Get Smart : The Intellecy Blog
Welcome to the Intellecy Blog, a place to ‘Get Smart’ about Intellecy, smart home technology, plumbing and many other subjects.
WATER EFFICIENCY: The Key to a Sustainable Future
Every March the EPA promotes “Fix-a-Leak Week” to raise awareness throughout the nation. Household leaks waste 1 trillion gallons of water annually, nationwide. To put this into perspective, this is the equivalent to the annual water consumption of the households in San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston, and San Antonio combined. If that’s not enough to convince you that leaks are more than a once a year problem, consider that 40 out of 50 states expect a water shortage in the next 10 years. Even thoughCalifornia is officially free of drought after more than sevenyears, we don’t know how long we’ll be drought free. If you were one of the 40% of U.S. households that filed awater leak insurance claim last year, you know all about theinconvenience and the financial hit. Whether or not you’vediscovered a water leak, most people in North County are wondering why their water bills are so high. Unfortunately, many leaks go undetected for years because the source of the leak is not visible. Research shows that the typical home loses 2,000 to 20,000 gallons of water annually from leaks. Almost every leak starts small, and many remain unnoticed until a pipe bursts. Obviously, a pipe burst is [...]
Intellecy Featured on Forbes: “Plumbing Sensor That Listens For Leaks Can Pre-empt Emergencies, Conserve Water”
By Heather L. Whitley, Senior Writer and Digital Producer, Forbes People waste it and fight over it, while globally more than 840 million still struggle to even get access to it. BluView detects when these signals fluctuate and alerts homeowners of potential leaks via their smartphones. ISTOCK In the United States, 40 of the country’s 50 states are expected to suffer water shortages by 2023. Meanwhile, household leaks are wasting 900 billion gallons of water annually nationwide. That’s the bad news. The good news is that entrepreneurs like Emilio Vargas II, president and CEO of San Diego-based Intellecy, Inc., are developing new smart home technologies to monitor, manage and reduce water use. “Our thought was to come out with a product that was environmentally friendly and environmentally conscious,” Vargas explained. “It would help people change their behaviors by providing them with real-time data on how much water they are using, wasting or consuming.” Getting A Clear View By the end of 2016, Intellecy had developed its first prototype of BluView, a sensor that fits onto a water pipe. The system’s water manager continuously measures and monitors water flow based on the sounds and energy signals that are created when water [...]
The Story: ‘Why the Product’
I've been asked several times, "Why / How did you come up with BluView?" The quick answer is because I've experienced 3 major water leaks throughout my life. Each time, I was out of the house when the leak occurred so you can imagine how bad the damage was. All three times, I questioned why there wasn't a way for me to be made aware of the leak. So as you can imagine, the development of BluView is personal. I wanted a solution that would "see" the water leak early and let me know about it quickly. At least early and quickly enough to protect my house the widespread damage. Because I was out of the house, the water ran and ran (and ran) until I came home to find a big and expensive mess. One time, my neighbor called me hysterically to let me know that water was flowing from under the front door. You can image how that call made me feel. Luckily I had a relative who lived nearby and was able to come over to shut off my water main. Needless to say, I came home to lots of damage. My wood floors were warped, the carpeting was [...]
Military & Veteran Appreciation Discount
The Military and Veteran Appreciation Discount is for ALL US Active, Reserve and National Guard Military and Veterans. We want to demonstrate our appreciation to you by offering you a $100 Military and Veteran Appreciation Discount. We want all of you to understand that we appreciate your service. How can you take advantage of this Just send us an email requesting your discount code from your .mil account. If you do not have a .mil email then email us a copy of your LES, DD214, or VA ID card. Note: if sending us an ID, LES, or 214 please blacken out your Social Security Number and any other personal information. We will safeguard your email and will not use it for anything else. We will send you the Military and Veteran Appreciation Discount code via email. Send your email to sales@intellecy.com to receive the discount code. With the highest respect and sincere appreciation, Emilio Vargas II Veteran Intellecy CEO & cofounder
The Intellecy Smart Water Management System pays for itself
One of the key features of the BluView Smart Water Management System is its ability to detect a leak and stop the leak early. Did you know that the average water leak insurance claim is approximately $9,000. Almost 1 in 2 homes (a bit over 40% to be clear) have had an insurance claim because of a water leak. Every day there are over 14,000 claims made for water leaks. With homes getting older and the rush to finish new homes faster, water damage has become the most frequent cause of insurance claims. Cause of Loss (2014) % of claims Water Damage 34% Wind 27% Fire 26% Theft 2.5% Source: Insurance Information Institute Plumbing fails for 3 reasons: joints fail because of poor workmanship fluctuating water pressure weaken joints and stress pipe walls water disinfectants and particles degrade the pipe. Water is very destructive. Leaks damage your property, destroy your memories and can affect your health by causing mold (and stress). An equally important benefit that BluView delivers is water savings. Prices for drinking water have been continually increasing. Increasing demand for water and increasing maintenance costs of water infrastructure are the cause. With water prices steadily increasing at an average [...]
Plumbing
10 Plumbing Tips Everyone Needs to Know
Are you dealing with a dripping faucet, low water pressure, or clogged pipe? You’re probably tempted to call a professional plumber, and with good reason. Homeowners usually don’t have the necessary skills for a DIY plumbing job. plumbing tips They can even make matters worse in the end, triggering thousands [...]
What to do if you suspect a leak between your meter and home (water service line leak)
It is estimated that about 20% of homes have a main service line leak between the water meter in the street and the home. Short run pipes between the home and meter are just as susceptible to leaks as long run pipes. So don't be swayed by the distance between [...]
Here Are The Most Common Ways You’re Wasting Water That Cost You More Than You Think
Keeping an eye on your water usage is a good way to save money and help the planet at the same time. Plenty of us have bad habits that could be costing us hundreds of dollars in water bills over the long run. Here are a few ways that you [...]
Checklist for home plumbing maintenance
In response to the many requests, we have put together this plumbing maintenance checklist to help you identify and avoid potential problems with your home's plumbing. We invite you to download this checklist for your use. To download, click here > Plumbing Preventative Maintenance Checklist Check our podcast for the 3 [...]
August 2018
Intellecy Featured on Forbes: “Plumbing Sensor That Listens For Leaks Can Pre-empt Emergencies, Conserve Water”
By Heather L. Whitley, Senior Writer and Digital Producer, Forbes People waste it and fight over it, while globally more than 840 million still struggle to even get access to [...]
August 2019
What Will Smart Homes Look Like 10 Years From Now?
It’s 6 A.M., and the alarm clock is buzzing earlier than usual. It’s not a malfunction: the smart clock scanned your schedule and adjusted because you’ve got that big presentation [...]
July 2019
Samsung accused of misleading customers on Galaxy S ‘water resistance’
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission claims Samsung's phones aren't as waterproof as advertised. An Australian government watchdog agency is taking Samsung to court over claims that the company's Galaxy phones are [...]
June 2019
Apple enables HomeKit support for home security cameras and router
Store footage in iCloud for 10 days at no charge Apple’s smart home system, HomeKit, is adding support for several new types of devices this year, including home security cameras [...]
May 2019
12 smart thermostats to make your home the right temperature
When Apple alumni Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers unveiled their first-gen Nest Learning Thermostat in 2011, they ignited interest in a previously overlooked part of the home. All of a [...]
April 2019
Smart home motorized window blinds: Best options for 2019
Options range from add-on motors, to bespoke blinds fitted in-between two panes of glass Motorized window blinds which raise and lower with a push of a button - or automatically [...]
How to Protect Your Smart Home From Hackers
Smart home devices can make life more convenient, but may put you at risk of being hacked. Ensure your safety with a few simple measures. By Rachel Cericola (Ms. Cericola [...]
March 2019
What exactly is a ‘smart’ device anyway?
Not too long ago, maybe you remember, most at-home tasks were done by hand. From vacuuming the carpet and cooking dinner to turning on the lights and adjusting the temperature in the room, all the day-to-day domestic [...]
7 Reasons We’re Facing a Global Water Crisis
Droughts in Somalia. Water rationing in Rome. Flooding in Jakarta and Harvey-battered Houston. It doesn't take a hydrologist to realize that there is a growing global water crisis. Each [...]
Smart switch? Psh. Leviton wants to smarten up your whole breaker box
The newly cloud-connected Leviton Load Center features intelligent circuit breakers that you can control or monitor from your phone. by RY CRIST 2019 Promising to bring your breaker box into the [...]
February 2019
Research casts doubt on EPA drinking water standard
More than 5 million Americans get their drinking water from public water systems that could contain hazardous levels of a chemical called nitrate, which is linked to public health risks [...]
Amazon is taking more control over smart home tech
It joins the board of the Zigbee Alliance Amazon now has a say in the development of a commonly used smart home standard, giving the company more power as it [...]
January 2019
Consumer ‘Smart Home’ Technology Predictions For 2019
The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the premier consumer electronics event, where companies big and small get a chance to showcase their new technologies. It always provides [...]
This Simple Box Serves Up Running Water And Clean Electricity In Remote Locations
Off Grid Box, an Italian startup, was founded to bring clean water and renewable energy to the millions of the people in the world who still live without. The box [...]