Leak Sensor

They are great and I've been using them for years and they are flawless.

These are just a little more complicated behind the scenes than they need to be. I created a scene using three leak sensors as controllers. As responders, I turn on many lights in the house. Any time I want to add or remove a light to the scene, I have to re-link the sensors, so I have to retrieve them from the basement, press the link button ( each in turn) and then - MAYBE - press the button a couple more times to take it out of link mode, and hope the responders are all able to link as well. Inevitably, this process leaves at least one of the sensors in link mode, and it doesn’t actually work. So I do it again and again and again, until it seems like it’s okay. Then, one of the sensors (a new one, with a new battery) shows up in the Director app as “No Response”, and it recommends that I press the Set button, which will likely set off the alarm, turning on all my lights, flooding my email with messages, and leaving the sensor in “leak detected” mode. Then, do I need to press the button again to get it out of “leak detected” mode? WHO KNOWS? Meanwhile, the old app shows the device is communicating properly.

I like the idea of these, but it seems like all of the Insteon devices are just too complicated in a way that’s not at all transparent.

I have Insteon leak sensors under each and every sink, toilet and appliance that uses water in the house. Last week I turned on a drinking water tap to clean out the water filters that had not been used for a month. I forget to check the drain. It was closed! I went off on another mission and completely forgot that I opened the tap! Water overflowed the sink onto a hard wood floor and triggered the leak sensor hiding under the sink. That event shut water off to the house. An hour and a half later we discover that the house had no water! So, we ran to every bathroom, kitchen and boiler room and finally found the overflowing sink! There was some water on the floor, but that Insteon leak detector, sensing water, immediately shut off the water supply. Without that step, water would have run for 11/2 hours and ruined the hardwood floor on that level!

I have been using Insteon devices for many years. They are reliable, easily installed and well-priced. They control our lights in and out of the house, monitor motion in and around the house and let me know when I am in trouble.

I bought a pair of these as an experiment to see if they might turn on and off a couple of extra basement sump pumps plugged into Insteon plugin modules. Flooding generates desperate ideas. As I had suspected, they didn't work for that. They were fine for telling me when the water rose, but they must dry out before they deenergize. My pumps would have failed dry in the meantime. Don't let my experience stop you from buying them for their intended purpose.

Leak sensor works fantastic.

Leak Sensor

Leak Sensor

Leak Sensor is a nice product. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't show last time the sensor reported as assurance that it is still online.

This is the 10th Leak Sensor I've purchased... over 7 years now. They work well, unless the water floods the electronics... I do recommend it for ease of use and system integration with all my other Insteon products.

I have been using Insteon products for 20+ years. I started with light switches, then added Mimi remotes, added the hub, and interfaced my lights with Alexa. I am now so used to turning my lights on and off with voice commands that I hardly ever use my light switches manually.

I have seen this company grow... and continue to expand its product line. In the few instances that I needed product support, they have always answered the phone or answered my emails. I have 88 devices and with over 30 scenes... I feel comfortable that their products will continue to work for another 20+ years. If you have any doubts.. I could only say I don't. I highly recommend Insteon for your home automation.

Leak Sensor

Purchased he sensor to monitor any leaks by he home heating system. Thought that there would be a better alert to your phone by text. Please advise when you may have that option of notification available
I think all the other switches and controllers I have purchased from Insteon work great
Thanks

Initial set was easy as Indigo recognized the device plus access to internal functions. The firmware version shipped was V3. With Indigo I set up two triggers to send both email and text. One is for the heartbeat, the other is the leak alarm. Every day the heartbeat email is routed to a directory called Sensors so I have only one place to check to make sure they both are alive. I set up two sensors, one behind the refrigerator for the ice/water dispenser and dishwasher for the other. Of course a week later a supply line for the water heater in the garage sprung a leak. :-( I’ll be adding one more soon!

Leak Sensor

Ok - so 3 things -
1 - is long battery life .. meaning great for attics and basements - harder to get to areas

2- is it looks like a sensor ... so it doesn't get put in trash by cleaners / "helpful" people if they see it behind a toilet

And -
3- enough surface to attach QR code / label

Good job Insteon

I have been using these leak sensors for a number of years and they have functioned as stated. My issue is that they are cheaply made, most notably the bottom piece. While the battery life is good, they do have to be replaced and after that has been done a couple of times, the bottom piece which is removed to get to the battery cracks. Once it cracks, getting the sensor to work again is a losing proposition. I just replaced 3 of these units for exactly that reason.

Excellent product that can save lots of money and chaos. Wish it was here a few years ago

Purchased several of these after experiencing a water leak that damaged a wood floor. Also purchased and added an electrical water shutoff valve controlled by an Insteon I/O link module. The leak sensors send a signal to an Insteon I/O link module to shut off the electric water valve when any sensor detects a leak, thereby preventing continuous flooding.

The leak sensors work well, and can be set up to send an email notification when they activate. I have caught a couple leaks that were detected before any damage, so am happy I had them. The AA batteries last for a long time, and the Insteon director app can be used to see if the are sending out a “heartbeat” so you know the sensor is active and the battery level good.

The only downside is it can be a pain when they stop working and have to be removed from a scene, as has happened on a couple of occasions. Also I have asked Insteon to write in code so you will get notification that the battery is low or the sensor is not responding, but after several years, this still has not been done.

Would say they are worth getting, as it could help mitigate a major water damage issue, especially if you add in an electrical home water supply valve shutoff.

Don't try testing it with bottled or filtered water though, that's almost too pure for it to accurately sense. I am using them to test for sink leaks in the home and to shut off the water if it detects a leak. With the little button on the top of it to reset it, I simply have to fix the leak, dry everything up and push the button and the pump turns back on. (I've got an Insteon on/off switch on the pump). All from within the app.

I have Insteon leak detectors monitoring all hot water units and ice makers. I have received notices on 5 different units over the past 7 years, which allowed repairs to be made without suffering damage. Highly recommended.

Love the leak sensors from Insteon. I have several of them deployed in my home in areas where a water leak could happen eg utility room, bathrooms, kitchen, and basement. I was once away when I received a notification on my phone from the sensor in the basement due to a leaky pipe connecting to my sump pump. Saved me thousands by avoiding my basement from getting flooded!!

Easy to install and works great. One drawback is the fact when it detects water, the sensor will not reset until you manually reset it. In my case, the sensor is in a house that is not occupied during the winter so if the device trips it stays that way until I can reset it

Great switch. Love that it is rechargeable (micro-USB). LED indicates switch has been operated. Two features would make it perfect: (1) A wall mounting kit that allows for removal of the switch for charging; (2) Audible feedback indicating that the command has been received by the controller (hub or otherwise)

Wish these were better. I find they are flaky. Slow to respond when I test them with water and slow to reset when dried off.

I had a sump pump die and the sensor let me know in time to save the basement from flooding. Great product.

Our home is in the US, but we currently live overseas. Last January, a pipe bursted in our home due to freezing temperature. We were immediately notified and were able to get someone to our home to stop the leak and make repairs. Without Insteon’s leak sensor, the water would have stagnated for weeks and the damages would have been significantly more serious.

Things I like about the sensor:
It is narrow enough to fit in most places I need
It uses a lithium battery so it should last fairly long.
It sends out a keep alive signal within a 24 hour period. So the software can trip an alarm if not received in that time. This method is actually better than an actual low battery detect since lithium batteries lose there charge very fast when at end of life and might not have enough time to send out a low battery warning. Plus environment may have changed that the signal to the computer might get weak and miss the low battery detect but with this keep alive method that would salve that condition.

I have owned 2 of these sensors for about 6 years. When I first got them I manually checked to make sure they would detect a leak. No problems were seen.
Last week I had a leak in a bathroom where one of these was located and the sensor did not trigger even though it was in water. Heartbeat is good and it reports in when I push the test button. But now when I test it by putting it in a small amount of water it does not trigger. The other unit works correctly. I tried taking the bottom cover off and cleaning the contacts. No help.
Moral of the story is test your sensors with water periodically.