I don't like surprises, especially the kind that cost me money.
The pump from our bay failed one winter during a thaw, but we didn't find out about it until a few inches of water destroyed electronics, books and furniture in the basement. I could have avoided this damage with a simple smart water leak sensor, which would have alerted me to the problem early. If you are the kind of person who loses sleep, worried about domestic disasters, you can ease anxiety with relatively cheap smart-home sensors, which can detect small problems before they get bigger.
Sensors for smart homes can be discreetly located throughout your home, do not require any expertise to use and leave you with a peace of mind knowing that, if the case strikes, you will have enough time to act before blocking your repair budget. .
Some smart-home sensors can be configured on their own, while others work best when integrated with Apple HomeKit or another smart-home hub such as SmartThings or Wink, which allow different smart-home devices to work together. . Everyone can send notifications to your smartphone when they are triggered, and many work with smart speakers like Amazon Echo or Google Nest Hub, allowing you to check their status only by requesting or receiving voice notifications through the speaker.
In collaboration with Wirecutter, a product review company owned by The New York Times, here are some of the smart devices that I think are useful to most people.
Water is excellent when it comes out of the tap on request, but when it slowly drains under the sink or around the old washing machine, it rots the floor or floods a room, it becomes an expensive threat. Wirecutter recommends iHome Control Dual Leak Sensor: Works on Wi-Fi (no smart home hub required), has super long battery life and includes two sensors, allowing it to detect leaks at two different points. It can also fit under and around anything that might leak, including fish tanks, dishwashers, hot water heaters and, yes, beverage pumps.
Fibaro also offers leak detectors designed for people who already have smart-home platforms based around Z-Wave or Apple HomeKit hubs. If you use one of these systems, the Fibaro sensors are excellent and can also be used to detect temperature changes.
Along with the free flowing water, frozen water is one of the biggest causes of home damage. We are talking about frozen water pipes, which then reserve, expand and burst, creating expensive fountains in the basement. Like leak sensors, frost sensors are small devices that constantly monitor the temperature of the object or area they are in contact with. When you put one on the inlet water line, it will send you a notification or text message that you need a lot of towels if you don't do something fast.
If you already have a security system, such as Call Alarm, SimpliSafe, or Abode, you can get a compatible freeze sensor that works with it. If not, you have a few options. Both the Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Freeze Water Detector and Roost Smart Leak Detector connect to the Wi-Fi network and the smartphone without a hub. Some sensors include probes or contacts that need to be in contact with the object they are monitoring, while others detect the air temperature around it and warn you when it becomes low enough to risk a problem.
For enhanced pipeline protection, look for devices that measure water flow, such as Phyn Smart Water Assistant, which can be combined with a water shut-off valve. When it detects ice molecules or leaks, your home's water supply is automatically switched off before serious damage occurs. For monitoring purposes only, Phyn costs three times more than most other sensors. It is a large investment, but one that ensures leak detection for the entire house.
Most homes already have smoke alarms, often more than one, and are an essential safety feature for anyone. But they have one major shortcoming: they are only effective if you are actually at home to hear the siren leaving. A smart smoke alarm does this, but it notifies you when you are gone, allowing you to call a trusted firefighter and neighbor to ensure a quicker response and the safety of people living nearby.
In addition to helping you adjust the climate in your home, temperature sensors can announce changes in locations that are critical to temperatures, such as wine cabinets, humidifiers, cribs, or pets.
Let's say the heater in your anaconda cage goes out in January. A temperature sensor can warn you about the problem, giving you a chance to fix it before the snake cools down.
Most temperature sensors are small, the size of a match book and can be discreetly hidden. If you connect one to a smart speaker, such as the Amazon Echo, you can set custom ads, such as "the snake is cute," to alert you to a problem. Some of the above-mentioned frost sensors work as general temperature sensors, but we like them too Eve grade sensor for Apple HomeKit users. In addition to being a smart sensor, it offers a display that lets you see the temperature without having to open an application on the iPhone.
Use on doors or windows to determine if something is open or closed, contact sensors are usually part of a security system that alerts you when an intruder enters your home, but can be used in many other practical ways. Protect your belongings: A contact sensor from the fridge can announce your door open so you can close it before destroying your food. One on the garage door works the same, letting you close it before it's too far from the house (and the smart controller with garage doors allows you to lock it remotely).
If you have a valid alcoholic closet or other storage space, you can set up a contact sensor to let you know when your hands are going where they shouldn't. If you have small children and worry about accessing certain parts of the home, contact sensors can quickly alert you when small hands push a door. One basic Wi-Fi sensor we like is the Monoprice Stitch: it is a bit bulky but does not require a smart home hub. It also works with Alexa routines, which means you can program the smart speaker to make announcements such as "the beer fridge is open." People using Apple's HomeKit system should look at the Fibaro Door / Window sensor.
Some of the sensors included here combine more sensing capabilities, such as motion and temperature, into one device, so you can save some money by getting something that doubles. Placing sensors around the house may seem like an unnecessary expense for the overly cautious - but compared to the cost of major repairs to plumbing or fire, you'll get a bargain.
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A version of this article appears at Wirecutter.com.
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