Water leak sensors are cheaper than an insurance claim
Homeowners insurance is a last line of defense, a financial cushion to help you recover from damage to your home. It is also an expensive way to manage liability. Although you can’t plan for every eventuality, taking steps when possible to avoid disaster will save you emotional and financial turmoil.
That is why these inexpensive sensors should be present in every home.
Water Leak Sensors Cost Much Less Than Your Insurance Deductible
A water leak sensor is incredibly simple in design. The sensor is on a flat surface, ideally under any plumbing or appliance that could cause a leak. Two contacts at the bottom complete the circuit when water collects around them and the sensor is triggered.
I have three IKEA Badring water leak sensors in my house, which cost $13 each when I bought them last year. IKEA is replacing these Zigbee models with the Klippbok, a sensor that uses Matter over Thread and costs even less at $8.
These particular sensors are also equipped with speakers, providing an audible alert. I have mine linked via Home Assistant to Apple Home, which triggers a critical alert for anyone in my household when a leak is detected. Other options exist, like the Aqara Water Leak Sensor ($19) or the Govee five-pack with hub ($70).
Even if you choose the most expensive sensors you can find, you’re still faced with a cost that doesn’t come close to comparable to an insurance claim. My own insurance deductible is over $1,000, a decision we made to reduce the overall annual cost, but to pay more in case we actually had to make a claim.
Being notified in time of a burst pipe or water leaking through a basement window is a good thing. absolutely it’s worth the initial cost of the sensors and an annual battery change.
The other side of an insurance claim
In my experience, insurers can be difficult to deal with. But even if you have the best insurance company in the world covering your home, making a claim can cost more than the number printed on your policy.
It takes a lot of emotional labor to pursue a claim and deal with the aftermath of a leak that can ruin appliances, damage flooring, or even make your home unlivable. Early warning means the difference between a mop and a bucket (and maybe a dehumidifier) or reorganizing your life for a few weeks or months.
There is also the small matter of your insurance premium. The best thing you can do for your insurance policy is to never make a claim. This could mean that when you next renew, your premiums will increase. There’s a reason why insurers ask you when you last made a claim when you take out a new policy.
And then there is the problem of repeated complaints. While your insurance should cover most eventualities beyond your control, too many instances of bad luck in a short period of time can lead an insurer to look for every excuse not to cough up.
Pair your sensors with a shut-off valve for even better protection
Being notified in advance is one thing, but what happens if you’re away from home? This is where water shut-off valves come into play. These devices can be automated to turn your water supply on or off at the network level. You will need to locate the shutoff, make sure you have power there, and install the valve. The Aqara Zigbee Shutoff Valve costs $70, while ZOOZ offers a Z-Wave version for $200 (among others).
Although some of these devices are in-line valves installed along the pipe, the simplest devices are simple robots that turn the valve manually. These don’t require any plumbing, so they’re the quickest way to add protection. Once installed, be sure to build an automation that shuts off your water supply as soon as a sensor detects a leak.
Not only is this ideal for anyone who is often out of the house or away from home, but robots generally have better reaction times than you, even if you’re home when the worst happens.
For unbeatable redundancy, turn to wireless mesh networks like Zigbee, Z-Wave or Thread for your sensors and shut-off valve robots and a fully offline solution like Home Assistant.
