The Advantages of Water Leak Detectors

Water damage is the most common cause of home insurance claims. This is because water can easily leak through the roof, escape the plumbing system, or come from other sources like faulty appliances. Moreover, even a small amount of water can damage walls, ceilings, floors or other contents in a home given enough time.

An effective solution to preventing water damage is installing water leak detectors (or sensors). Older or simpler water leak detectors emit an alarm when they detect water, but these have a drawback — property owners must be at home to hear the alarm and take action to prevent water damage.

In recent years however, water leak detectors have improved and can send a text message when unwanted water or moisture is detected. Some of these “smart” gadgets will even automatically shut off the water supply just in time to prevent severe water damage.

Smart leak detection systems include several small moisture/leak sensors. These devices run on batteries and can be placed near areas that are more prone to water damage. Such areas include: on sump pumps, near water-bearing fixtures, and behind or beneath pipes.

More advanced leak detectors come with an option to set a minimum amount of water before an alert is triggered. This helps property owners learn only about water incidents that can potentially cause damage, excluding small spills. An additional feature of smart leak detectors is monitoring the temperature variations in a home — if there’s an unexpected change in temperature, the device will send alerts.

Most smart leak detectors on the market are integrated into smart home systems. Such systems include a central hub that connects to the Internet, an app, as well as a variety of smart devices that can be added, such as leak detectors, carbon monoxide (CO) detectors, thermostats and motion sensors. The hub communicates with all connected products and can be monitored and controlled from the app.

Installing independent leak detectors is easy and doesn’t require special tools. However, installing a smart home system with leak detection gadgets may require the services of a specialist. Furthermore, to make sure the detectors work properly throughout the year, the batteries and power sources must be checked regularly.

More tips on how to prevent water damage in homes and properties can be found here. If water damage has already occurred, here are essential guidelines to eliminate musty odours from water-damaged contents. PuroClean stands ready to provide professional restoration services to any property affected by fire, water or mould damage.

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