Since even a small amount of unwelcome water in a home may lead to thousands of dollars in damages within hours, installing water leak detection devices should be among a homeowner's top priorities.
Unbeknownst to the homeowner, unwanted water could be dripping, trickling, or pooling somewhere in their house at any moment. If this situation goes undetected for even a short time, it has the potential to cause significant damage to the home and the owner's belongings. For this reason, we recommend you encourage insureds to install water leak detection devices to potentially reduce the chance that a leak somewhere goes unnoticed.
Water leak sensors are designed to detect and monitor moisture where it doesn't belong. They typically alert a homeowner if water touches them, usually within seconds of detection, by sounding an alarm and flashing a red LED light. Some of these devices rely on bottom-mounted probes to sense water, while others have top-mounted probes that catch falling drips. Most of them also connect to a mobile app, so if a leak is detected, the app will send a text or a push notification, or sometimes both, to a mobile phone. Since not all water leak detectors have the same monitoring and warning capabilities, it's important for homeowners to carefully research what they are buying.
Some of the features a homeowner may want to investigate when comparing different water leak detector options include the following:
- Is the alarm loud enough that it will be heard anywhere in the home?
- Can the alarm be turned off in-app, or can that only be done by pushing a button on the device?
- Will the device integrate with a smart home system?
- Does it come with a leak-sensing cable that will help detect water along its entire length?
- Will the size of the device limit where it can be placed?
- Does it enable monitoring of room temperature and humidity as well?
Once a homeowner decides on a water leak detection device and purchases a few, they should place them in a variety of spots around the home where water damage typically originates, such as:
- At the base of all toilets.
- Under sink plumbing.
- By the refrigerator.
- Near any water-use appliances, like the dishwasher or washing machine.
- Next to the boiler or water heater.
- At the top of the sump pump basin.
- In the basement and crawl spaces.
In addition to using water leak sensors, attaching a water flow monitor to the main plumbing line or water meter may provide an early warning of a potential leak. Over time, these flow monitors learn a home's typical water usage patterns and notify the homeowner if abnormal usage or water flow is detected.
Homeowners who desire even greater peace of mind may want to consider a more comprehensive whole-home water shutoff and leak detection system. These systems typically include a smart water shutoff valve connected to several leak detectors. When water flow is irregular or moisture is detected, the valve automatically shuts off the water supply to the home. Because these whole-home systems are so effective at catching both larger leaks and slower, smaller ones, homeowners that install them may be eligible for a
home insurance premium credit.
There are many other steps a homeowner can take to
prevent water leaks and damage. Implementing these precautions, along with using water leak detection devices, may help them avoid a serious claim.