How does a water sensor work and why install one with your Ann Arbor smart home?

One minor leak at your house can lead to significant problems and thousands of dollars in damage. You need to defend against this danger; luckily, there’s an easy way to accomplish this. A water sensor is a simple, effective, and affordable solution. Explore how they work and why you should integrate water sensors into your Ann Arbor smart home.

How water sensors safeguard Ann Arbor homes

Water enters homes in various ways, whether from an appliance breakdown, plumbing problem, storm-related event, or human error. No matter how it happens, you need to know at once, and this is how water sensors help. But how precisely do they work? 

The majority of water sensors are conductive and operate with a pair of electrodes. When water comes in contact with the electrodes, an electrical connection is established, triggering your alarm. You’ll also discover capacitive sensors that give off an electrical field. When water reaches the conductive surfaces of these components, the field is disrupted, and your alarm activates. Optical sensors utilizing infrared LED light are another possibility.

Get more from your water sensor

A few specialized water sensors give you even more peace of mind as they feature incorporated temperature sensors. This is an exceptional feature in preventing frozen pipes. If there’s a drastic drop in temperature, you’ll know immediately. Taking measures before pipes break will save you from water infiltration and costly repairs.

Why integrate water sensors into your Ann Arbor smart home? 

When water issues happen, you must be alerted right away. You can achieve this goal by integrating water sensors into your smart home. Whether you’re home to hear the alarm or not, you’ll receive an automatic alert on your smartphone. As an additional backup, your 24-hour monitoring specialists will be notified. Every moment is critical in a water emergency to minimize the destruction and disruption to your family.

Where should you put water sensors?

Any spot at risk of an influx of water is an ideal place for water sensors. Think about installing in these spots:

• Bathrooms: Position near tubs or at the back of toilets.
• Basements: Water frequently infiltrates basements through damaged walls or because of excessive rain or malfunctioning sump pumps.
• Near water heaters or appliances: Any water-connected appliance may leak over time.
• Underneath sinks: Water sensors are ideal for identifying plumbing leaks in locations you can’t see.
• Attics: Catch roof leaks early and avoid costly repairs.

Install water sensors with your Vivint smart home

Give your property the robust protection it needs with modern tools from Vivint. Our water sensors in Ann Arbor connect to your Vivint mobile app to provide automatic notifications when your alarm goes off. You also benefit from built-in temperature sensors to prevent pipe freezing. Explore the smart home tools available in Ann Arbor by calling (734) 206-7166 today.