Turns out there are at least two more than I thought. In the past week I’ve heard from two companies offering gadgets that solve horrible household problems I confess I’d never before worried about—flooding from toilet overflows and death from killer icicles.
A company called AquaOne Technologies would like to stop my toilet from overflowing, wasting water and ruining my floors in the process, with a gadget called the H2Orb, $130 gizmo that installs between the water line and the toilet. The device uses a low power microcontroller from Texas Instruments and two wireless sensors, one in the tank that detects a slow leak, the other in the bowl that detects imminent overflow.
And Gutterglove would like me to install their heated gutter guard, the Gutterglove IceBreaker, that melts ice and prevents icicles from forming, pointing out that falling icicles can kill people. The Icebreaker uses a single self-regulating cable to generate heat. Pricing is available from local dealers.
How have I lived so long without these?
Photos: top left: H2Orb; bottom right: Gutterglove IceBreaker
