Across the United States, more than 14,000 people per day experience water damage to their home. 98% of basements will be affected by water damage at some point. Not great news for homeowners. Water damage can cause a host of problems like mold growth, structural degradation, property damage, and more.
Check out our previous blog post on ways to prevent water damage in your home. In this post though, we want to highlight an amazing tool that we offer at CPI Security—Water Sensors. Learn how they can help you detect water damage before it becomes a significant problem. Here are four ways that water sensors can protect your home from water damage.
What Are Water Sensors?
Water sensors are devices designed to detect and alert you of any water in a monitored area. In other words, if a leak or any water appears in an area that should not have water, these sensors notify you of the issue. Using built-in moisture detectors and/or water probes, these sensors can detect water before it has had time to cause property damage.
4 Tips for Using Water Sensors to Protect Your Home from Water Damage
Tip 1: Water Sensor Placement for Maximum Coverage
Step one is ensuring that your water sensors are placed in the appropriates spaces to monitor potential leaks and overflow. This includes places around the following items.
- Washing machines
- Dishwashers
- Sinks
- Refrigerators/Ice Maker drain lines
- Hot water heaters
- Toilets
- Sump pumps
- Drainpipes
You should also place water sensors around areas of the home that may collect water from a flood or heavy rain, like your basement or near porch doors.
Once you’ve set up your water sensors, the next step is to sync them with a home monitoring app. This allows you to be alerted immediately when there is a water leak or moisture build-up. Early warning will give you time to act and prevent further damage to your property.
CPI Security’s water sensors automatically integrate with the inTouch™ app. That way, your sensors are connected to the same app that controls your security cameras and other devices. No need to download a separate app to take advantage of this feature!
Tip 2: Sync Shut-Off Valves to Your Home Monitoring Apps
You can take water damage control to the next level with the addition of a Water Shut-Off Valve. This device pairs with water sensors to turn off your water supply when a sensor detects moisture. Now not only will you be notified to take action, action will be automatically taken for you with this addition.
Combined with a water shut-off valve, water sensors can mitigate the amount of damage you would have. In turn, it may reduce cost in repairs because it detects the leak and shuts off the water source immediately before serious damage occurs.
CPI’s Water Shut-Off Valve is also integrated into our inTouch™ app, so you can shut the water off or turn it on remotely with the click of a button on your smartphone.
Tip 3: Monitor Invisible Leaks
Over the past several years, leak detection and water monitoring has advanced significantly. Modern leak detectors utilize the same technologies as water sensors but focus more on leakage in pipes. These monitoring systems are beneficial for catching more minor leaks and drips behind interior walls. If they were to go undiscovered, they could cause large-scale problems before it is too late.
Some sophisticated leak detection systems can be installed in your plumbing system to give you actionable information about your home’s water flow and pressure to detect leaks and breaks. If you want even more precautions, pair sensors with your smart water shut-off valves to stop an invisible leak before it becomes an issue.
Tip 4: Don’t Forget About Freeze Sensors
At the time of this blog update, the weather outside is starting to cool and it is a great time to think about the danger that comes with winter storms and freezing temperatures. Frozen pipes can lead to burst pipes, which can cause massive amounts of water damage.
If you live in a location that is prone to below-freezing temperatures, you may want to consider incorporating a freeze sensor into your water damage control system. If these sensors detect a temperature at or below around 45 degrees, either an alarm or your linked smart device would be notified.
These devices are usually placed in areas that are prone to freezing weather or environmental exposure. This may include unfinished basements, crawlspaces, or areas with insufficient insulation. Freezing water sensors should be installed along with the other technologies mentioned to help prevent major damage.
Though you may not have this issue if you live in the Southeast, you can still program you Smart Thermostat to notify you if the house drops below a certain temperature that you’ve pre-set.
Optimize Your New Technology
In addition to the above water sensors, other technologies can also be used to enhance the effectiveness of your water detection system. Consider the following.
Home Alarm Systems: These can be audible or synced to your phone. With a fully integrated home alarm system, all of your devices work through one hub and one app. This makes it easier to take immediate action in the event water is detected, or any other emergency in your home.
Wi-Fi Extender: If you plan on adding smart water detection devices to your home, know that they will rely on wi-fi. We recommend installing a wi-fi extender/booster to ensure that your signals are strong and reach every corner of your home.
Generators & Backup Batteries: Having a backup energy source for your water sensors can be helpful to keep your system operational in the event of a power outage.
Keeping a safe home is essential for every family. With the right mix of water sensors and a water shut-off valve, you can protect your home and your family from the potential damage of water leaks.
If you’re ready to improve your home’s water detection system, CPI Security can help! We have the experience and technology to protect your home’s vulnerable areas from water damage and so much more. Learn more about our security sensors and work with a security expert to customize your security and alarm system with a FREE quote.
