We look for devices that can survive being submerged or come with external probes that can squeeze into hard-to-reach places. Longevity: Believe it or not, many water-leak sensors aren’t 100% waterproof and won’t survive a major leak.

We don’t necessarily prefer one type over the other, but you will if you don’t have an available outlet near the spot you want to monitor. Power: Some smart water-leak sensors operate on battery power, while others need to be plugged in.The sound can also be helpful by notifying others in your home who don’t have access to the sensor’s app, such as a partner, a child, or a renter. It’s a nice feature if you’re at home, you don’t keep your smartphone near you, and the sensor is within earshot. Audible alerts: Many smart water-leak sensors sound an alarm when they detect water.Smart-home integration: Through integration with services such as Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and IFTTT, you can program your smart water-leak sensor to alert you to water by turning on a light or calling your phone, or even to begin addressing the moisture by triggering the fan on your thermostat.How sensors perform may vary depending on what your home is made of, its layout, and the strength of your home network. But wherever you place one, it needs to be in range of your Wi-Fi network. Range: Smart water-leak sensors are great options for keeping ahead of leaks in a bathroom, basement, laundry room, kitchen, or anywhere else in a house.Disconnect alerts: Smart water-leak sensors primarily alert you when they detect a leak, but we also look for models that alert you when they lose power or their connection to your Wi-Fi router-otherwise you’ll have no idea if they’re actually showing up to work and doing their job.Smart notifications: All of the smart water-leak sensors we’ve tried can send push notifications, texts, email alerts, or a combination of all three.Like every other leak sensor, it has a few quirks, but it’s still the best choice for monitoring more than one spot in a home. The system supports Google Assistant for announcing activity on smart speakers, as well as the web service and app IFTTT (If This Then That) for triggering other smart devices (such as a smart bulb) when it finds a leak. The hub can connect with up to 16 add-on sensors, responds quickly when it senses water or if it loses power, and features a loud (94 dB, by our measurements) siren.

In addition, the kit comes with a matchbox-sized remote battery-operated sensor that connects wirelessly to the hub from up to 300 feet away.

It includes a plug-in hub (and so can be placed only in areas near an electrical outlet), but it also has a removable 19-inch water-sensing cable and a 38-inch extension cord to lengthen that cable’s reach. The D-Link DCH-S1621KT Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi Water Leak Sensor Kit combines the best capabilities we’ve seen available in leak sensors into one bundle.

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