I've been down that road too—had an electronic valve setup that kept pinging me with phantom alerts. Drove me nuts for a while. Eventually, I landed on a hybrid approach similar to what you're thinking. Mechanical valves at critical points (like main shut-offs and outdoor faucets) and electronic sensors for monitoring leaks in tricky spots like behind appliances or under sinks. Been smooth sailing since... well, mostly. Plumbing always finds a way to surprise you, doesn't it?
"Plumbing always finds a way to surprise you, doesn't it?"
Yeah, no kidding. I went with mostly mechanical valves myself after dealing with a sensor that kept crying wolf under my dishwasher. Thought I'd finally nailed it down, but then the washing machine hose decided to spring a leak out of nowhere. Now I've got electronic sensors just in those sneaky spots—under appliances and near the water heater. Mechanical shut-offs everywhere else. It's been pretty reliable so far, but honestly, I'm still half-expecting another surprise leak somewhere random... plumbing seems to have a twisted sense of humor.
I feel your pain on the washing machine hose—mine decided to give out literally two weeks after moving into my first house. Thought I was being proactive by replacing the old rubber hoses with stainless steel braided ones, but turns out even those aren't foolproof. One of the fittings wasn't tightened properly (rookie mistake, I know), and I woke up to a mini lake in the laundry room. Learned my lesson and now double-check every connection obsessively.
I've been considering electronic sensors too, especially under the dishwasher and fridge, but I'm still a bit skeptical about false alarms. Have you found certain brands or types of sensors more reliable than others? I'm curious if placement or sensor type makes a noticeable difference in accuracy...
"Have you found certain brands or types of sensors more reliable than others?"
I've had good luck with Zircon's Leak Alert sensors—pretty reliable overall. Placement matters a ton though; keep them away from condensation-prone areas or you'll get false alarms. Learned that the hard way...
I've actually had decent luck with the cheaper Govee sensors from Amazon. They're not fancy, but they do the job pretty well if you set them up right. Trick is to test them first—just dip your finger in water and touch the contacts to make sure they're working. And yeah, placement is key...I once put one too close to the shower and got woken up at 2am by a false alarm. Lesson learned, haha.
