I hear you on the sensors—fancy tech is great, but how often do people actually check if it's still working properly? Reminds me of the time I got called out to a house at 3 AM because their basement was flooding. They had this expensive leak detection system installed, but guess what? Batteries had died months ago. Made me wonder, what's the point of investing in high-end gear if you're not gonna keep an eye on it?
Ever notice how these emergencies always seem to happen at the worst possible hour? Like, does anyone's plumbing ever burst conveniently at noon on a Saturday? Nope, always middle of the night or when you're about to leave for vacation. Makes me curious—do you guys think it's just Murphy's Law or is there something about nighttime pressure changes or temperature drops that makes pipes more likely to fail then?
Had the exact same thought about fancy sensors when we bought our house. We ended up skipping the expensive stuff and just got in the habit of regularly checking the basics ourselves—water heater, pipes in the basement, etc. And yeah, always seems like these disasters hit at the worst possible time. Honestly, I think it's probably both Murphy's Law and temperature shifts at night...colder temps causing pipes to contract or something. Either way, I've learned to keep a basic plumbing kit handy, just in case.
Totally relate to your approach on skipping the fancy sensors. Honestly, regular checks and a basic plumbing kit have saved me more than once. One thing I'd add—if you're in a colder climate, insulating exposed pipes can make a huge difference. I wrapped mine with foam insulation sleeves (super cheap at any hardware store), and it's been a lifesaver during those brutal winter nights. Also, leaving faucets dripping slightly overnight when temps drop below freezing helps relieve pressure buildup. Learned that one the hard way after a 3 AM basement flood...not fun. Sounds like you've got a solid routine down though, and yeah, Murphy's Law is definitely real when it comes to plumbing. Hang in there—you're definitely not alone in this!
Good call on the insulation sleeves—those things are underrated. I've seen way too many burst pipes from folks skipping that step. Dripping faucets definitely help, but just a heads-up: make sure your drains aren't prone to freezing too. Had a client once who left faucets dripping, but the drain froze solid overnight...talk about a mess. Murphy's Law strikes again, right? Anyway, sounds like you've got things pretty dialed in already. Stay warm out there!
Had a similar nightmare last winter—pipes were insulated, faucets dripping, thought I had everything covered. Woke up around 3 AM to a weird dripping sound...turns out the drain line froze solid, backing water up into the kitchen sink. Spent the next hour with a hairdryer and space heater thawing it out. Lesson learned: drains can freeze too, not just supply lines. Murphy's Law indeed, haha. Glad you caught yours early enough to avoid major damage.
