I got a "Medium Flow Alert". What does that mean and what should I do?

I got a “Medium Flow Alert” – what does that mean and what should I do? Phyn sends you an alert when it has noticed an unusual flow of water in your home that has lasted at least 20 minutes and has used at least 60 gallons of water**.

This is the predefined default threshold. If Phyn’s Auto Shutoff is enabled, you will receive a second alert 5 minutes after the first alert is issued. If you do not respond to this second alert within 5 minutes, Phyn will shut your water off. **After 21 days of the device being installed, the thresholds are updated based on the water usage pattern at the home. These thresholds are updated every 24 hours based on water usage in the last 24 hours. If there is no water usage in a house on a certain day the thresholds will not be updated.This means that if you continuously use more water than the predefined threshold then those thresholds will set themselves to be longer. If you continuously use less water than the predefined threshold then the thresholds will adjust to be shorter.

 

You can view more information about your alert in the “Alerts” section of the app on the top right of the screen. If the alert shows up in the “Active” panel, that means that the water activity is still going on and has not resolved itself. If the alert appears in the “Resolved” panel, the unusual water use has concluded and you will see when it was “last detected”. For instance, if you left a hose running and then turned it off after an alert has been issued, it would now appear as resolved. Typically a Medium Flow Alert is the result of a leaking toilet flapper, which may result in a constant filling of your toilet tank. If you are at your property, check to make sure that the chain in your toilet's ballcock assembly is not caught under the flapper (rubber valve at the bottom of the tank), or on the flush handle. Another likely issue is your water heater's T&P valve, which tends to wear out after 5 years. Check the valve, located on the top or side of your water heater 6" below the top. If the valve is leaking call your plumber. Also check the drip pan under your water heater to ensure that it's not overflowing. If you cannot find the source of the alert you can run a series of Plumbing Checks to try to isolate the source of the leak.

 

To do this, turn off the water from a faucet or toilet manually by turning the stop located at the fixture. Run a Plumbing Check from the Phyn app, and if the result comes back normal, you have found the source of the issue. If the result comes back with a problem, you can move on to the next fixture. If you cannot find the source of the leak in this manner, we suggest you consult your plumber. If you are not at your property, we suggest you turn the water off remotely using the Phyn app until you can get on site, or call your plumber for assistance. If you know the source of the alert and it is not a leak, help teach Phyn by clicking on the alert and then selecting “Tell Us” at the bottom of the screen. The more feedback you provide through the Phyn App, the faster the Phyn App will learn and will stop sending you alerts the next time that activity occurs.