Innovative smart technology brand rolls out newly designed smart shutoff valve to help prevent the cost and hassle of property damage due to water issues
SEATTLE, 2017-Sep-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — According to the Insurance Information Institute, water damage is the most common type of claim for insurance companies with the average repair costing nearly $8000*. Wally Labs is putting a big dent in that number with the launch of the smart, whole home Shutoff Valve for water lines. When a Wally Sensor detects a leak, the Shutoff Valve averts potential disaster by automatically turning the water off in the home or building.
Wirelessly connecting to the Wally Hub, the Shutoff Valve allows users to turn their main water supply on and off from a mobile device using the Wally mobile app**. Users can also pair the Shutoff Valve with Wally’s existing Wally Sensor. The Sensor, which detects leaks and monitors temperature and humidity, can automatically turn off the Shutoff Valve when water is detected.
“While many homeowners will face major water damage at some point, the threat looms for every homeowner. Water damage may fall outside a homeowner’s insurance policy. And some items, like photo albums and children’s memorabilia are irreplaceable. The good news is that a lot of this can be prevented,” said Ryan Ciovacco, president of Wally Labs and Connected Living at Sears Holdings. “With the Shutoff Valve, homeowners can have peace of mind, because Wally goes beyond simply alerting the homeowner to a potential hazard by helping to stop small issues from becoming larger disasters.”
The Wally system is designed to be simple and intuitive, providing users with peace-of-mind and features that can help save time, energy and money.
- Action/Reaction: The Shutoff Valve can be paired with the Wally Sensor and will shut the water off within seconds of detecting a leak. Users can also turn the valve off manually by pressing the button on the valve or remotely through the Wally mobile app.
- No Power Necessary: There is no need to install a new power outlet or run a long extension cord. The Wally Shutoff Valve operates on four CR123 lithium batteries that can last for two years before needing to be changed.
- No Wi-Fi, No Problem: When paired with a Wally Sensor, the Wally Shutoff Valve will still operate even if the power or Wi-Fi is lost during a power outage or storm. This is a major advantage over the “hubless” WiFi-only solutions.
- Indoor/Outdoor: The Shutoff Valve operates in temperatures ranging from minus20 degrees F to 140 degrees F and is water and dust proof.
- Not Just Water: The Shutoff Valve also can be used on gas lines. See wallyhome.com for more information.
- Rapid Response: Wally offers an optional centralized monitoring service for its users. If the Wally Sensor detects a leak or extreme temperature, Wally Rapid Response will notify the user and help triage and diagnose the issue. If further assistance is needed, the Wally expert can dispatch a certified plumber from its network of professionals.
- Wally Pro: The Wally products are currently used by many commercial enterprises for food spoilage reduction in restaurants and mold and water damage prevention in multi-unit living and office buildings. Wally Pro offers monitoring through Wally Rapid Response, as well as a dashboard for real-time monitoring of multiple units. See more at www.wallyhome.com/Pro.
- Simple Setup: While the Wally Hub and Wally Sensor are easy to set up in a few minutes, we do recommend a professional plumber install the Wally Shutoff Valve.
- MSRP: Starting at $249.99 for the 3/4-inch valve, which is the most common size in residential homes. Also available in 1-inch and 1 ¼-inch valves.
The Wally Shutoff Valve will be available in early September. To purchase the Wally Shutoff Valve or for more information about Wally products, visit www.wallyhome.com.
About Wally Labs
Acquired in 2015, Wally Labs is a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation. Wally has maintained its innovation and technical expertise, and is now backed by the logistical and operational resources of a Fortune 150 company, as well as the unparalleled advantage of a close partnership with the nation’s largest home services provider.
Wally Labs is a sensor and services platform company for the connected home, focused on home safety, security, and loss prevention. Its technology provides homeowners with state-of-the-art coverage and sensor longevity for environmental hazard detection. Its customers use its devices, in connection with its monitoring service, to discover and alert themselves when a harmful event occurs in their home. Wally Rapid Response partners with ServiceLive’s nearly 35,000 certified and screened service professionals to dispatch the appropriate service professional to fix the problem. ServiceLive is a division of Sears Home Services.
For more information, visit www.wallyhome.com
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading integrated retailer providing merchandise and related services and is part of Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through shopyourway.com. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through Sears-branded and affiliated full-line and specialty retail stores. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard — among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation’s largest provider of home services, with more than 6,000 expert technicians who make nearly 11 million service calls annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
* Source: Insurance Information Institute http://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/homeowners-and-renters-insurance
**Remote control and monitoring functionality of Wally Smart products requires a smartphone or tablet, wireless router with a continuous home internet connection, the Wally hub and the free app. These devices are not included. Supports iPhone® and Android™ mobile devices. Mobile devices not included with product. iPhone® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Android™ is a trademark of Google Inc.
Larry Costello
PR Director
847-286-9036
Larry.Costello@searshc.com
SOURCE Sears, Roebuck and Co.