November 22, 2022
Put Water Damage Worries Out of Your Mind
With Concord’s new Water Damage Protection System, “next gen” isn’t just a buzz phrase. The entire system is truly future-ready thanks to its integration of smart technologies, remote action, elevator protection, and preventative design elements. Combined, this multitude of features mitigates water damage incidents and their severity. And yet, despite its high-tech nature, the Water Damage Protection System is driven by a straightforward reason: your peace of mind and security.
Why Is It Important?
Across Canada, condo strata fees are rising due to increased insurance premiums and deductibles, and water is considered the new fire when it comes to the cost of condo insurance claims and premiums. That’s why Concord is investing up to $4 million in each new building for the Water Damage Protection System. It’s a solid way of reducing water damage incidents and their severity — with the potential to also lessen overall costs and insurance premiums. Whether you’re living at Concord Sky in Toronto, Oasis at Concord Brentwood in Burnaby, or any of Concord’s other new developments, you can rely on this new system.
Algorithms Aren’t Just for Social Media
There are no hashtags involved, but the Water Damage Protection System does employ online monitoring with a smart technology algorithm that instantly detects abnormal water flow. Let’s say a pipe backs up and water starts to leak, the online monitoring will remotely notify your property manager in real-time. It’s also designed for remote shut-off. That means, even if they’re offsite, a property manager can shut off the water in mere seconds. This two-pronged approach is an opportunity for mitigation against major leaks that could cause severe damage to your home — and disrupt your life.
Speaking of getting things done remotely, the tech also allows property managers to remotely open drain valves to accelerate the draining of excess building water load from leaks. That’s crucial because most damage actually occurs due to slow response time and the inability to shut off the water. Even when it’s shut off, the remaining water in the upper floor pipes can cause further damage. When the property manager remotely opens the smart drain valves, it accelerates the draining process away from leaking pipes.
The entire intelligent system is safeguarded against outages by a backup power source.
Total Building Protection
A condo’s common areas are an extension of your living space. The elevator is one area that you likely use daily but don’t think about often. But having a water damage protection system for the elevators is crucial.
Concord’s system starts by encasing the elevators’ expensive computer components, which, if damaged, can take a long time to be replaced. The waterproof enclosure gets further assistance from the elevator roof, which is designed to deflect water off the elevator cab top. Elevator pits, meanwhile, are outfitted with smart water sensors. These sensitive gadgets trigger an alarm when they detect water. The alarm sends the elevator to the top of the shaft and away from any water below. Lastly, elevator lobbies are ever-so-subtly graded to channel water away from the elevator shaft. That matters because it buys personnel extra response time to shut off the water and prevent it from reaching the elevator.
As a preventative feature, you’ll also find recessed sprinklers in all living areas. They’re used to prevent sprinkler head damage caused by incorrect usage or accidents — like when your movers are carrying your oversized couch and graze the sprinkler. This type of loss control system helps to reduce the frequency and severity of water-related claims, saving you money in both premiums and deductibles.
Beyond Concord Sky and Oasis
Concord Sky in Toronto, Oasis at Concord Brentwood in British Columbia, or any of Concord’s other new starts are outfitted with the new Water Damage Protection System. Concord is also upgrading 12 recently-sold buildings. Those developments will leverage Remote Water Flow Detection and Remote Water Shut Off to keep things flowing smoothly — or not at all — as needed.
