The Best Water Sensor Alarm

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray
Published on
August 9th, 2019

Expert BioExpert Bio

Ben’s formal training and certifications in cleaning include the ASD (Advanced Structural Drying), AMRT (Applied Microbial Remediation Technician),
WRT (Water restoration technician), CCT (Carpet Cleaning technician), and bio hazard cleanup, as well as several other certifications from the IICRC. Ben has managed teams involved in cleaning projects around the United States. Ben’s passion for cleaning dates all the way back to keeping his rugby gear tidy while a young lad. Ben holds an undergraduate degree from Oxford, a Master’s degree from Oxford, and a mountain of hands on experience at the school of hard knocks.

The Cleaning Institute

It is estimated that around 60/% of basements in the U.S. leak with around 40% resulting in the development of mold. This can occur from rainfall, melting snow, or internally from leaky pipes or water heaters. A water sensor can provide security by letting you know when standing water is present in your basement. Finding the right sensor can prove challenging alone, but backed by our testing team’s years of experience testing products in the industry, we can help you find a lasting solution.

Testing Categories

We put our team to work taking an in-depth look at each water sensor in the following areas to ensure premium quality.

Sensitivity – How much water does it take to set off the alarm?

Alert Power – We examined the quality of sound emitted from the device.

Versatility – We noted different locations and situations in which you can utilize the sensor.

Top Pick

First Alert WA100-3
Water Alarm for Leak
Detection and Flood Alerts

Know right when a leak starts with one of the fastest detection systems on the market. This splash and water-resistant sensor can be placed in any room of your home for constant protection.

Price Check

Most notable upside: The First Alert water sensor blew us away with how well it detects the smallest sign of moisture. We found it simple to install anywhere - under a sink, by your water heater, washer, and other similar locations. First Alert sensors consume very little of the 9-volt battery’s power so it can keep you protected for a long time. Just don’t forget to change out the battery when needed.

Biggest downsides: We did have a few minor issues, such as that the alarm sound wasn’t loud enough and the rounded bottom prevents it from standing on its own, though this didn’t detract from too much from the overall usefulness of the device.

Honorable Mention

Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA
00895001498 Basement Watchdog
High Water Alarm

Get up to five years of protection on a single battery with Glentronics’ water sensor. This easy to use sensor requires no installation. Simply place it where you need it and let it work its magic!

Price Check

Most notable upside: What an amazing value! Not only did we find the Glentronics sensor’s price very agreeable, but the battery power lasted longer than most other models we tested. We liked that there were no sticky bits to mess with as the Glentronics water sensor could be placed right on the floor near any water source. The alarm sounded nice and loud and could be heard from several rooms away.

Biggest downsides: The biggest downside for us was that the detector wasn’t as sensitive as other models. We also disliked that there was no alert for low battery power, though the fact that the charge lasts so long will make this a non-issue for many users.

Also Consider

Water
Leak
Detector

Gain peace of mind when you install this powerful water alarm. It will alert you of a leak with 120DB of sound for supreme protection from disaster.

Price Check

Most notable upside: We found this water leak detector surprisingly more reliable than some of the more costly brands we tested. Setup was as easy as placing the leak detector in the desired location. The sensor worked very well at detecting leaks, even when they were out of sight. The sound was piercing and loud enough to catch your attention from at least a few rooms over.

Biggest downsides: The only issue we came across was the quality wasn’t always consistent in the products we tested, but overall this particular water sensor alarm was a great value.

All Our Picks

What is a water sensor alarm?

A water sensor alarm, more popularly known as water detector is an electronic device that is designed to detect the presence of water near any infrastructure that has the potential to leak water, such as water pipes, drain pipes, washing machines, water heater closet, the bathroom, under your kitchen sink, or water tanks and then alert the homeowner in time to allow the prevention of water leakage. A water sensor can detect the presence of water, by measuring the electrical conductivity of the water present and completing a circuit to send a signal. The device then sounds an audible alarm together with providing application alerts to the homeover when there is a leak.

What to look for when shopping

You might be surprised by many specifications of different devices in detecting presence of water. Some communicate and send message through Wi-Fi, some plug into an AC outlet, some in a battery, some has external sensor cables while others lay on the floor. These are just some of the different specs that water sensors have nowadays, and there are more to expect in the future. For now, we listed some important things to look for when shopping one namely:

Power source: Most water leak sensors are battery powered, but some, depend on AC power. Some buyers prefer the battery powered sensors because they can put it wherever they want, even on the remotest area in their house because these sensors don’t require an outlet nearby. An outlet-powered sensor with battery backup in the event of a blackout would be ideal; unfortunately, they are rare.

Size: If you want to place your sensor in a tight space, make sure the sensor is either too small for you enough to fit, or that it offers a sensor cable to extend its reach.

Alert: It’s helpful to have a siren to alert you once a leak is detected. You will be alerted when you are at home with a very loud sound. Most sensors also alert the homeowner by sending a notification through apps in phone.

Other additional sensors: Some leak sensors can also measure other environmental conditions that can lead to problems at their extremes, such as temperature and humidity. These additional specs aside from the water leak sensor is helpful for monitoring the baseline of your home.

Top Water Sensor Alarm

Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Detector at Amazon: Easiest to Use

Lyric is one of the most useful and the easiest to set up sensor. This sensor alerts you not just in cases of water leaks but also to two other conditions that can cause problems in your home: freezing temperatures, and high humidity meaning buying this is like buying a 3-in-1 sensor.

This smart water sensor is easy to set up, it connects directly to Wi-Fi and doesn’t require a smart home hub to work unlike some of the other sensors out there. The Lyric smart water sensor runs on AAA batteries that are easy to change to make it even simpler to add to your home setup.

If you’re at home when the Lyric detects water, you’ll hear an audible alarm to immediately alert you. Moreover, if you’re not home, the Lyric has an app that sends alerts directly to your smartphone! However, one of the things that it lacks is it can’t be integrated into another smart home system like a water valve. You can be alerted about the leak, but it can’t communicate with a smart water valve to shut the water off at the source.

Waxman LeakSmart Sensor: Best for Shutting Off Leaks Automatically

LeakSmart’s ability to integrate into broader smart-home systems like water shutoff valve separates this leak detector to the others. Aside from this, the LeakSmart Sensor works with other apps that measures temperature as well as moisture.

Although it is more expensive than some of the other sensors, the LeakSmart sensor could wind up saving you more money in the long run because when it detects a leak, it automatically connects to your water main and shuts off all the water within five seconds to prevent damage from occurring. The LeakSmart sensor also monitors temperature and humidity, so you will be alerted to any fluctuations from the baselines of your home.

Fibaro Flood Sensor: Best for Small and/or Submerged Spaces

The Fibaro models are small enough to fit in small spaces. This runs on a single CR123A battery, so you can easily position it in any area that you want even in the remotest area of your home. Another remarkable feature of this sensor is that it is tough; it is one of the only water sensors on the market that can survive being submerged in flooding conditions!

This sensor changes color based on the water detection or temperature changes aside from sounding the alarm. But unlike other leak detectors, it can be triggered even on simple tilts or tampers with the device so make sure that you will set this up in a non-busy area of the home.

Also, if you want to set up your smart home around Apple’s HomeKit, the Fibaro Flood Sensor is the match for you. You can always check on the sensor through Siri to see how the sensor is functioning and to determine whether there are any problems detected at that time. The Fibaro Flood Sensor can also connect to devices like your Apple TV using Bluetooth.

Water leakage can cause significant damage to your home. If a leak goes undetected in places in your home that you might not regularly visit, the accumulated water can cause potentially serious damage. The smart technology in water sensor alarm systems can help quickly alert homeowners of potential leaks and prevent the need for costly and time-consuming repairs.

The Best Water Sensor Alarm

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

First Alert WA100-3
Water Alarm for Leak
Detection and Flood Alerts

Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA
00895001498 Basement Watchdog
High Water Alarm

Water
Leak
Detector

All Our Picks

First Alert WA100-3
Water Alarm for Leak
Detection and Flood Alerts

Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA
00895001498 Basement Watchdog
High Water Alarm

Water
Leak
Detector

What is a water sensor alarm?

What to look for when shopping

Top Water Sensor Alarm

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

The Best Water Sensor Alarm

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

First Alert WA100-3Water Alarm for LeakDetection and Flood Alerts

Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA00895001498 Basement WatchdogHigh Water Alarm

Water Leak Detector

All Our Picks

First Alert WA100-3Water Alarm for LeakDetection and Flood Alerts

Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA00895001498 Basement WatchdogHigh Water Alarm

Water Leak Detector

What is a water sensor alarm?

What to look for when shopping

Top Water Sensor Alarm

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

First Alert WA100-3
Water Alarm for Leak
Detection and Flood Alerts

Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA
00895001498 Basement Watchdog
High Water Alarm

Water
Leak
Detector

First Alert WA100-3
Water Alarm for Leak
Detection and Flood Alerts

Glentronics, Inc. BWD-HWA
00895001498 Basement Watchdog
High Water Alarm

Water
Leak
Detector