Peace of Mind With Smart Water Leak Detectors

I had a costly leak under my dishwasher that went unnoticed until it was too late and caused damage to the ceiling below. The ceiling had to be replaced entirely, as well as the insulation that was ruined by the water damage. To add to the pain, I had to purchase a new dishwasher since it was the source of the initial leak. All in all, this cost me around 4000 dollars in repairs and replacement of materials.

Of course, I could have avoided such a considerable expense if I had known about the leak when it first occurred. A Smart water leak detection system would have been beneficial in my case. These devices are relatively small, with prices ranging from $50 to $ 100 each, and they detect any water leaks before severe damage is done to your property.

Having a smart home has many benefits. One is preventing water damage, as I experienced with my dishwasher. Smart water detectors are affordable investments compared to costly repair bills that these devices could have easily prevented if installed beforehand!

Your home is more likely to suffer water damage from a Plumbing fixture than a flood

I was surprised to learn that domestic water leak is the number one cause of water damage, not floods. For a long time, I thought smart water leak detectors were for homeowners in areas prone to flooding. But after learning that anyone can come home to an indoor swimming pool (wet floors) because of a leaking fixture, I am convinced smart water leak detectors are for everybody.

But finding the best water leak detector is a hassle since many substandard sensors are on the market. I bought and tested some sensors to see if they were up to the task. I even paired the water sensors with accessories I bought separately to shut off my main water supply and see the results.

The results were remarkable. I decided to share my experience with everyone. Read on for more information on the best smart water leak detectors.

What Is a Water Leak Detection Device?

A water leak detection device is a smart home gadget you use to sense the presence of water in an area where water isn’t supposed to be. Such sites could be under your sink, HVAC pans, washing machine underside, and basement. 

You will place a leak detection device under water-using appliances and areas with pipes. These devices tell you where a leak is so you can repair the burst pipes or appliances to prevent property water damage.

Since these devices prevent potential damage, they’re ideal for residential and commercial buildings. The best smart leak detector will send you notifications if it detects water. 

Moen 920-005 Flo Smart Water Leak Detector

Moen Smart Leak Detector has what it takes to protect your home from water leaks, the most common cause of home damage. I love this leak detector’s standalone capability, which allows you to monitor your home on a budget. But this only means you can watch one high-risk area. 

Fortunately, you can always connect it with other Moen water leak detectors to increase water leak monitoring coverage.

You will place this water leak detector under your washing machine, water heater, around the toilet, or anywhere else with a high potential water leak. The water leak detector will then monitor such areas for water leaks and notify you via a mobile app.

It is a Wi-Fi-enabled smart detector that connects to your home Wi-Fi network. Connecting it to your wireless network allows it to send real-time notifications to your smartphone via the Moen Smart Water App. Aside from sending you an alert, this smart water leak detector emits an audible sound, and the LED flashes red. 

This smart leak detector relies on a stable Wi-Fi network to send alerts. But your home network might be unstable sometimes. I love this feature because it means I can always get a notification any time of the week! That’s when it will emit an audible alarm and flash a red LED to notify you of water leaks.

You can even monitor tight spaces for potential water leaks since this smart detector has a remote sensing disc attached to its 48-inch extension cable. I can place the remote sensing disc under a washing machine, and it will detect any water leak. 

The discrete placement ensures I can place my intelligent water leak detector hidden away from plain sight while getting 24/7 protection. Other places you could monitor with this sensor are under sinks, attics, and drainage. The sensor is battery-powered to protect your home for over a year.

It comes with a CR123A lithium battery included in the package. Unlike other batteries, this one lasts for two years. While the battery-powered sensor works for an extended period, it would be better to have a rechargeable battery.

An added feature of this innovative water leak sensor is temperature monitoring. The sensor monitors your home for temperature abnormalities and notifies you of freezing pipes. It also monitors the humidity level and tells you of humidity abnormality to prevent mold formation.  

Even more impressive, this sensor pairs with the Moen Flo valve shut-off to cut off the main water supply if it detects a water leak. Therefore, you can have complete home monitoring against water leaks if you invest in this Flo smart leak detector.

LeakSmart Water Leak Sensor

LeakSmart Wi-Fi Sensor is another contender if you’re looking for the best smart leak sensor. It is a new water leak sensor by LeakSmart that boasts upgraded features for better performance. I’ve had the chance to test this water leak sensor. And it exceeded my expectations.

You want to connect the LeakSmart water leak sensor to your wireless home network. The sensor relies on this network to send notifications to your smartphone via the LeakSmart app.

Fortunately, you have nothing to worry about since this water leak sensor can alert you to water leaks through two other means. First, it sounds like an audible alarm to inform you of water leakage. Second, it can flash a red LED when water leaks onto your floor.

The alarm sound ensures I can act fast enough even if I don’t receive a notification on my smartphone. Since I paired my LeakSmart water leakage sensor with a SensXtend water shut-off valve, I don’t have to do anything. And that’s because this sensor triggers my SensXtend to shut off the main water pipe, thus preventing further leakage. 

But again, I must repair the leaking fixture before allowing water to flow again. I always find the leak location because this sensor tells me where the leak is. Aside from detecting water leakage, the sensor monitors the atmospheric temperature and relative humidity. And it notifies me of extreme temperature and humidity changes via the app.

But what I love the most is my ability to set the temperature and humidity limits in the app. Then this sensor can alert me to changes outside the set limits. I can also detect frozen pipes with this sensor and take measures that prevent pipe bursts.

You want to keep this sensor well-placed to detect water leaks. It even has a feature that alerts you if something moves or flips the device over accidentally. Also, I can act fast to prevent mold formation if the humidity rises to extreme levels.  

As you might expect, it is a battery-powered water leak sensor. You can place it in areas prone to water leaks: near sliding glass doors(prevent flood water), under the sink, and HVAC drip pans. The battery is powerful and will last you for over a year. 

However, you want to extend protection coverage by pairing it with SensXtend accessories. This allows you to monitor multiple areas simultaneously. It’s worth the investment, especially if you have a larger house.

This excellent smart water leak sensor is ideal for standalone monitoring or pairing with accessories for extended coverage. I have had no issue testing it, and I recommend it to my friends for its excellent performance.

Smart Water Leak Detectors Buying Advice

You want to first understand the causes of a fixture leakage before buying a smart water leak detector. I discovered that extreme temperatures are the number one cause of fixture leaks. Specifically, freezing temperature causes water expansion that bursts the pipes. 

Whatever the cause of a leak, you want to buy the best smart water leak detector to detect leakages and repair the fixtures fast. But you will need to consider a few factors when shopping. I have compiled the things to look at when shopping for a water leak sensor. Here are some things to consider:

Water Leak Detection Sensitivity

The sensitivity and responsiveness of a smart water leak detector are the things to consider first. You want a responsive smart water detector that alerts you to a water leak way early before severe damage. My Moen Smart Water Detector responded when water was a few inches from its sensors.

Some water sensors only send alerts if the sensor comes into contact with water. But my sensor detected the water leak early enough that I could stop the leakage on time. It did not wait for the water to come into contact with its sensor to send alerts. 

I made the same observation with the LeakSmart Wi-Fi Sensor, which is incredible if you want to prevent sogging your floor. When buying your preferred smart water detector, I suggest you buy one that detects water too soon.

Power Source

You can be sure to find wired smart leak detectors. But battery-powered ones are my favorite. And that’s because they are easy to install and monitor your home around the clock. If you decide to opt for a battery-powered smart leak detector, check to see if its battery is powerful enough.

My smart water leak detectors rely on non-rechargeable batteries. But I like the batteries because they guarantee exceptional performance for at least two years. I found some smart leak detectors whose batteries lasted for five years. I recommend you buy a sensor whose battery lasts the longest.

You also have the option to buy smart leak sensors with rechargeable batteries. These sensors have a USB port through which you will charge their batteries. Also, some leak sensors allow you to place them on charging pads to top the batteries. If you can find these leak sensors that are super sensitive to responding to leaks quickly, you can make them your priority.

Connectivity

Another crucial point is how your smart water leak detector communicates with the connected devices. A smart leak sensor communicates with the app over your home wireless network at the primary level. When the smart water detector senses a pool of water, it sends an alert to your smartphone via the app. And this relies on Wi-Fi connectivity. 

At the same time, a smart leak detector communicates wirelessly with the connected devices, such as a shut-off valve. So, connectivity is a critical issue to consider before buying these devices. If you decide to integrate your smart leak sensor into your home, ensure its wireless connectivity supports the smart home hub.

I chose smart water leak sensors that use Wi-Fi connectivity because my house uses a Wi-Fi network to connect my smart home devices. You can find smart sensors that use ZigBee and Z-Wave on the market. 

Temperature Monitoring

A temperature-monitoring function is another feature you want from a smart water leak sensor. Besides, extreme temperatures damage the pipes, which could cause water leakages. 

You want to choose sensors with temperature-monitoring functions. But that’s possible if you have an excellent smart thermostat for your residential space. Smart water leak detectors such as LeakSmart Wi-Fi Sensor monitor the pipe water temperature. If the pipe water is freezing, I get a notification on my smartphone.

Humidity Monitoring

High humidity increases mold formation. You want to monitor the humidity level to keep it in check. Some smart water leak detectors monitor humidity for you. These sensors allow you to set them to send you alerts if the moisture falls out of a set range. These are the smart leak sensors you want to install in your home.

Compatibility with Accessories

The accessories I’m talking about are shut-off valve accessories. A shut-off valve connected with a smart water leak sensor over your home Wi-Fi network efficiently controls water flow to the fixtures. You can control the water supply to your fixtures by controlling the shut-off valve.

But the water leak sensor must be compatible with your chosen smart shut-off valve. So, if you want to add a shut-off valve to control the main water supply, it should connect seamlessly with your smart water leak sensor.

Integration With Smart assistants and Smart Hubs

You can connect your smart water leak detector with a smart hub to control other connected smart devices. Connecting the water sensor with a smart hub allows the hub to switch on the security alarm if water leaks onto the floor. Therefore, integrating the smart water sensor with a smart hub is essential.

Conclusion

You may need a smart leak detector to prevent potential water damage. No matter how observant you are, you will not notice leakages in tight places. You want to fix any broken pipe or appliance to prevent further leaking. If you don’t act fast and stop the leaking, you could be counting losses within a month.

Water leak sensor technology will detect any leakage and alert you to the location of the leakage. Also, it could pair with a smart shut-off valve to automatically switch the main water supply off if there is a leakage. Even more impressive, you can place the remote sensing disc of your smart sensor to detect leakage in tighter spaces. Since you can monitor every inch of your home with one of these smart leak sensors, installing the best leak sensor is good.