10:20, I feel like I should point out that this only helps with some leaks. For instance, if the hose that carries water into your washer where to spring a leak, cutting the power won't stop the leak. A better solution would be to connect the device to a water cutoff system. Combining a water cutoff with a power shutoff would stop any pumps from running dry and it would stop the flow of excess water.
I have the SimpliSafe sensor as part of my overall home security suite, placed under my water filters and pex manifold. I've had it go off when I've merely splashed it when changing the filters, and it certainly had no problem alerting when I got 1/16" of water over the access stairs threshold into my basement. Not only does it beep but it alerts my base station and my phone as well.
Another tip that is free is to always turn your water off at the incoming shutoff whenever you plan to be away. Get a high quality ball valve, and it takes 5 seconds to do as you're leaving. If you ever get one of those nasty storms like TX had a few years back (no power and freezing cold), fill some buckets and containers of drinking water and turn off the system. Drain what you can from the pipes with the lowest faucet. The pipes may still freeze if they have residual water, so you should only open-close the valve quickly when the disaster is over and check for leaks.
If you live in an apartment and can’t get to the shutoff then let one faucet drip. You can use that water for drinking if you want. Moving water will reduce the chance pipes freeze.
If you still need water and lose power in frigid temps, open a faucet to drip very slowly. Even a very slow slow drip will prevent high pressure from building in the pipes. The problem is less having the pipes freeze, and more that water expands as it freezes, causing extremely high pressure that will rupture the pipe or damage fixtures.
I installed Moen Flo shutoff and sensors in my place after having a big leak while we were away. Alarm sound, text, call, email and shuts off water main the moment any sensor gets wet or unusual activity is detected. Detects temp, humidity and water, app is awesome. I’m a GC in Aspen, CO and I won’t do a project without this or something similar. Cheap insurance. Also insurance companies give you a discount if you have one installed. Keep up the good work, I make all my PMs and supers watch your show!
I have wanted a shutoff like that but don’t like the $500 price tag. Of course when my kitchen gets flooded $500 would have been good insurance. Thanks for the insurance discount reminder. That might make the cost less of an issue.
We're luckily at large municipality with free of charge residential curb stop turn offs. In addition to that we turn off stop n drain if going on extended leave. (preferably 1/4 turn ball valve instead of crummy gate). Most common cause of frozen pipes related floods in our area is caused by unwinterized garden faucets.
FOR ANYONE CONSIDERING WATER SENSORS: My customer used a set of wireless sensors (Z-wave in his case) with an automation controller. No fixture or appliance could leak more than a quarter gallon before the sensors would alert the controller and it would close the contacts to the electronic water main shut valve, stopping leaks from getting big. Any decent Audio/video/networking company would be able to run the cable to a shutoff valve and program the controller.
The Phyn sensor can turn off your main water valve to the house, if you have that unit installed. That is it's great value. You can also buy a cable that works just like the resident, and you can daisy chain 3 cables in a row. Plus it alerts you on your phone. Then, having it be less noisy is ok.
I've been using some of the $10 ones for years after a pinhole leak in a dishwasher drain hose slowly saturated my subfloor, undetected under the laminate plank flooring. The water is just completing the circuit - You can lick your fingers and touch both contacts to trigger the alarm, same as putting a 9v battery on your tongue. The only downside to the inexpensive battery-powered ones is that when the battery gets low, it starts to beep. This is good for continued protection, but a pain in the neck when it happens in the middle of the night. You might advise your clients to use rechargeable NiMH batteries or inexpensive alkaline, and set a rule to change smoke, carbon monoxide, and leak-detection batteries at the start of each new year. Which reminds me...
So true--because smoke detectors are designed to start chirping in the middle of the night. ;-) So now add 3-4x more devices with chirping abilities. Solid advice on the new year's maintenance list!
I have been using the Aqara and Shelly flood detectors which can be a part of a larger ecosystem of home protection including gas leak detection, flood, temperature humidity motion and vibration to name a few. The Shelly products can also be linked with their UL listed relays (which can be installed behind the outlet in the electrical box) to cut power to any device or outlet
For years we been using proteus sensors, they have smart sensors with email/txt/call & whatsapps alerts - free no monthly charges, just one time device. We needed it for our sump pump water level alert and used it for other locations in our house. Great product, no issues or complaints. Excellent support too. - just a homeowner in NJ
I use the Zooz Titan actuator. It's Z-wave and can be integrated into smart Home Hubs like Home Assistant. I've got leak sensors in every area with water and if I get a leak, it immediately turns off all water to the house, notifies everybody's phone, turns all the lights blue, and has all our smart speakers notify us of where the leak was detected. Since it's Z-wave it's all local and will still work if the internet is down.
I’m planning on doing something similar with the Govee WiFi leak sensors. I really like having the lights change color. But mine is WiFi so doesn’t work when the internet is down. I just get the sound alert at that point. The fact the app tells me when a battery is dead is the biggest feature. My WiFi fire alarms will do the same.
@@ecospider5 hmm, maybe look into it Govee's integrations with Home Hubs. Apple's speakers should allow for local integration via homekit. Home Assistant/Hubitat probably allows for some sort of local integration.
@@ecospider5 also, Matter devices are supposed to become the new standard this year. All of them will be interoperable and are supposed to be local by default (ie: they'll first try local integration, then cloud only if needed).
I believe resideo/honeywell makes one that ties via dry contacts into your HVAC controller (equipment interface module) so it can send alerts via your HVAC system (email/app notification if water detected). I've been meaning to add one and drop (wire type) next to my hot water tank.
Great video! I hope the makers of the devices you reviewed watched this video. Imagine taking the HydroCheck and adding a remote sensing cable, WiFi & an audio alarm!
I bought the Govee Water Leak Detectors in a 5 pack off Amazon for $35.00 a year ago. A few weeks ago one went off when my lift pump stopped working. Glad I had the heads up!
After a quick look at the comments Hugh Marsh and CJ talk about whole house water shut offs. The last device that you showed only shuts off the device (e.g. washing machine) that is plugged into it. Most wasing machine leaks are actually hoses to the machine bursting which your device will not stop but the whole house devices should.
Great video, Matt. I'd love to see testing of water shut off devices such as Flood Stop, Flo, and the Phyn Plus. I'd also love to know if anyone makes a water shut off device that instead of turning a valve can shut off power to a well pump. Thanks
Here is my video testing two Phyn leak sensors with Phyn Plus: th-cam.com/video/wrPKaywitQQ/w-d-xo.html While I have Flo in another house, I don't have sensors to try against that system. I haven't had anyone mention or ask about Flood Stop on my channel FWIW.
What happens if the puck leak detectors get submerged in the pan? Do they still function? And for the HydroCheck (plug-in model), does it turn back on if the water is removed? Basically, does the device re-enable the power without a reset if the water drains away, e.g. from a slightly sloped floor, and so can the issue restart again?
With a Smart home (I use SmartThings), I have various leak sensors around the house (dish washer, kitchen sink, toilet, water heater, bathroom sink, laundry, etc.). I also have Dome valve controls that go over ball valves to shut on or off valves. They use either Z-Wave or Zigbee which uses less power than WiFi so the batteries last longer...about a year. Should a leak sensor detect water, it alerts my phone, shuts off the affected water valve (water heater means supply disconnected, dishwasher means hot water valve for main floor shuts off, etc.), then turns the Phillips Hue bulb a certain color to help me indicate which sensor went off and then the lights in the affected area turn on, too. In addition on the gas water heater I have, it shuts off the 110VAC to it to prevent it from turning on. It uses gas but needs 110VAC for ignition and venting. And I will be getting one for the washer to shut power off to it, should it show a leak. It is just a matter of adding it to the routine. These all have low batter detector on the sensors I have. So, for instance, when the sensor went off at my water heater in the middle of the night (condensation hose for A/C evaporator got moved and water got to the sensor), the valve shut off to the supply, power shut off to the water heater, my hall light turned green, then the stairs, landing and unfinished basement lights turned on leading me to where the leak was, then my phone went off and woke me up.
Matt: I have the 3 battery "Honeywell/Resideo" models. You have to realize the unit runs for well over a year on normal batteries. It does this by waking up 1x per day. Connecting to your WiFi and reporting to their mother ship to report Temp/Humidity and battery status. Which you didn't mention... and history is viewable on their App. When triggered it's speed is slowed by waking the unit, connecting to your wifi, then alarming. Since you will most likely be away from the area when it alarms, it is more important to get that notification out to your phone than to run the more battery sucking audio alarm... so it's about priorities. There probably won't be a future improvement in the near future. P.S. I built my own units with the same capabilities years ago, and have since replaced them with these. They are great!
I have used the Honeywell Resideo wifi freeze leak detectors often. They are reliable and do provide a low battery alarm. Typically the batteries last multiple years. Don't discount the freeze alarm aspect. Most leaks start with a freeze. I use one under sinks, washers, hvac equipment, garage, greenhouse and well pump. They also provide configurable high and low temp and humidity alarms so you have time to do something before your pipes freeze or your greenhouse overheats. In my experience the most water leaks are under sinks with reverse osmosis systems. Finally they provide a daily temperature and humidity trend.
Do you think the $11 model would last in a drain/drip/safe pan under a water heater which is in my attic that gets above 140F air temperature in the summer? Concerned the hot environment might kill the unit's electronics and/or the batteries.
Have one of the cheap ones on my ejector pit cover. Sat there for years unnoticed until one day the pump failed and the pit overfilled.... Alarm went off and disaster avoided....
I bought a modest 5 year old home in a Alabama last year. I was shocked to learn the water heater is in the attic! Have never seen that before. A leak would be a serious mess I presume. Thinking seriously about getting one of these. Thanks for the info!
Your water heater should have a pan and two drains. The secondary drain should exit the home somewhere conspicuous to get your attention. The primary drain is lower in the pan. Make sure both drains are not blocked and drain with gravity. Keep them that way by treating with bleach a couple times a year or stuff will grow in them and block them. Also, don’t forget to service your water heater and replace at end of life. This is all normal on the gulf coast.
Literally just had a minor leak under the kitchen sink for the second time in one year from the garbage disposal shaking the pvc drain pipe fitting loose so I got the cheap one. Also, I hope you look at your nuvo filter at the end of its life cycle as I cut mine in half after 5 months and it had black mold inside. If I were you I'd reconsider the nuvo.
@@rickyspanish9625 Yeah I highly regret it. I was hopeful I could use it instead of a soft water salt machine but after the useful life of the nuvo cartridge and cutting it in half to find black mold was in there I immediately installed a soft water salt machine and I actually really like the results over the nuvo. Plus I have photo evidence of how the nuvo didn't really do anything beneficial to my hot water tank. Sure it was maybe 5% beneficial but not like a salt system which is 100% beneficial.
Hey Matt, might have a class of widgets for you to look at. Dave Jones of the EEVBlog, here on TH-cam, talked about the power management of some AC/DC smoke detectors. In short, without getting too EE-nerdy, he observed a smoke detector drawing ~60 watts of power when "idle" (no smoke detected). For those of us that live where electricity is expensive, and from a sustainability standpoint, it would be good to know which of them will draw that kind of power, and which won't. If you'd like to play with some more loud things that beep, this could be good info. 👍
That was a good video from EEVBlog. When I replaced my detectors I bought one and checked this. I was going to the nest protect alarms. Power was below 1 watt when idle. One easy way to solve this is use battery only alarms. But make sure you get ones that communicate to each other wirelessly.
@@ecospider5 I like the belt-and-suspenders approach to the AC/DC alarms, though, especially in the context of a new build. I happen to live in a part of Virginia where electricity is relatively cheap, so I haven't been concerned enough to pull my detectors down to meter them. Might do it when I next have to replace one, though.
My last house had evidence of water leaks in every sink base. The kitchen sink base was utterly destroyed from multiple leaks: poor connections, rusted disposer, failing InstaHot, and bad angle stops. When there are 25 cleaning products jammed under the sink you could go a month before noticing the problem, and then it's too late. I gutted the kitchen and installed new cabinets, and the new sink base suffered some slight damage from a leaking angle stop. Super frustrating! From now on every sink base will be fitted with a cabinet protection mat from Weathertech or Xtreme Mat, and a leak alarm. If you are a landlord, a leaky sink is your fault, but the tenants may never notice it-the same is true for your teenagers.
What is needed is a high-end brass motorized ball valve, connected to multiple hardwired sensors, which are hardwired to a central hub that runs on plugged-in power (with a battery backup), that shuts off the water main first. All that beeping and Wi-Fi stuff are just optional gimmicks. But at least these will beep when one comes comes from work to a flooded house.
Having a high water table 2 sump pumps and frequent power issues I went with the Moen Flo system, It has a sensor on both the mechanism as well as you can use the optional sensor cable. The system is expandable and has an optional water shutoff ($$$). Also monitors temp and humidity at the sensor location. Saved me $$$ already as one sump pump had its float stick and it alarmed before any water reached top of the pits Had other alarms which were not wifi/networked and the issue is that you could not hear them alarm upstairs
I use govee WiFi leak sensors. $55 for 3 and includes the base unit. Mainly I like these because I use 30 other devices from Govee that the Govee app controls. So I naturally see the status of the leak sensors, especially low battery. They also have a good audible alert if WiFi fails. They can also trigger home automation with ifttt or Alexa routines. So it could turn off the washing machine or set all the lights in the house red. For normal users govee has great led strips for lighting up kitchen cabinets.
Nice video Matt. I have 5 of the Grohe Sense Smart Detectors and the Grohe Sense Guard. Its been in operation for over 4 years now with no problems. I installed the system after a couple of neighbors came home to a busted toilet supply line. The sense pucks alert my phone within seconds when water is detected, alarms are loud, and the sense guard shuts the main off within 30 seconds. I have only had to change the batteries once in the detectors (3AAA each). You can invest in the detectors (alerts only) or the main Sense Guard shutoff (it has a smart pipe burst detect function) or both for the ultimate protection. The Sense Guard also show estimated usage, pressure, and temperature. I used it to monitor water pressure conditions remotely during the 2021 Texas freeze.
Really useful video--especially this week for California and the major storms going on here. That wire-based detector will be good to snake it below an appliance.
I have a water valve handle motor that a hard mounted to my gas valve for my outdoor kitchen/fireplace. It turns valve if gas detector goes off and off if gas is on for more than 2 hrs. The valve is accessible from a port hole but I turn on and off through google. Roosts and Goove water sensors alert low battery, working to have govee turn off my tuya controlled water valve.
Resideo is now a separate company after it was spun off from Honeywell. They also make most of the gas water heater thermostats, in addition to a bunch of other automation and control products.
Question. I had my unit sound off because of small water leak. The alarm (siren) came on and on my phone it allowed me to mute it. Question is does it automatically unmute itself back to normal?
Unless I missed something... You said the "only" one that would "do something" on one of them. Where have you been... And where was your research department. Items like the WaterCop, which turns the water main off, have been around for years.
I had your exact reaction too, but then I realized Matt meant a sensor that has the power to do something by itself, without having a water shut-off ecosystem like WaterCop, Flo and Phyn.
I keep my condensation pump inside a larger tote. I put a smart water sensor in tote. Let’s say my condenser pump went out once. Once! Now I get noticed if it over flows in tote before it floods my basement.
You should look at the Yo link sensors. For $79, you get 4 different sensors that are wifi connected. The will send you e-mails in the case of a leak and the have audible alerts. They have pins on top and bottoms so it can detect a water leak either above or below the sensor. You can add extra sensors at any time
It looks like the yolink WiFi sensors can trigger automation using ifttt and Alexa. I use the govee sensors. Looks like the Govee are about the same price and have similar capabilities. So you can put your washer on a WiFi plug and turn the washer off if there is a leak.
I also added the water shut-off valve from Yo Link. Instant wireless notification, very sensitive sensors. Advantage that mattered to me was it works also without internet or wireless connection in case of power outage. The water shut off valve using battery backup power with device to device connectivity will detect leak and turn off main water supply. Another plus is that it is automatic and does not require you to be home to turn off water supply.
Hi Mat I have being following you and love to learn from you. Can you talk about Nexcem product which goes with your type of materials you have used in the pass.
Hey, something Im familiar with. Ive got a ton of "dummy" ones at home, which means they beep and you need to be home to hear them. They have saved me in the past with an under sink drip and a slow toilet drip. I find the Honeywell $11 ones awesome, but you need to be able to reach them to change batteries and test them every few months. So behind appliances or your dishwasher which is permanent, you cant use them. But toilets, under every sink, etc, a nice cheap insurance. As well, I test them with wetting my fingertip, and they still go off, so you dont need a flood for them to go off. I find the Waterline Water Alarm ones at Home Depot that you have a long sensor cable are better for the situations that you cant get to the device, since they have a test button on it and can change the battery at the box itself, and run the cable behind things like your washer, fridge and dishwasher. You just have to make sure the sensor is taped down flat, because you cant really check them easy once you are done installing them.
I have a couple of ultra cheap, maybe $10 each, water detectors in my basement. They use a two conductor wire which goes to one inch wide plastic piece with two screw terminals. Whenever water bridges the two contact the alarm goes off loud enough to hear on the main floor of the house. I have one of the wires hanging into my basement sump. It is above the highest level that water should ever get and well below the top of the sump. That way if the sump pump fails, I should get some warning before the water starts flooding the basement.
I was fighting water coming into my basement for a few years. I put sensors all over my basement to see where in the basement the water came in first to help narrow down the cause. Off amazon, I got the Govee $13 each or you can buy multiples for like $11 each. Work great and you can change their names in the app. So a sharpie on one of them might be labeled #4, but in the app I can call it "#4 bookcase", and the app will send an alert to my phone. you can monitor all of them from the same app. They're small and they give off an audible alert that can be heard from 2 floors up. Also battery monitor in the app. Highly recommend. I still have 10 of them all over my basement under baseboards, and island, and bookcase. You never know!
Does anyone remember the episode in which Matt had a Building Science Engineer show the plans they created that detailed where pipes and ducts would be placed? If so, what episode was it and/or what was the name of the person/firm?
Resideo alerts when unit detects excessive moisture, which may catch a slow dripping line or leaking shot off valve packing well ahead of full on burst pipe failure
Hi Matt, nice video! I’d like you to do a video on carbon monoxide detectors. I watched a video that said that some UL listed monitors say specifically in their instruction manual that the product is "only designed to protect you from immediate death" and "is not meant to protect people who have respiratory or cardiac issues, elderly people, women who are pregnant or children" and therefore you should install a Low-Level carbon monoxide monitor instead. Strangely, the video also said that since the "better" low level monitors weren’t UL listed that in order to meet code you should install both kinds of monitors (UL listed and low level). Are there UL listed low level carbon monoxide detectors?
we use the WATCHDOG Model BWD-HWA in 4 locations of our house. Saved us with an overflowing washer and a kid that fell asleep in the shower with the curtain open lol
Our team plumber installed flood stop brand on the hot water heater. When it detected a leak, it closed a shut off valve installed on the intake line. Save us twice.
Amazon has some really cheapie $7 sensors that saved my basement 4 times including saving the other townhouses along our row as it was sensitive and loud.
You over estimate the power of those lithium batteries they don’t work as well as they claim. Also the $13 Zircon from Home Depot is better than the Honeywell.
good comparison! You should add leak detectors that also turn off the water to the list. Floodstop is one I've had in my laundry room for a long time but there are others with WIFI integration also to get notifications on your phone. They are a little more pricey though.
I use Govee sensors in 2 houses. Never had a false alarm, loud siren, wifi, and sensors on bottom and top. You can place them right under sink traps for instant signaling. Wyze sensors also look promising and cost effective but haven’t used them.
🤔 here are my two cents about it. Our washing machine and the dish washer too are from 1999. That said, inside of both machines is a styrofoam swimmer which pushes a micro switch once floating in a water spilling case. Both machines shut off and turn the pump on permanently for 15 minutes, after that you get a warning beep and code on the display. Both machines are from Bosch Siemens, I know I know what you wanna say now "these germans" and guess what. You are absolutely right, I don't need nothing fancy when my 20 plus years machines can do it already. By the way you should never run both machines unattended. Greetings from Germany Ahhh almost forgot, on the beginning of the inlet water tube they got both solenoid valves already.
The $50 residio is loud enuff that your dog would hear it and alert to the noise… I’d suggest the water warning is most relevant for whilst you are out of the home, be it out in the backyard, across the street or across the country… I’m waiting for manufacturers to include these functions in their devices, be it appliance, in-system water values and even at the water meter/home feed from the street… expect that w/ home automation solutions maturity, this type of issue identification and remediation would be a natural fit
My house insurance offered me a discount if I installed 2 of the resideos. They are very effective and the wifi feature means you hear the alarm from the device and your phones. Discount should pay for itself in about a year. It will more than pay for itself if it catches a bad leak in action.
Residio's networked stuff is slow. I use their Total Connect app with my alarm system and its integrated Z-wave controller, and the lag controlling anything with the phone app is maddening. Knowing that all the lights will come on when the alarm goes off keeps me stuck in their ecosystem regardless though. That's a feature I'd never leave behind.
I don't know why all of these are not 110 with battery backup? As an engineer I would use a power unit + 9v Li rechargeable battery. It's an easy, cheap circuit to build. I already only use lithium rechargeable batteries in all 20 of my smoke alarms.
There are a couple of lithium rechargeable 9v batteries that guarantee 9v. Don’t use those because they will go from 9v to 0v instantly. So no chance of a low battery alarm. But that brand is actually hard to find. I have used the rechargeable 9v lithium batteries in my fire alarms now for over a year. They die after about 12 months. Which is great. I charge the battery then do my yearly fire alarm check.
I use Govee which works with ifttt and Alexa. Yolink does to. $55 for 3 sensors and WiFi base unit. There are some zwave options to for local automation.
I have the Tuya Water Leak detector. Super inexpensive but the actual alarm volume is pathetic. You would never hear it and it stops alerting very quickly. Unless you pay a monthly subscription or an activation fee you do not get alerts on your phone either.
While I enjoy poking fun at your endorsements and your utterly cringe worthy Olight ads, I really appreciate your great content and hard work. Congrats again on a million subs.
Man, 80 bucks seems pretty pricey for what it is. These are very simple devices; even the plug model is simpler than a $20 smart plug. I guess it's still cheaper than water damage though.
At my house I've bought a few zigbee and wifi sensors that is tuya connected. None have an alarm but i have them turn off my zigbee wireless socket plugs and also a shutoff valve actuator on my main water shutoff valve I get a notification anywere in the world. The washer turns off within one second and the main water is shut of, and the lights around in my house turns on. And i get notified within a second on my phone. All have low battery notification and should last 1 to 3 years (zigbee is low power wireless tht needs a hub to wifi) It have saved me several times already mainly because the drain in my basement for the washer is partly blocked and slow
I have Govee wifi sensors. They come in a pretty inexpensive 3 pack (55 for the wifi base and 3 sensors or $50 for a 5 pack of non-wifi sensors). I have had great success and been thrilled with 2 of the three. The 3rd though... For some reason it failed alarming in the middle of the night... And these things are LOUD. Woke me and my wife up and unfortunately it was in the attic in my AC pan. So I have to go into the attic in my underwear... So the button to silence doesn't work. The battery case is gasketed and screwed with 4 tiny screws. So I'm taking the sensor out of the attic searching for a tiny screwdriver while trying to muffle the alarm with my hand to make it bearable. Even after removing the screws I can't pry off the battery cover so at this point I take it out to the garage and repeatedly beat it on the concrete until the batteries fly out. Nothing like that kind of adrenaline at 2AM over nothing... So my advice for water sensors is louder isn't always better and make sure the battery case is easy to open. I do like the idea of the water sensing cables though. Being able to remote mount the alarm in an accessible area while keeping the sensor itself under appliances seems like the way to go.
These are all better than nothing, but a sensor that would turn the water off at the source would be better. Since one of the supply lines to the washer is most likely to fail, it would be nice if the alarm also turned the water off at water supply valve to stop potential flooding and water damage.
Good information as always. But do you really want to use lithium batteries on a device that might come in contact with water? I am a big advocate for lithium batteries but not in this application.
Really enjoyed learning about the different capabilities. The cheap Resideo is certainly better than nothing. If you are away, put a few of those around the house as well as a few Wyze cameras with sound notifications on. Then keep your neighbors number on speed dial. It’s better than walking into a new and unwelcome indoor pool. Just a couple thoughts on the expansion capabilities of some of the devices on the market. Some do not come with the unit--I appreciate the al-la-carte model and not paying for something I do not intend to use. The $40 Phyn can expand with nodes and cables. I am curious if the Resideo sensor still works when the cable is plugged in, or if it is designed like the Flo by Moen sensors where the main sensor is deactivated when the cable/extension node is plugged in. I am guessing it might still work as I have not come across anything on their website that indicates it does not, but assuming is never a good thing… My 2 cents on the leak sensor market: a key feature is the ability to automatically shut water off to the house if a leak is detected. The probability of being home or awake is small, so if a leak happens, I’d prefer automation to kick in and shut it down fast. Of course, there will still be some leaking as the system depressurizes, but as I’ve tested and shared on TH-cam with my Phyn ecosystem, it shuts down within 15-17 seconds. I can’t find my glasses next to my bed in that amount of time in the middle of the night. Great first-take video comparing these devices--you know I was looking forward to this one when you mentioned it last year on IG and our discussion at IBS.
No point in just getting one that just alarms. You leave it in a basement and it might be a few days before you hear it. Absolutely need a system that also turns off water supply and sends alerts to your phone. Z-wave/Zigbee shines here with a good setup.
@@Obtuse94 My setup is slightly more hands-on since I like customization with other components, but you can definitely simplify to a simpler system as needed (might be more expensive). I'm running zooz zse42 (zwave) as water leak sensors in my entire house (they cost me ~$18 a piece back in the day), a dome shutoff valve (zwave, ~$50, or you can grab a titan shutoff for slightly more), and a hub for control (can be like $15-$20 for a basic zwave controller that you can plug into a raspberry pi and run home assistant on, but there are other hub options for zwave, like Samsung smartthings). For Zigbee, I know Aquara is pretty good, and try to stay away from Tuya.
While the cable style ones are pretty cool and very versatile, but the delay in sounding the alarm would steer me away, I like the metal pin style ones much better, instant response time.
It really depends on the sensor. Phyn has an additional cable for $10, bringing the total to $50, which would have been a fairer comparison with the exact same price as the Resideo cable sensor WiFi combo. The Phyn sensor cable detects water in about 2 seconds--the sensor itself is 1 second. I shared my test results here: th-cam.com/video/wrPKaywitQQ/w-d-xo.html Both I'm not 100% on the functionality of Risideo's sensor and I could not easily find this on their website, but Flo by Moen's sensors work like this (copied from their website) "When used alone, the leak sensors are located at the back of the Detector. If an accessory is attached, these sensors become inactive while the Cable or Disc’s sensors activate to catch leaks in hard-to-reach places." --it's somewhat of an unknown "feature." Phyn's base sensor is still active when a cable or extension node are connected so in their case, you get the best of both worlds.
Hi, always worth having a backup to an AC wired detector in case of loss of mains electricity. When buying DC detectors with 10 year sealed batteries you will have a problem. These gadgets are sold in sealed plastic and you can’t tell how old they are. Batteries have a limited shelf life and I have thrown out fire detectors guaranteed for ten years, on stripping out the 9v battery I found it was five year old at the date of sale! You make a good point about a good battery but check the dates. Cheers mate. H
I use nimh rechargeable because I have never had them leak. But the devices don’t give a good battery alert with nimh. So I can only do that because every thing I use connects to an app and the app will inform me of dead batteries.
I'm sure they do but when I spend the same amount and get a more smart features and does this better than these analogue devices. my point being matt should cover every segment in reviews. this video is incomplete list
The problem with new tech in a safety system like this is you don’t know how reliable they are or how they will fail. Everything he showed is kind of guaranteed to work. That being said. I use Govee wifi leak detectors. I verified the sound alarm works even if the WiFi fails. 2 examples of new tech failures. Nest thermostat defaults to off. So if they send an update and the unit crashes your furnace turns off until you cycle the power. Not good when used in a cabin 5 hours away from your house. WiFi sprinklers regularly stop working when the server is down. So if a glitch happens you get brown grass before you know there is a problem.
@@ecospider5 I agree wifi based systems r failure..I get the point of video is standalone systemss but there are battery powered systems aqara hub can be used with zigbee/ matter technology which are more reliable. so we should just rule out they suck without a review.
They are like the sham wow. Initial water contact is slow. But they hold a lot more water than normal paper towels. Plus they don’t loose strength when wet or oily.
10:20, I feel like I should point out that this only helps with some leaks. For instance, if the hose that carries water into your washer where to spring a leak, cutting the power won't stop the leak. A better solution would be to connect the device to a water cutoff system. Combining a water cutoff with a power shutoff would stop any pumps from running dry and it would stop the flow of excess water.
I agree. Do you have a suggestion of water cutoff devices? I have over 100 automation controlled devices but I have not found a water shutoff I like.
Water detection/shutoff devices would be an excellent follow-up video for him to make.
@user-xb6sw2vw4z Definitely that would be good to see.
I have the SimpliSafe sensor as part of my overall home security suite, placed under my water filters and pex manifold. I've had it go off when I've merely splashed it when changing the filters, and it certainly had no problem alerting when I got 1/16" of water over the access stairs threshold into my basement. Not only does it beep but it alerts my base station and my phone as well.
Another tip that is free is to always turn your water off at the incoming shutoff whenever you plan to be away. Get a high quality ball valve, and it takes 5 seconds to do as you're leaving. If you ever get one of those nasty storms like TX had a few years back (no power and freezing cold), fill some buckets and containers of drinking water and turn off the system. Drain what you can from the pipes with the lowest faucet. The pipes may still freeze if they have residual water, so you should only open-close the valve quickly when the disaster is over and check for leaks.
If you live in an apartment and can’t get to the shutoff then let one faucet drip. You can use that water for drinking if you want. Moving water will reduce the chance pipes freeze.
Or you can not route water pipes on the outer wall of your house.
Could you show the ball valve look like?
If you still need water and lose power in frigid temps, open a faucet to drip very slowly. Even a very slow slow drip will prevent high pressure from building in the pipes. The problem is less having the pipes freeze, and more that water expands as it freezes, causing extremely high pressure that will rupture the pipe or damage fixtures.
@@readyplayer2 if it's to slow it will freeze. You want a small stream of water.
I installed Moen Flo shutoff and sensors in my place after having a big leak while we were away. Alarm sound, text, call, email and shuts off water main the moment any sensor gets wet or unusual activity is detected. Detects temp, humidity and water, app is awesome. I’m a GC in Aspen, CO and I won’t do a project without this or something similar. Cheap insurance. Also insurance companies give you a discount if you have one installed. Keep up the good work, I make all my PMs and supers watch your show!
I have wanted a shutoff like that but don’t like the $500 price tag. Of course when my kitchen gets flooded $500 would have been good insurance.
Thanks for the insurance discount reminder. That might make the cost less of an issue.
We're luckily at large municipality with free of charge residential curb stop turn offs. In addition to that we turn off stop n drain if going on extended leave. (preferably 1/4 turn ball valve instead of crummy gate). Most common cause of frozen pipes related floods in our area is caused by unwinterized garden faucets.
FOR ANYONE CONSIDERING WATER SENSORS:
My customer used a set of wireless sensors (Z-wave in his case) with an automation controller. No fixture or appliance could leak more than a quarter gallon before the sensors would alert the controller and it would close the contacts to the electronic water main shut valve, stopping leaks from getting big. Any decent Audio/video/networking company would be able to run the cable to a shutoff valve and program the controller.
The Phyn sensor can turn off your main water valve to the house, if you have that unit installed. That is it's great value. You can also buy a cable that works just like the resident, and you can daisy chain 3 cables in a row. Plus it alerts you on your phone. Then, having it be less noisy is ok.
I've been using some of the $10 ones for years after a pinhole leak in a dishwasher drain hose slowly saturated my subfloor, undetected under the laminate plank flooring. The water is just completing the circuit - You can lick your fingers and touch both contacts to trigger the alarm, same as putting a 9v battery on your tongue.
The only downside to the inexpensive battery-powered ones is that when the battery gets low, it starts to beep. This is good for continued protection, but a pain in the neck when it happens in the middle of the night. You might advise your clients to use rechargeable NiMH batteries or inexpensive alkaline, and set a rule to change smoke, carbon monoxide, and leak-detection batteries at the start of each new year. Which reminds me...
So true--because smoke detectors are designed to start chirping in the middle of the night. ;-) So now add 3-4x more devices with chirping abilities. Solid advice on the new year's maintenance list!
Just got my build show Truwerk hoodie today and love it great quality! Thanks Matt for partnering with them
I have been using the Aqara and Shelly flood detectors which can be a part of a larger ecosystem of home protection including gas leak detection, flood, temperature humidity motion and vibration to name a few. The Shelly products can also be linked with their UL listed relays (which can be installed behind the outlet in the electrical box) to cut power to any device or outlet
But if your washer hose bust what good is the outlet sensor? Any others that actually turns off main water source?
For years we been using proteus sensors, they have smart sensors with email/txt/call & whatsapps alerts - free no monthly charges, just one time device. We needed it for our sump pump water level alert and used it for other locations in our house. Great product, no issues or complaints. Excellent support too. - just a homeowner in NJ
I use the Zooz Titan actuator. It's Z-wave and can be integrated into smart Home Hubs like Home Assistant. I've got leak sensors in every area with water and if I get a leak, it immediately turns off all water to the house, notifies everybody's phone, turns all the lights blue, and has all our smart speakers notify us of where the leak was detected. Since it's Z-wave it's all local and will still work if the internet is down.
That is the way to do it. I have a similar setup, just need to install a smart water shut off valve to complete it.
@@AndreiMoroz the Titan Actuator is your answer. Works perfectly on 1/4 turn valves.
I’m planning on doing something similar with the Govee WiFi leak sensors. I really like having the lights change color. But mine is WiFi so doesn’t work when the internet is down. I just get the sound alert at that point.
The fact the app tells me when a battery is dead is the biggest feature. My WiFi fire alarms will do the same.
@@ecospider5 hmm, maybe look into it Govee's integrations with Home Hubs. Apple's speakers should allow for local integration via homekit. Home Assistant/Hubitat probably allows for some sort of local integration.
@@ecospider5 also, Matter devices are supposed to become the new standard this year. All of them will be interoperable and are supposed to be local by default (ie: they'll first try local integration, then cloud only if needed).
I recommend Basement Watchdog. I am a property manager and have bought a ton of these. They are super loud. The device and a lithium 9V is about $20.
I believe resideo/honeywell makes one that ties via dry contacts into your HVAC controller (equipment interface module) so it can send alerts via your HVAC system (email/app notification if water detected). I've been meaning to add one and drop (wire type) next to my hot water tank.
Would also work in a geothermal condensing pan.
Great video! I hope the makers of the devices you reviewed watched this video. Imagine taking the HydroCheck and adding a remote sensing cable, WiFi & an audio alarm!
Thank you Matt! Love these test vids, and this one is particularly valuable for us southern folk in the winter months.
I bought the Govee Water Leak Detectors in a 5 pack off Amazon for $35.00 a year ago. A few weeks ago one went off when my lift pump stopped working. Glad I had the heads up!
After a quick look at the comments Hugh Marsh and CJ talk about whole house water shut offs. The last device that you showed only shuts off the device (e.g. washing machine) that is plugged into it. Most wasing machine leaks are actually hoses to the machine bursting which your device will not stop but the whole house devices should.
Great video, Matt.
I'd love to see testing of water shut off devices such as Flood Stop, Flo, and the Phyn Plus. I'd also love to know if anyone makes a water shut off device that instead of turning a valve can shut off power to a well pump.
Thanks
Here is my video testing two Phyn leak sensors with Phyn Plus: th-cam.com/video/wrPKaywitQQ/w-d-xo.html While I have Flo in another house, I don't have sensors to try against that system. I haven't had anyone mention or ask about Flood Stop on my channel FWIW.
What happens if the puck leak detectors get submerged in the pan? Do they still function?
And for the HydroCheck (plug-in model), does it turn back on if the water is removed? Basically, does the device re-enable the power without a reset if the water drains away, e.g. from a slightly sloped floor, and so can the issue restart again?
With a Smart home (I use SmartThings), I have various leak sensors around the house (dish washer, kitchen sink, toilet, water heater, bathroom sink, laundry, etc.). I also have Dome valve controls that go over ball valves to shut on or off valves. They use either Z-Wave or Zigbee which uses less power than WiFi so the batteries last longer...about a year. Should a leak sensor detect water, it alerts my phone, shuts off the affected water valve (water heater means supply disconnected, dishwasher means hot water valve for main floor shuts off, etc.), then turns the Phillips Hue bulb a certain color to help me indicate which sensor went off and then the lights in the affected area turn on, too. In addition on the gas water heater I have, it shuts off the 110VAC to it to prevent it from turning on. It uses gas but needs 110VAC for ignition and venting. And I will be getting one for the washer to shut power off to it, should it show a leak. It is just a matter of adding it to the routine. These all have low batter detector on the sensors I have.
So, for instance, when the sensor went off at my water heater in the middle of the night (condensation hose for A/C evaporator got moved and water got to the sensor), the valve shut off to the supply, power shut off to the water heater, my hall light turned green, then the stairs, landing and unfinished basement lights turned on leading me to where the leak was, then my phone went off and woke me up.
Matt: I have the 3 battery "Honeywell/Resideo" models. You have to realize the unit runs for well over a year on normal batteries. It does this by waking up 1x per day. Connecting to your WiFi and reporting to their mother ship to report Temp/Humidity and battery status. Which you didn't mention... and history is viewable on their App. When triggered it's speed is slowed by waking the unit, connecting to your wifi, then alarming. Since you will most likely be away from the area when it alarms, it is more important to get that notification out to your phone than to run the more battery sucking audio alarm... so it's about priorities. There probably won't be a future improvement in the near future. P.S. I built my own units with the same capabilities years ago, and have since replaced them with these. They are great!
I have used the Honeywell Resideo wifi freeze leak detectors often. They are reliable and do provide a low battery alarm. Typically the batteries last multiple years. Don't discount the freeze alarm aspect. Most leaks start with a freeze. I use one under sinks, washers, hvac equipment, garage, greenhouse and well pump. They also provide configurable high and low temp and humidity alarms so you have time to do something before your pipes freeze or your greenhouse overheats. In my experience the most water leaks are under sinks with reverse osmosis systems. Finally they provide a daily temperature and humidity trend.
Do you think the $11 model would last in a drain/drip/safe pan under a water heater which is in my attic that gets above 140F air temperature in the summer? Concerned the hot environment might kill the unit's electronics and/or the batteries.
Have one of the cheap ones on my ejector pit cover. Sat there for years unnoticed until one day the pump failed and the pit overfilled.... Alarm went off and disaster avoided....
I bought a modest 5 year old home in a Alabama last year. I was shocked to learn the water heater is in the attic! Have never seen that before. A leak would be a serious mess I presume. Thinking seriously about getting one of these. Thanks for the info!
Your water heater should have a pan and two drains. The secondary drain should exit the home somewhere conspicuous to get your attention. The primary drain is lower in the pan. Make sure both drains are not blocked and drain with gravity. Keep them that way by treating with bleach a couple times a year or stuff will grow in them and block them.
Also, don’t forget to service your water heater and replace at end of life. This is all normal on the gulf coast.
@@nunyabidness3075 Thank you so much ch for the info! I appreciate it!
Literally just had a minor leak under the kitchen sink for the second time in one year from the garbage disposal shaking the pvc drain pipe fitting loose so I got the cheap one. Also, I hope you look at your nuvo filter at the end of its life cycle as I cut mine in half after 5 months and it had black mold inside. If I were you I'd reconsider the nuvo.
I almost talked a customer into putting in a nuvo, saw a bunch of bad reviews and decided against it.
@@rickyspanish9625 Yeah I highly regret it. I was hopeful I could use it instead of a soft water salt machine but after the useful life of the nuvo cartridge and cutting it in half to find black mold was in there I immediately installed a soft water salt machine and I actually really like the results over the nuvo. Plus I have photo evidence of how the nuvo didn't really do anything beneficial to my hot water tank. Sure it was maybe 5% beneficial but not like a salt system which is 100% beneficial.
Hey Matt, might have a class of widgets for you to look at. Dave Jones of the EEVBlog, here on TH-cam, talked about the power management of some AC/DC smoke detectors. In short, without getting too EE-nerdy, he observed a smoke detector drawing ~60 watts of power when "idle" (no smoke detected). For those of us that live where electricity is expensive, and from a sustainability standpoint, it would be good to know which of them will draw that kind of power, and which won't. If you'd like to play with some more loud things that beep, this could be good info. 👍
That was a good video from EEVBlog. When I replaced my detectors I bought one and checked this. I was going to the nest protect alarms. Power was below 1 watt when idle.
One easy way to solve this is use battery only alarms. But make sure you get ones that communicate to each other wirelessly.
@@ecospider5 I like the belt-and-suspenders approach to the AC/DC alarms, though, especially in the context of a new build. I happen to live in a part of Virginia where electricity is relatively cheap, so I haven't been concerned enough to pull my detectors down to meter them. Might do it when I next have to replace one, though.
@@McTroydinstead of metering a single smoke. Just meter the breaker that powers them all. If it’s low there then no need to do individuals.
@@ecospider5replacing a wired with a wireless may violate codes that require wired. You could fail an inspection.
Nice condensate pan! Who do you get yours from? Do you like metal better than plastic?
My last house had evidence of water leaks in every sink base. The kitchen sink base was utterly destroyed from multiple leaks: poor connections, rusted disposer, failing InstaHot, and bad angle stops. When there are 25 cleaning products jammed under the sink you could go a month before noticing the problem, and then it's too late. I gutted the kitchen and installed new cabinets, and the new sink base suffered some slight damage from a leaking angle stop. Super frustrating!
From now on every sink base will be fitted with a cabinet protection mat from Weathertech or Xtreme Mat, and a leak alarm. If you are a landlord, a leaky sink is your fault, but the tenants may never notice it-the same is true for your teenagers.
I hear this--just got a Basin mat and love it!
What is needed is a high-end brass motorized ball valve, connected to multiple hardwired sensors, which are hardwired to a central hub that runs on plugged-in power (with a battery backup), that shuts off the water main first. All that beeping and Wi-Fi stuff are just optional gimmicks. But at least these will beep when one comes comes from work to a flooded house.
Having a high water table 2 sump pumps and frequent power issues I went with the Moen Flo system, It has a sensor on both the mechanism as well as you can use the optional sensor cable. The system is expandable and has an optional water shutoff ($$$). Also monitors temp and humidity at the sensor location. Saved me $$$ already as one sump pump had its float stick and it alarmed before any water reached top of the pits
Had other alarms which were not wifi/networked and the issue is that you could not hear them alarm upstairs
I use govee WiFi leak sensors. $55 for 3 and includes the base unit. Mainly I like these because I use 30 other devices from Govee that the Govee app controls. So I naturally see the status of the leak sensors, especially low battery. They also have a good audible alert if WiFi fails.
They can also trigger home automation with ifttt or Alexa routines. So it could turn off the washing machine or set all the lights in the house red.
For normal users govee has great led strips for lighting up kitchen cabinets.
Nice video Matt. I have 5 of the Grohe Sense Smart Detectors and the Grohe Sense Guard. Its been in operation for over 4 years now with no problems. I installed the system after a couple of neighbors came home to a busted toilet supply line. The sense pucks alert my phone within seconds when water is detected, alarms are loud, and the sense guard shuts the main off within 30 seconds. I have only had to change the batteries once in the detectors (3AAA each). You can invest in the detectors (alerts only) or the main Sense Guard shutoff (it has a smart pipe burst detect function) or both for the ultimate protection. The Sense Guard also show estimated usage, pressure, and temperature. I used it to monitor water pressure conditions remotely during the 2021 Texas freeze.
Really useful video--especially this week for California and the major storms going on here. That wire-based detector will be good to snake it below an appliance.
I have a water valve handle motor that a hard mounted to my gas valve for my outdoor kitchen/fireplace. It turns valve if gas detector goes off and off if gas is on for more than 2 hrs. The valve is accessible from a port hole but I turn on and off through google.
Roosts and Goove water sensors alert low battery, working to have govee turn off my tuya controlled water valve.
I use MOCREO for leaks and freezer/room temp monitoring. No issues so far. 1 hub handles 30 sensors
Any update on the Phyn sensors?
Resideo is now a separate company after it was spun off from Honeywell. They also make most of the gas water heater thermostats, in addition to a bunch of other automation and control products.
Question. I had my unit sound off because of small water leak. The alarm (siren) came on and on my phone it allowed me to mute it. Question is does it automatically unmute itself back to normal?
Unless I missed something... You said the "only" one that would "do something" on one of them. Where have you been... And where was your research department. Items like the WaterCop, which turns the water main off, have been around for years.
I had your exact reaction too, but then I realized Matt meant a sensor that has the power to do something by itself, without having a water shut-off ecosystem like WaterCop, Flo and Phyn.
I keep my condensation pump inside a larger tote. I put a smart water sensor in tote. Let’s say my condenser pump went out once. Once! Now I get noticed if it over flows in tote before it floods my basement.
You should look at the Yo link sensors. For $79, you get 4 different sensors that are wifi connected. The will send you e-mails in the case of a leak and the have audible alerts. They have pins on top and bottoms so it can detect a water leak either above or below the sensor. You can add extra sensors at any time
It looks like the yolink WiFi sensors can trigger automation using ifttt and Alexa. I use the govee sensors. Looks like the Govee are about the same price and have similar capabilities. So you can put your washer on a WiFi plug and turn the washer off if there is a leak.
I also added the water shut-off valve from Yo Link. Instant wireless notification, very sensitive sensors. Advantage that mattered to me was it works also without internet or wireless connection in case of power outage. The water shut off valve using battery backup power with device to device connectivity will detect leak and turn off main water supply. Another plus is that it is automatic and does not require you to be home to turn off water supply.
Hi Mat
I have being following you and love to learn from you. Can you talk about Nexcem product which goes with your type of materials you have used in the pass.
Hey, something Im familiar with. Ive got a ton of "dummy" ones at home, which means they beep and you need to be home to hear them. They have saved me in the past with an under sink drip and a slow toilet drip. I find the Honeywell $11 ones awesome, but you need to be able to reach them to change batteries and test them every few months. So behind appliances or your dishwasher which is permanent, you cant use them. But toilets, under every sink, etc, a nice cheap insurance. As well, I test them with wetting my fingertip, and they still go off, so you dont need a flood for them to go off. I find the Waterline Water Alarm ones at Home Depot that you have a long sensor cable are better for the situations that you cant get to the device, since they have a test button on it and can change the battery at the box itself, and run the cable behind things like your washer, fridge and dishwasher. You just have to make sure the sensor is taped down flat, because you cant really check them easy once you are done installing them.
I have a couple of ultra cheap, maybe $10 each, water detectors in my basement. They use a two conductor wire which goes to one inch wide plastic piece with two screw terminals. Whenever water bridges the two contact the alarm goes off loud enough to hear on the main floor of the house. I have one of the wires hanging into my basement sump. It is above the highest level that water should ever get and well below the top of the sump. That way if the sump pump fails, I should get some warning before the water starts flooding the basement.
I was fighting water coming into my basement for a few years. I put sensors all over my basement to see where in the basement the water came in first to help narrow down the cause.
Off amazon, I got the Govee $13 each or you can buy multiples for like $11 each. Work great and you can change their names in the app. So a sharpie on one of them might be labeled #4, but in the app I can call it "#4 bookcase", and the app will send an alert to my phone. you can monitor all of them from the same app. They're small and they give off an audible alert that can be heard from 2 floors up. Also battery monitor in the app. Highly recommend.
I still have 10 of them all over my basement under baseboards, and island, and bookcase. You never know!
Does anyone remember the episode in which Matt had a Building Science Engineer show the plans they created that detailed where pipes and ducts would be placed? If so, what episode was it and/or what was the name of the person/firm?
Number one is the Ring Flood and Freeze sensor. The best I’ve every seen.
Resideo alerts when unit detects excessive moisture, which may catch a slow dripping line or leaking shot off valve packing well ahead of full on burst pipe failure
Hi Matt, nice video! I’d like you to do a video on carbon monoxide detectors. I watched a video that said that some UL listed monitors say specifically in their instruction manual that the product is "only designed to protect you from immediate death" and "is not meant to protect people who have respiratory or cardiac issues, elderly people, women who are pregnant or children" and therefore you should install a Low-Level carbon monoxide monitor instead.
Strangely, the video also said that since the "better" low level monitors weren’t UL listed that in order to meet code you should install both kinds of monitors (UL listed and low level).
Are there UL listed low level carbon monoxide detectors?
we use the WATCHDOG Model BWD-HWA in 4 locations of our house. Saved us with an overflowing washer and a kid that fell asleep in the shower with the curtain open lol
Our team plumber installed flood stop brand on the hot water heater. When it detected a leak, it closed a shut off valve installed on the intake line. Save us twice.
Amazon has some really cheapie $7 sensors that saved my basement 4 times including saving the other townhouses along our row as it was sensitive and loud.
I need one for my leaky toilet tank to shut off the supply to the toilet if it should start to leak
I use the Moen Flo. Battery with phone app. Low battery, leak with cable, humidity and temperature. Works great.
You over estimate the power of those lithium batteries they don’t work as well as they claim. Also the $13 Zircon from Home Depot is better than the Honeywell.
I like The one that turns the outlet off when it detects a leak. the only flaw I see is for that money spent it should have an audible alert as well.
good comparison!
You should add leak detectors that also turn off the water to the list. Floodstop is one I've had in my laundry room for a long time but there are others with WIFI integration also to get notifications on your phone. They are a little more pricey though.
Thanks I’ll go take a look at that brand. Looks like they are under $200
But my problem is rain overflow into the garage. So the alarm is far away, and I'd want it to turn an auxiliary sump pump on.
I use Govee sensors in 2 houses. Never had a false alarm, loud siren, wifi, and sensors on bottom and top. You can place them right under sink traps for instant signaling.
Wyze sensors also look promising and cost effective but haven’t used them.
Does anyone have experience installing these for Investment Properties? Are there any implications regarding privacy?
🤔 here are my two cents about it. Our washing machine and the dish washer too are from 1999. That said, inside of both machines is a styrofoam swimmer which pushes a micro switch once floating in a water spilling case. Both machines shut off and turn the pump on permanently for 15 minutes, after that you get a warning beep and code on the display. Both machines are from Bosch Siemens, I know I know what you wanna say now "these germans" and guess what. You are absolutely right, I don't need nothing fancy when my 20 plus years machines can do it already. By the way you should never run both machines unattended. Greetings from Germany Ahhh almost forgot, on the beginning of the inlet water tube they got both solenoid valves already.
The $50 residio is loud enuff that your dog would hear it and alert to the noise… I’d suggest the water warning is most relevant for whilst you are out of the home, be it out in the backyard, across the street or across the country… I’m waiting for manufacturers to include these functions in their devices, be it appliance, in-system water values and even at the water meter/home feed from the street… expect that w/ home automation solutions maturity, this type of issue identification and remediation would be a natural fit
You say you hooked up to a phone which phone android or apple? Some gadgets only works with either a android or apple.
I wouldn't mind you covering some sort of safe products, whether integrated or not.
My house insurance offered me a discount if I installed 2 of the resideos. They are very effective and the wifi feature means you hear the alarm from the device and your phones. Discount should pay for itself in about a year. It will more than pay for itself if it catches a bad leak in action.
Residio's networked stuff is slow. I use their Total Connect app with my alarm system and its integrated Z-wave controller, and the lag controlling anything with the phone app is maddening. Knowing that all the lights will come on when the alarm goes off keeps me stuck in their ecosystem regardless though. That's a feature I'd never leave behind.
I don't know why all of these are not 110 with battery backup? As an engineer I would use a power unit + 9v Li rechargeable battery. It's an easy, cheap circuit to build. I already only use lithium rechargeable batteries in all 20 of my smoke alarms.
There are a couple of lithium rechargeable 9v batteries that guarantee 9v. Don’t use those because they will go from 9v to 0v instantly. So no chance of a low battery alarm. But that brand is actually hard to find.
I have used the rechargeable 9v lithium batteries in my fire alarms now for over a year. They die after about 12 months. Which is great. I charge the battery then do my yearly fire alarm check.
I use yoliknk , with main water shutoff valves. Very affordable and effective
Great review. Like that $80 one.
"Phone Connected" detector is ok, but which ones are compatible with Home Assistant or other home automation which can then give other warnings.
I use Govee which works with ifttt and Alexa. Yolink does to. $55 for 3 sensors and WiFi base unit. There are some zwave options to for local automation.
I have the Tuya Water Leak detector. Super inexpensive but the actual alarm volume is pathetic. You would never hear it and it stops alerting very quickly.
Unless you pay a monthly subscription or an activation fee you do not get alerts on your phone either.
While I enjoy poking fun at your endorsements and your utterly cringe worthy Olight ads, I really appreciate your great content and hard work. Congrats again on a million subs.
Man, 80 bucks seems pretty pricey for what it is. These are very simple devices; even the plug model is simpler than a $20 smart plug. I guess it's still cheaper than water damage though.
At my house I've bought a few zigbee and wifi sensors that is tuya connected.
None have an alarm but i have them turn off my zigbee wireless socket plugs and also a shutoff valve actuator on my main water shutoff valve
I get a notification anywere in the world.
The washer turns off within one second and the main water is shut of, and the lights around in my house turns on. And i get notified within a second on my phone.
All have low battery notification and should last 1 to 3 years (zigbee is low power wireless tht needs a hub to wifi)
It have saved me several times already mainly because the drain in my basement for the washer is partly blocked and slow
I have Govee wifi sensors. They come in a pretty inexpensive 3 pack (55 for the wifi base and 3 sensors or $50 for a 5 pack of non-wifi sensors). I have had great success and been thrilled with 2 of the three. The 3rd though... For some reason it failed alarming in the middle of the night... And these things are LOUD. Woke me and my wife up and unfortunately it was in the attic in my AC pan. So I have to go into the attic in my underwear... So the button to silence doesn't work. The battery case is gasketed and screwed with 4 tiny screws. So I'm taking the sensor out of the attic searching for a tiny screwdriver while trying to muffle the alarm with my hand to make it bearable. Even after removing the screws I can't pry off the battery cover so at this point I take it out to the garage and repeatedly beat it on the concrete until the batteries fly out. Nothing like that kind of adrenaline at 2AM over nothing...
So my advice for water sensors is louder isn't always better and make sure the battery case is easy to open. I do like the idea of the water sensing cables though. Being able to remote mount the alarm in an accessible area while keeping the sensor itself under appliances seems like the way to go.
Nice lineup
The last item turned off the power but it won't help you with a broken hose.
Can you recommend one for the bed, I tend to …. I mean my kids wet the bed.
You need a leak detector pad. They are super sensitive. Mine keeps going off when I’m hot and sweaty.
These are all better than nothing, but a sensor that would turn the water off at the source would be better. Since one of the supply lines to the washer is most likely to fail, it would be nice if the alarm also turned the water off at water supply valve to stop potential flooding and water damage.
Why did Honeywell rebrand? I feel like they had one of the more consumer-recognized brand names already. Seems like a mistake.
Good information as always. But do you really want to use lithium batteries on a device that might come in contact with water? I am a big advocate for lithium batteries but not in this application.
Really enjoyed learning about the different capabilities. The cheap Resideo is certainly better than nothing. If you are away, put a few of those around the house as well as a few Wyze cameras with sound notifications on. Then keep your neighbors number on speed dial. It’s better than walking into a new and unwelcome indoor pool.
Just a couple thoughts on the expansion capabilities of some of the devices on the market. Some do not come with the unit--I appreciate the al-la-carte model and not paying for something I do not intend to use. The $40 Phyn can expand with nodes and cables.
I am curious if the Resideo sensor still works when the cable is plugged in, or if it is designed like the Flo by Moen sensors where the main sensor is deactivated when the cable/extension node is plugged in. I am guessing it might still work as I have not come across anything on their website that indicates it does not, but assuming is never a good thing…
My 2 cents on the leak sensor market: a key feature is the ability to automatically shut water off to the house if a leak is detected. The probability of being home or awake is small, so if a leak happens, I’d prefer automation to kick in and shut it down fast. Of course, there will still be some leaking as the system depressurizes, but as I’ve tested and shared on TH-cam with my Phyn ecosystem, it shuts down within 15-17 seconds. I can’t find my glasses next to my bed in that amount of time in the middle of the night.
Great first-take video comparing these devices--you know I was looking forward to this one when you mentioned it last year on IG and our discussion at IBS.
No point in just getting one that just alarms. You leave it in a basement and it might be a few days before you hear it. Absolutely need a system that also turns off water supply and sends alerts to your phone. Z-wave/Zigbee shines here with a good setup.
Have any good suggestions of a zwave/zigbee one?
@@Obtuse94 My setup is slightly more hands-on since I like customization with other components, but you can definitely simplify to a simpler system as needed (might be more expensive). I'm running zooz zse42 (zwave) as water leak sensors in my entire house (they cost me ~$18 a piece back in the day), a dome shutoff valve (zwave, ~$50, or you can grab a titan shutoff for slightly more), and a hub for control (can be like $15-$20 for a basic zwave controller that you can plug into a raspberry pi and run home assistant on, but there are other hub options for zwave, like Samsung smartthings).
For Zigbee, I know Aquara is pretty good, and try to stay away from Tuya.
@Obtuse94 I use govee WiFi leak detectors. Great for ifttt or Alexa automation. But if the internet is down you only get the local beep alerts.
While the cable style ones are pretty cool and very versatile, but the delay in sounding the alarm would steer me away, I like the metal pin style ones much better, instant response time.
It really depends on the sensor. Phyn has an additional cable for $10, bringing the total to $50, which would have been a fairer comparison with the exact same price as the Resideo cable sensor WiFi combo. The Phyn sensor cable detects water in about 2 seconds--the sensor itself is 1 second. I shared my test results here: th-cam.com/video/wrPKaywitQQ/w-d-xo.html Both I'm not 100% on the functionality of Risideo's sensor and I could not easily find this on their website, but Flo by Moen's sensors work like this (copied from their website) "When used alone, the leak sensors are located at the back of the Detector. If an accessory is attached, these sensors become inactive while the Cable or Disc’s sensors activate to catch leaks in hard-to-reach places." --it's somewhat of an unknown "feature." Phyn's base sensor is still active when a cable or extension node are connected so in their case, you get the best of both worlds.
Not sure having a lithium battery in a leak sensor is a good idea given how volatile they can be when introduced to water.
Most of the washers floods come from the hoses! That won’t shut the water off! Will shut machine off
What you didn't test is one that turns the water off.
Hi, always worth having a backup to an AC wired detector in case of loss of mains electricity. When buying DC detectors with 10 year sealed batteries you will have a problem. These gadgets are sold in sealed plastic and you can’t tell how old they are. Batteries have a limited shelf life and I have thrown out fire detectors guaranteed for ten years, on stripping out the 9v battery I found it was five year old at the date of sale! You make a good point about a good battery but check the dates. Cheers mate. H
I use nimh rechargeable because I have never had them leak. But the devices don’t give a good battery alert with nimh. So I can only do that because every thing I use connects to an app and the app will inform me of dead batteries.
Yea don’t feel bad about 50 I’ll be there in July bro enjoy your life I do be safe everyone 👍🇺🇸
It turned off the power but no alarm???
Wow I didn’t catch that. Good point
The $11 unit is nice
The Resideo Wifi units alerts you via wifi if the battery is low.
Matt these are antiques. you need to check the new smart home devices like aqara water sensor, eve water sensor.. can you review them?
ANTIQUES?!?!? They’re still in stores and are still being produced!!!!!
I'm sure they do but when I spend the same amount and get a more smart features and does this better than these analogue devices. my point being matt should cover every segment in reviews. this video is incomplete list
The problem with new tech in a safety system like this is you don’t know how reliable they are or how they will fail. Everything he showed is kind of guaranteed to work.
That being said. I use Govee wifi leak detectors. I verified the sound alarm works even if the WiFi fails.
2 examples of new tech failures.
Nest thermostat defaults to off. So if they send an update and the unit crashes your furnace turns off until you cycle the power. Not good when used in a cabin 5 hours away from your house.
WiFi sprinklers regularly stop working when the server is down. So if a glitch happens you get brown grass before you know there is a problem.
@@ecospider5 I agree wifi based systems r failure..I get the point of video is standalone systemss but there are battery powered systems aqara hub can be used with zigbee/ matter technology which are more reliable. so we should just rule out they suck without a review.
The $11 model seems cheap enough to put in as a backup to any other device
Matt those blue shop towels are horrible for absorption dude lmao
They are like the sham wow. Initial water contact is slow. But they hold a lot more water than normal paper towels. Plus they don’t loose strength when wet or oily.
Late model Alexa devices can learn the sound of the alarm and alert on your phone so you can make your $11 dollar device smart
What a shame you don't have a local hardware store where you could buy these things.