How Do Smart Sensors Detect Water?

Nowadays, more and more people are looking for ways to make their homes “smart” and enhance their safety.

That’s where smart sensors come into the picture. These helpful devices will allow you to relax, knowing that you’ll quickly know about any leakage in your home so that you can act appropriately.

So, have you considered getting a smart sensor for your home?

If so, check out the rest of our article to learn more about these devices, how they detect water, and why they are essential for your building.

What are Smart Sensors?

Smart sensors represent devices that collect information from the physical environment using built-in microprocessors to perform pre-defined tasks.

There are a bunch of different varieties of smart sensors, including:

• Water detection smart sensors

• Temperature smart sensors

• Humidity smart sensors

• Air quality detection smart sensors

• Motion smart sensors

• Infrared smart sensors

All smart sensors collect environmental data without making noise and taking up a lot of space, making them convenient for any building. They’re typically easy to install and use, so even people without technical knowledge can use them for their homes.

Overall, smart sensors are excellent tools that allow you to monitor things inside your home without needing to stay inside and monitor everything visually.

How do Smart Sensors Detect Water?

Smart sensors designed to detect water have special receptors which notify you when there’s the presence of water next to the sensor. Typically, these sensors use wifi to send you the notification that you can receive by email, text, or phone call.

They can detect leakage and flooding, and you'll be instantly notified if there’s an issue in your home, meaning you can react promptly and resolve the problem.

Categories of Smart Sensors

Of course, there are many different options for smart sensors available these days.

That being said, we can usually divide water-detection sensors into these two categories:

• Flow sensors — These sensors notify you when there’s abnormal water usage in your home.

• Point of leak sensors — These sensors notify you when there’s a leak at a specific spot inside your home.

One of the most important things when getting a smart sensor that detects water is to place it in a location where water damage can happen unannounced.

Places you should install smart sensors:

• Dishwashers

• Washing machines

• Sinks

• Toilets

• Boilers

• Refrigerators

Before getting a water-detecting smart sensor, ensure you check out all available options to get the best product for your money!

Flow Sensors

Flow sensors frequently referred to as flow monitors, are devices that either regulate or measure the flow rate of gasses and liquids in your pipes.

They will notify you if there’s abnormal water usage in your building. Commonly, people use these sensors in HVAC systems, septic systems, chemical factories, etc.

Flow sensors can detect various things, including:

• Leaks

• Blockages

• Pipe bursts

• Changes in the concentration of liquid

You can also further divide flow sensors into two separate groups — contact flow sensors and non-contact flow sensors.

Typically, people use contact flow sensors for applications where it’s not expected for the water and gas to clog inside the pipe when they come in contact with the sensor’s moving parts.

On the other hand, non-contact flow sensors don’t contain any moving parts. Because of that, people use these when the liquid or gas alters if they get in contact with moving parts.

Pros of Flow Sensors

• Easy to install

• Multiple detection properties

• Highly accurate

• Reliable

• Functional

• Practical

Cons of Flow Sensors

• Possibility of corrosion over time

Point of Leak Sensors

Point of leak sensors are there to help you monitor leaks in your building.

These devices have integrated parts, typically connected to the internet, which is how the device sends you notifications about leaks in your home. Because of that, you’ll be promptly notified if anything happens, meaning you can react in a timely manner.

These sensors are location-related, so you should place them in areas where the leaks are most likely to occur. That said, if multiple areas in your home could have a leak, you’ll need multiple sensors to cover all of them.

Pros of Point of Leak Sensors

• Easy to install

• Reliable

• Efficient

• Practical

• Accurate at detecting leaks

Cons of Point of Leak Sensors

• Can only detect leaks at the location where they are mounted

• You’ll need multiple sensors to cover multiple areas where leakage can happen

Why are Smart Sensors Important for Your Building?

Smart sensors are essential for your building as they allow you to go beyond the regular scope of energy efficiency and climate control. By turning your building smart, you’ll save a lot of money and time, while enhancing your building’s performance, which will lead to less stress and problems around the household.

These devices can help you achieve more security and stability for your building while assisting in preventive maintenance and enhancing your property management. Another excellent thing about smart sensors is they excel in functionality and performance, quickly notifying you of any issues happening in your household.

With so many available varieties of smart sensors, there’s a sensor for everyone’s needs, so it all comes down to your biggest concerns about your building. Overall, these helpful devices come in handy, making your home “think for itself.”

An intelligent sensor can drastically improve your energy efficiency and sustainability, giving you peace of mind wherever you go. Because of that, everyone should at least try using these sensors — their benefits will make your life drastically easier which is something you’ll love.

What Smart Sensors Should You Use to Detect Water?

The Droplet Duo™ by Perceptive Things® is an excellent selection for detecting water in hard-to-reach places!

As you may have guessed by the name, this is a dual-probe water leak sensor that has separate wireless alerting systems in each probe. It's like having two sensors in one!

Our Droplet Duo™ has 3M adhesive pads that allow you to securely attach them to a variety of surfaces. This sensor comes pre-configured for your property and has a battery life rated for 4 to 5 years.

The Droplet Pro™ by Perceptive things is another excellent choice for finding leaks before they have a chance to damage your building.

This moisture sensor uses a 3-meter rope to detect water along its entire length! The sensor adheres via internal magnets, allowing them to be securely mounted to iron surfaces like mechanical equipment or beams.

Final Thoughts on Using Smart Sensors for Water Leak Detection

Technology is taking over the world, making our lives easier and more manageable. That also counts for smart sensors, which is why you should consider getting one for your building.

If you try out one of our smart sensors, you’ll realize they are what your building was missing all along!

If you have any questions regarding smart sensors, we'd be happy to answer them in the comments section below!