Eve Systems launched the Eve Water Guard in the fall of 2019, with additional information shared during CES 2020. Now, the device is finally ready for users to order.

We got our hands on one and installed it to try it on my own.

Protect your home and wallet

Again - a water sensor is not the sexiest of smart home accessories. It does not fill your home with audio, it does not change to over a million beautiful colors, it does not adjust your temperature as you move around the house. If you're lucky, you'll install the Eve Water Guard and you should never think about it again.

If you hear about the Eve Water Guard, you'll be glad you did. Water damage in your home can be very costly as any long-time homeowner can attest.

A simple box

The front of the Eve Water Guard HomeKit

Eve Water Guard is a small, square box that connects directly to the wall. It has the Eve logo on the front in a recessed square. Around the square in front is a hidden light that will light up in red if water is detected. This gives anyone who has a visual line of website noticing something is wrong.

In the box there is not only a plug from the US and Canada, but also adapters that will guarantee that they will work for the AU, EU and UK regions.

Global adapters for Eve Water Guard

The various adapters are attached to the back of the Eve Water Guard and are easy to replace if needed, but they are primarily to allow this to work all over the globe right out of the box.

Water detection cable for Eve Water Guard

To detect water, the Eve Water Guard has a 6.5 meter sensor cable that connects to the auxiliary port at the bottom of the device. At the end of the cable is a female aux port that allows the cable to extend up to 490 feet.

This allows for some unique applications. You can place it right under the washing machine or you can snake around the walls of your basement or maybe under all of the kitchen cabinets below.

If the water should come in contact with any part of this cable, the Eve Water Guard will blink red, emit a 100DB siren and send an alert for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

The potential Eve Water Guard is installed along the kitchen cabinets

A crucial element to this equation is your Home Hub. HomeKit works locally on your network, but if you want the remote for doors, sensors, lights or anything else, you need to have a Home Hub. This includes an Apple TV, an iPad you leave at home or a HomePod.

Eve Water Guard installed behind a washing machine

Eve Water Guard is less useful if you can't get a remote alert through your HomeKit Hub. If it is only while you go out, a small spill of water will not cause great damage in a short time, but if it is while you are away on a weekend, it could be more problematic. The story is, we recommend you have a HomeKit Hub.

Depending on the location, you may also need to choose an Eve Extend. Eve Extend is a Wi-Fi bridge for certain Bluetooth Eve accessories that may be in remote locations. If this is used in a garage, basement or remote part of the home, it will not fall within the Bluetooth range of the device. Come in, Eve's expanding. We have previously relied on Eve Extend accessories such as the Eve Water controller and it is very useful here.

Access enabled through the application

As a HomeKit-only company, of course Eve Water Guard appears in the Apple Home app. It is displayed as a water detector and allows you to create scenes that are triggered when water is detected or you simply receive a notification.

Checking the Eve Water Guard status in the Home application

It can be assigned to a room like any other accessory and can be given its own recognizable name for Siri access.

If you venture into the Eve application itself, you can also be guided by a water test, which will ensure that the cable (and any extensions) work as intended.

Should You Buy Eve Water Guard?

There are several HomeKit devices for water detection on the market. I last reviewed the Fibaro Flood sensor which has the same purpose, but with a very different approach.

Eve Water Guard in his box

Fibaro uses a set of pins on the bottom of a sensor that sits just on the ground to detect water. It takes a little more fluid to trigger and can cover less ground, but it works on batteries which means you don't have to plug in to operate. Each one has its pros and cons, but for our home, we prefer the more practical approach to Eve, which can be improved either by Eve's Extensions or Extensions.

If you are in an apartment, a water sensor may not be as important as if you own your own home or apartment. If you can handle it, we highly recommend a form of water monitoring, so you won't be surprised by the damage too late. As we head into the spring, rainfall will be more frequent, which can cause damage to one, other than what may occur from internal sanitary facilities.

Pros

• It can be extended to almost 500 meters of coverage
• Loud siren
• Easy integration with Apple HomeKit
• Visual, auditory and remote alerts
• It can be triggered by a very small amount of water
• Can work in remote locations with Eve Extend
• It works at the outlet and not a battery
• It can save you from costly water damage

Versus

• Bluetooth means that the range is limited without Eve Extend or Home Hub nearby
• It is not an interesting accessory to use

Rating: 4 out of 5

Where to buy

The Eve Water Guard is now available to order from Amazon for $ 79.95.