Customer Reviews

Reliance Controls THP201 Automatic Phone Out Alarm with 3 Functions

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I placed the 3-function unit in an uninhabited "second home" that was for sale.
Having always been nervous that the boiler would stop working, and that the house would "freeze", this seemed like a wise investment.

The first time it called me it claimed the power was off ("beep beep").
Upon investigation (a short drive) power was indeed off - for whole block.

The second time it called me, it claimed there was a water problem ("beep beep beep").
I ran over only to find that the boiler's B&G circulator pump had failed catastrophically. Water was running out of the point where the pump's motor joins with the pump (the shaft seal). Because I was alerted and able to get to house quickly, the cleanup required only a mop and bucket.

I know people who are afraid to leave their homes in the winter "in case something happens". This machine should provide them with much comfort.

Several issues:
(1) The THP201 attaches to your analog phone line and calls out (to up to three pre-programmed numbers) when it detects a problem. If you have a standard "old fashioned" POTS line (i.e., copper loop powered by the Telco's central office) this is fine. These phone lines work w/o power in your house.

If you have phone service via a cable modem, the THP201 will be less effective. If power fails, so too will your cable modem. The THP201 will not get a dial tone when it goes off-hook.

(2) The unit comes with only one water sensor. This requires that you give a lot of thought as to where water is likely to collect in case of a problem.

It would be better if the THP201 accepted two or three water sensors (sold as options). Then one sensor could be placed near the laundry room, one near the hot water heater and one, perhaps, by the boiler.

(3) The unit has no alphanumeric display. Thus there is no easy way to verify that the phone number you entered is correct without testing the device.

I would recommend that you do just that. It is easy to get a digit wrong (fail to press a key fully) and enter the wrong phone number. You can test it either by using the test button, or by unplugging unit's power cord (to simulate power outage) or by placing a wet sponge against the water detector.

Leave the instructions with the unit; at some time in the future you will need to refer to them. The set-up interface is not obvious.

I purchased this device to monitor the water level in my sump pump after a dual pump failure caused my basement rec room to take on 1.5" of water while I was out of town. I tested the unit by inserting the water sensor probe into a glass of water and it works as described by the manufacturer.

I would have given the device 5 stars if:

1) It allowed for a higher low-temp setting; I'd like to be alerted of a "no heat" condition before the temperature of my house drops to 45 degrees! I think 50 degrees would be more appropriate.

2) It allowed for a 0-minute delay before beginning the alerting process. The unit will only start the alerting process either 5 or 30 minutes after the water sensor is tripped.

3) The unit's water sensor included monitoring hardware suitable for attaching the unit to the 1.5" discharge pipe of my sump pump. I had to make an extra trip to the big orange home improvement center to find suitable hardware.

NOTE: The unit will accept two water sensors by using a modular duplex adapter connected to the unit's water sensor input jack. The instructions don't mention this, but the manufacturer's tech support validated this capability. I will be installing a second sensor in the near future to monitor the lift sump in my basement and will update this review based on my findings.

Buy this product. Buy it now.

I have had this monitoring system for a year and a half at my vacation property. Besides testing the system, I have never received a call...up until this afternoon. I got a phone call indicating a flooding situation was occuring. Being out of state, I had a friend run over there and check it out. Sure enough a pipe froze and burst in the extreme cold despite having the heat on in the house and the cabinet doors open. Because of the quick response damage was very limited and cleanup was quick.

My friend was so impressed that he wants one ASAP for his home. As a result I am purchasing one for him, and one for my parents who had a pipe burst a couple weeks ago and their basement flooded requiring a claim on their insurance, lots of inconvenience and is still being repaired.

It sure gives me piece of mind. For < $100 how can you go wrong? Easily worth 5 times the price. Insurance companies should give customers incentives to purchase these units.

I bought this unit to monitor a sump pump in my basement so I would know if there was a problem with the pump, power outage and possible flooding. I would give it a 4 rating if I was only using the device for a remote location like a cabin.

To monitor a basement sump where someone is home most of the time, there is some improvements needed. First, the instruction manual and box state that the unit comes with a water sensor with a 25 foot cord. When you open it up, the entire sensor and cable are only about 5' long. So it is off to the radio shack or WM to get some more phone cable and a connector.

Second, the instruction manual states that an alarm will sound in the house 5 (or 20 depending on setting) minutes after a flood condition is detected and every 5 minutes thereafter. I tested the unit with water and after 5 minutes a tone alarm went off on the main unit. The volume is about half what a smoke detector would put out and lasts about 2-3 seconds. I then waited and it was 20 minutes until the next tone went off. I let the unit continue for 1 hour and every 20 minutes a tone alarm would sound. If your sump pump fails and you miss the alarm because you are at the far end of the house, then you basement would be flooded by the time you heard the next one. I would also like a 0 time option like the other reviewers. I belive this 20 min. delay was to preserve battery life, but I would think the logic would allow a louder alarm for a longer period when the unit is plugged into the wall and power is on. To get around this I leave my cell phone on all night at home to make sure I am notified of an alarm.

This unit works great with the phone function, calling each number I had programmed into the unit. The unit was also easy to install and program.

For the low cost, no/never monthly fees and relative ease of installation, this one can't be beat. It does what it says, but a few things just to be aware of. I use these on many properties, family, and investments, I set them up for vacations, even if just away for a weekend. I monitor temperature, water (for basement), power outage, etc. Just be aware, you cannot 'set/change' the low-alarm temperature, it is one temperature set by the mfg... not bad, but if you're used to the Sensaphone, this ain't quite as advanced, but then again, this is about 1/4 of the cost. Remember, it dials out on a land-line phone, if your phone comes in a 'bundle' with cable tv, etc., BE SURE you have a battery back-up so that your phone line works (even if for an hour or so) during a power failure. Someone also mentioned, which is true, that the dial-out number is set limited to a max of 12-digits. I still use with the lowest cost land-line phone and no long-distance plan by using those pre-paid long distance cards. Walgreens, Costco, etc. The two co's that I use allow you to program a phone number for pin-less dialing, and a speed-dial code, so in all, I can make an out-going, long distance phone call, dialing the calling-card's 1-800 number, in 12 key-digits - but you should make sure your long-distance or calling card system allows this, or simply call local numbers or spring to have long distance on the land-line where the monitor is installed (THANK YOU CALLING CARD FOLKS!) so there is really no reason NOT to have this for keeping track of an empty or unoccupied property, and these days, there are a lot of 'em.
Also of note, that very official or technical looking 'box' attached to the modular (phone) plug that plugs into the base unit to detect water... it's simply a modular line cord (wire), and open contacts that get wet, with a lead weight in it to, presumably, keep it on the floor during flooding - so feel free to simply buy a longer phone extension cord, cut off the opposite end, and tape, weight, etc the open & stripped end on the floor or area where you want to detect water. Keep good alkaline batteries in the unit, program and test it correctly, and for the protection and peace of mind, priceless!

I knew the furnace in my new (old) cabin was iffy, and the cabin is 2+ hours away, so i thought I should have one of these. I got a call around 9 PM last nite about a temperature alert. The oil delivery that was supposed to have happened didn't and the place was gonna freeze (it got below 10 last nite). I made some phone calls...crisis averted.

I wish this had a feature to tell me what the actual temperature was...but i knew it did not have that when i bought it.

This was well worth the price already.

While the installation was easy it was more complex than the manufacturer suggested it would be. Watching the installation video was helpful and recommended but each installation is potentially different. The only technical issue encountered in the installation was that of providing a phone line in a remote section of the basement.

We're only using the temperature feature of this system and it has saved us perhaps a bad situation when the pilot in our furnace failed. The alarm called our cell and enabled us to have a plumber rectify the problem. Temp had dropped to below 45 deg in our Boston area condo. Without the alarm there undoubtedly would have been frozen pipes. We would have wanted to know that the temp level is not adjustable prior to purchase, but in reality it's fine at 45 degrees.

Works as advertised. I have a sump pump in an office location where we had water damage that cost over $10,000 (sump pump failed) Purchased this after that incident, and have been notified several times that the power was out. It calls up to 3 numbers, works like a charm, and has paid for itself many times over. It has worked for the water alarm and power outage, but I have never had temp go below the set point so I don't have experience as to that part.

I don't usually write product reviews, but I was so impressed by the service I received from Reliance that I had to share my story. The product (THP201) works very well, it has alerted me to power out conditions that would cause big problems at my lake house. I did have a small problem with my original unit. When I called for service, I was expecting the usual run-around. I spoke with a knowledgeable person who promptly sent me a new unit with no hassle. This kind of service is rare these days. This is a great company.