Smart Home Device Every Homeowner Should Consider
What do you think of when someone asks what smart home device you should have in your home? Most people will likely say a smart thermostat or smart doorbell camera since they are on every smart home must-have list. Smart doorbells have a viral component; who hasn’t seen those porch pirate videos online? While there are countless smart home devices on the market today, some are useful and truly improve the way we interact with our homes while others seem like a novelty. There’s one underrated smart home device that every home should have for value, practical nature, and peace of mind it provides: the smart water sensor.
Imagine finally taking your dream vacation to a tropical paradise. You had an amazing time and it was everything you imagined it would be. You’re feeling refreshed and ready to resume normal life only to come home to a flooded basement. The upstairs toilet has been leaking for days and the water has penetrated three levels down to the basement. Sounds like a nightmare but this has happened many times. You can detect water issues when they happen and avoid coming home to a nightmare. Smart water sensors are the best solution for preventing significant water damage to your home.
In the US, one in every 50 homes has damage caused by water leaks or frozen pipes each year. In many cases, extensive damage and large repair bills could have been minimized or prevented with a simple device that notifies you when water is detected where there shouldn’t be.
Smart Water Sensors
Smart water sensors will notify you when moisture hits the sensor so you can investigate the issue immediately. More importantly, if you’re away, you can send a friend or family member to check it out. That exact scenario happened to me during vacation but it turned out to be a minor issue. We were in Hawaii in the summer of 2019 when I saw a notification on my phone that the water sensor in the basement has been triggered. I called my parents who live nearby and they discovered that it was simply condensation from the HVAC unit. The peace of mind knowing I will not be coming back to a flooded home is so valuable. It will save you money and the headache of dealing with a lengthy repair process.
My first water sensor is one that came with my existing security system. I had been planning on purchasing additional water sensors since the only one I had was in the basement. I needed sensors in both upper-level bathrooms and the main level kitchen. Recently, I received a starter kit from the folks at Notion and it was a no-brainer to try out.
Notion Smart Home Monitoring System
Unlike other sensors I’ve encountered in the market, Notion’s sensors have multifunctional uses. You can set each sensor as either water sensor, temperature, doors (including garage), windows, or a combination of multiple tasks. It will also listen for smoke or CO alarms. Installation was a breeze and each sensor comes with a sticky backing for easy attachment. I had the system up and running within minutes.
Notion calls each sensing capability a “task”. If you decide to add a task to a sensor, simply open up the app, find the sensor you want to edit, and add the new tasks. For two of my sensors, I have both water and temperature tasks selected. I also set the smoke alarm listening task along with water & temp with no issues. I believe there are limitations to some of the combinations but I didn’t run into it issues with the tasks I selected. While my sensors are set mainly to detect water, I LOVE the diversity of function with the Notion sensors. The ability to repurpose them as needed is a great benefit.
Available tasks for Notion multifunction sensors
The simple installation, clean design, and ease of use make it an attractive option for monitoring. I love these modern, DIY monitoring systems because you can install them yourself and the entire thing can move when you move.
