal for your household, preventing future alerts and automatic shut-offs for that activity. You may need to keep doing this, so in that case follow the next step also.

2. Adjust the Minimum Alert Duration:

   • You can increase the minimum duration for learnt thresholds in your FlowReporter app. For instance, if you set the minimum to 15 minutes, any water usage that lasts for a shorter period than this will not trigger an alert. This can be a useful way to filter out brief, harmless flows, but be aware that it would also delay alerts for genuine short leaks.
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By understanding these potential sources and adjusting your FlowReporter settings, you can tailor your system to better suit your household's unique water usage patterns.