# Can AT&T home security system really turn off the water in your sink? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 8, 2014, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254 "2014-01-08T06:40:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/21 "2014-01-08T20:37:48Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I haven’t seen the ad, but I’m sure it would be a valve under the sink (or a valve on the main water pipe), not that it’s actually controlling the sink itself. So it wouldn’t be able to remotely turn the water on, only off. It could only remotely turn it on if you left your sink in the on position to begin with. > It would be like turning your kitchen light on from the breaker in your basement. You can do it, but the light switch has to be in the on position. It could be the faucet itself. When we did our kitchen remodel we looked at many faucets. Some of the newer ones have a system where you can turn on and off the water simply by touching the top of the faucet (the upside-down U part). It’s like a touch screen but just for turning on and off the water. If faucets can do that, its not a far step to be able to turn on and off the water over the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/22 "2014-01-08T21:22:16Z")
When the singularity finally happens and a Skynet style hyper-intelligent and malignant computer AI decides to kill us all it won’t even need an army of cyborgs. 1. It can simply wait patiently until the appointed hour. (Probably early morning on New Year’s day would be most efficient.) 2. Lock everyone’s doors and windows. 3. Drown everyone by turning every faucet and shower on in the house and fill them to the top with water. It’s ironic that the people living in bunkers will probably die first. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/23 "2014-01-08T21:30:10Z")
With security systems that send text alerts and even video to your phone from security cameras, what is the point of having ADT or some other 3rd party getting monthly payments? A quick search online seems to show that functionality is there, but getting it increases your monthly payment, not eliminates it… ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/24 "2014-01-08T21:31:54Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > When the singularity finally happens and a Skynet style hyper-intelligent and malignant computer AI decides to kill us all it won’t even need an army of cyborgs. > . Have you read [this](http://www.amazon.com/Robopocalypse-Daniel-H-Wilson-ebook/dp/B004CFAWS4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389216686&sr=1-1&keywords=robopocalypse) book? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/25 "2014-01-09T00:03:52Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I couldn’t get past the college age kid that didn’t respect his dad’s house. > > If I came home and found my house like that with all the lights on, tv and the faucet running. No one there. My adult daughters would have some serious explaining to do. We didn’t put up with that when they were 12. Yeah, that commercial bugs the shit out of me. A random light on maybe, but the frigging water running?! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/26 "2014-01-09T01:21:32Z")
In the commercial, the dad asked, “Did you leave the house in good shape?” and then after turning everything off remotely said, “Sure you did.” So does the app tell the user what stuff was still on? I mean, those of us watching the commercial see the water running in the kitchen sink, the lights on, the TV on and the front door unlocked. But does he know all that? Also, I noticed that the cable companies are also advertising similar home automation products. This is the sort of thing that’s been promised for years but most people still don’t have it. I had a friend who used [X10 devices](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X10_%28industry_standard%29) for remotely turning off his lights. And one of the vendors I worked with once built a system in the CEO’s office in a downtown office building to automatically lower the shades during the day, depending on the position of the sun. I wonder if it’s going to be more common. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/27 "2014-01-09T02:17:33Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Yeah, that commercial bugs the shit out of me. A random light on maybe, but the frigging water running?! I know a dude, 40ish years old, degree in astronomy from MIT, runs his own successful company, that will happily pour a glass of water from the tap and just leave the tap half going when he walks away (not to mention lights, bathroom fans, TVs, etc.). It drives everyone around him bonkers but he’s otherwise intelligent and thoughtful. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/28 "2014-01-09T02:45:23Z")
[QUOTE=Tom Tildrum] In practice, AT&T probably just sends a guy to your house. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=sachertorte] It could be the faucet itself. [/QUOTE] Did anyone read Post #12? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/29 "2014-01-09T03:17:01Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Did anyone read Post #12? Or 4 or 9. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/30 "2014-01-09T05:49:49Z")
I can turn on my bathtub from my phone. Its because the bathtub water is controlled not by taps (faucetts) but by a panel of switches that turn water off and on and adjust temperature etc. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/31 "2014-01-10T15:26:05Z")
Maybe I’m too paranoid. These home security setups where you can view inside your home via your smart phone, doesn’t anyone worry that the security company can also see inside your home? Like when you are there? Or that a system like this could be ‘hacked’ by burglars? But then, I also believe that bored On-Star operators remotely turn on random people’s microphones in their cars and listen in. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/32 "2014-01-10T15:46:49Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > So the pump pulls up water from the hot water tank, which pulls it from the cold water pipe, which pulls it through the sequence of cold water pipes that eventually leads back to the pump, which is busily pumping the water from your hot water pipes (the water that’s cooled down since the night before) into your cold water pipe. When the power goes off, do you have hot water from the gas water heater? It depends upon the design of pump, I guess. An aquarium powerhead will siphon when it is turned off. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/33 "2014-01-10T16:59:57Z")
This isn’t incredibly new, home automation has been around since the 70s, it just used control boxes and timers, these days it uses computers and it’s connected to the internet. I have some automation that uses both a wireless receiver and the internet so I can control things with a remote control or over the net from my phone. I don’t need AT&T or a security system, I set up a simple server of my own. I just have several lights automated. I used to have the front door lock automated so I could lock/unlock it from anywhere but it didn’t fit with system and i didn’t have any use for it really. Same for the garage door. They have sprinkler controllers so a sink control wouldn’t be too hard. They have curtain openers, pool cleaning automation, and just about anything else you can think of. All these companies really have is a web interface through their site and an app to make it mobile, but no one knows about home automation so it seems new and amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/34 "2014-01-10T17:57:55Z")
I have home automation, too, but it won’t turn off modern TVs, except by turning the power off. No one would do that because you still need the remote to turn it back on. Worked fine back in the day of TVs will actual knobs. If there is now home automation that works with IR remotes, maybe I need to upgrade! And the commercial would have been better if the kids left their car doors open and the radio on when they walked up to the cabin. It would show that they are careless with their own stuff as well. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/35 "2014-01-10T21:24:27Z")
[QUOTE=Just Asking Questions] I have home automation, too, but it won’t turn off modern TVs, except by turning the power off. No one would do that because you still need the remote to turn it back on. Worked fine back in the day of TVs will actual knobs. If there is now home automation that works with IR remotes, maybe I need to upgrade! [/QUOTE] Someone clever could probably finagle it with the Harmony “Ultimate Hub.” In addition to TVs, etc, it can control something called Philips Hue lighting as well as Lutron and Futronix dimmers. Probably more brands as well. I’ve got one of these units and it’s pretty slick - the handheld remote talks to a base station via Bluetooth, and the base unit shoots out the IR signals to the TV, etc. The base unit also is on my home wifi net and there’s a Harmony app for smartphones and tablets, so between our phones, an iPad and the dedicated remote, we have four things to control the system with. As sold, the system only lets phones and tablets control the system if they are on the same wifi net as the hub, but I can’t see why someone couldn’t cobble together something to accept commands from anywhere. My thermostat does that - it’s got an app that lets me control the heating and air conditioning from anywhere in the world I can get on the web. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/36 "2014-01-10T23:32:30Z")
I don’t have any experience with any IR stuff, but it’s out there. I think [this](http://www.smarthome.com/2411T/IRLinc-INSTEON-IR-Transmitter/p.aspx) simple one would work for on/off if you have something that can send Insteon/X10 commands. [This](http://wp.spidermo.net/?p=48) talks about a more expensive one that would be overkill for one TV but it looks pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/37 "2014-01-12T18:30:45Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I couldn’t get past the college age kid that didn’t respect his dad’s house. > > If I came home and found my house like that with all the lights on, tv and the faucet running. No one there. My adult daughters would have some serious explaining to do. We didn’t put up with that when they were 12. This. Plus the implication that these kids are so fucking stupid and irresponsible that the father had to install remote controls to turn off the water, radio, lights, alarms, etc. Plus they directly lied to their father. Never mind remote controls - put a shock collar on the kids, and make them go back and turn the frigging faucet off before they leave the house. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254/38 "2014-01-12T18:39:29Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Never mind remote controls - put a shock collar on the kids, and make them go back and turn the frigging faucet off before they leave the house. > > Regards, > Shodan A shock collar controlled by your cell phone. I’ll wager that there is a market for that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-at-t-home-security-system-really-turn-off-the-water-in-your-sink/678254.md?page=1)