On 20/08/2012 19:11, John Williamson wrote:
MM wrote:
Came back at least two hours later to find I'd forgotten to turn off
the garden hose after watering the plants, then going shopping. It was
only on at a moderate flow -- more than a trickle, but significant.
I've just read the meter under the pavement and worked out
(extrapolating from my previous bill) how much has gone. The estimated
reading for 20/Aug/12 based on past consumption should be 446. The
actual reading is 448.68, so I've wasted over 2.5m³, which is a heck
of a lot. So I'm planning on emergency measures like all-over washes
instead of baths for the next three months.

But as I get older and more forgetful, is there a gadget I can fit to
either turn off the tap automatically or warn if it's left on? Okay,
so I wouldn't have heard a warning while out shopping, but I was back
home for at least half an hour before going out into the garden and
then noticing the lake of water on the lawn.

My Google-fu seems to be having an off day, but I remember specifying a
valve that would cut off flow after a preset amount in the '80s.

Yep, I'm sure I remember seeing such a valve advertised in the 80s. It
was entirely mechanical, intended to be fitted straight after the
stop-tap and would allow enough to fill a bath, but would cut-off if the
water kept running. Stopping the flow by turning the tap off immediately
reset it for next time. It was being advertised as for saving your house
from major damage if there was a leak while you were out.

SteveW