Smartthings Water Leak Sensor on carpet?

(Dennis) #1

I have been lurking for a while as I researched Smartthings before buying, and a bit since I recently purchased the home monitoring kit. I also purchased the Smartthings water leak sensor with a specific purpose in mind, but I have not found anything in this forum or elsewhere to know if it will work (if it doesn’t, I’ll just put it in more typical locations). There is a small section in our basement where the carpet by the wall gets wet during very heavy prolonged rain. While we have done some things to hopefully fix the problem, I would like to use the water leak sensor to know if/when it happens again. But I’m not sure if the sensor will trigger sitting on wet carpet as opposed to a hard floor with pooling water. And if it does, I’m concerned about how wet the carpet would have to be before it triggers (if it has to be fully saturated before it triggers, that’s more wet than what I’d like, though I suppose it’s better than not at all). Short of pouring water on our carpet to test it out, I was hoping someone might just know the answer.

Eventually, I would like to also set it up to, if triggered, turn on an a dehumidifier and/or drying fan that we keep down there just in case via smartthings outlet(s). But that’s another topic.

Thanks

(Joe) #2

Maybe try a humidity sensor instead and put that on the area. Then set an alert from that. I haven’t tried it, but I know I have one in my bathroom and it’s pretty accurate.

#3

It might work on carpet, but it might not. Water has to contact both leads on the underside of the device at the same time and that’s much less predictable with carpet then it is with a hard floor. If there’s an area that you know always gets wet and you’re willing to cut out a bit of carpet and put the catch pan there, that might work, but it depends on whether the water seeps up from underneath or comes down from above.

Can you peel up a bit of the carpet right next to the wall and put a probe underneath it? That’s what most people do in carpeted areas. But then you need a different brand/model of leak detector, one that has an attached probe. The Aeotec is popular for this, but there are a couple of other brands as well.

You will see some people talk about placing the probe on a terrycloth washcloth on a hard floor. That’s different than a situation where the whole floor is carpeted because the water may not travel to the sensor before the rest of the carpet is soaked. You could always try it and see, but in general if it’s the carpet that’s getting wet from underneath, you want to put the sensor on the hard surface underneath the carpet.

#4

If you rig one of the contact sensors that can be used as water sensor then you can strip the two end wires long enough that you can make sure it gets under the carpet for maximum moisture contact.

#5

Could be a fire hazard, you’ll be running current through those wires. I wouldn’t use a DIY stripped model for this use case. Just sayin’… :wink:

(Dennis) #6

That is what I suspected. I imagine it would trigger if the carpet was fully saturated, but that’s not typically what happens, and that would be too late for me. I have other places I can put this particular sensor (in the drop ceiling under the dishwasher for example) where it will be good. I’m mostly just trying to save some electricity. As it is now, whenever heavy rain is forecast (which has been a lot lately), I’ve just turned on the floor fan I have down there just in case, especially if I’m going to be away at work or something. I’d rather just turn the fan on if/when it is actually needed (and if I can automate that through SmartThings, all the better). I’ll look into the Aeotec and similar styles. I think that would work better.

Thank you.

#7

@JDRoberts,

Hi ,

I actually would not agree with you on this one. If the woltage is low enough, as in the device below; you don’t run a risk of fire to the carpet. You only run the risk of Magic Smoke as a lot of IT know. I use this device with an old lamp wire which I striped in my laundry area for checking on the sink and the washing machine. Andm I also have another with two 1 foot wires dropped into a drainege ditch on my driveway to alert me if it is raining outside in the morning.

#8

This sensor has a cord attachment that detects leaks as well from end to end.

No direct integration with Smartthings but you can use IFFFT as a go between [sensor >IFFFT>smartthings]

Not sure if will help with carpet situation but maybe.

Bit pricey at Home Depot for reference: