According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, 40% of homeowners will deal with water damage at some point in their lives. This is five times more likely than burglary and six times more likely than fire!

The bottom line: it’s important that you take care of your plumbing so there are no issues down the road when they arise.

There are many ways to detect water leaks and drips. One can use sound alerts, text notifications on their phone or computer, physical sensors that alert you by turning the lights red when there is a leak (and green for no leakage). With these tools one can stay aware of possible issues with plumbing without having too much repair work down the line. Ultimately it saves money in repairs because you will know about any problems early on before they get out of hand!

You can purchase leak detectors at your local hardware store or online. There are many different brands and types and we would recommend that you speak with your plumber first to identify what types would work best for your home.

Do Water Leak Detectors Work?

Water leak detectors absolutely work but there are some issues to consider.

  • Standard water detectors can sound an alarm to let you know that a leak has been detected but this will only work if you’re home to hear it.
  • Smart water detectors can take it a step further and send you a text alerting you that a leak has been detected but again, you must have your smart phone with you to receive that text

If you want to find an affordable, whole-home leak detection system without any hassle and easy installation process, buy a few battery operated water sensor alarms. Place the sensors near your drains or outside plumbing fixtures like washing machines for monitoring purposes. These water detectors sound an alarm when water is detected.

The next step up from your classic battery-operated leak detector is the smart alarm that can connect to Wi-Fi and send you real time updates about any leaks. This allows homeowners who aren’t home at the time of a potential disaster, such as floods or burst pipes, to take immediate action before it becomes too late.

Of course, if you’re not home it may take you time to get home but at least you can, in the meantime, contact your plumber to let them know that you received this alert.

What About If You’re Away From Home For A Length Of Time?

If you spend a lot of time away from home and can’t get back quickly when leaks happen, single-point shutoff systems are one step better than even internet-enabled leak detection systems. These kinds of devices ensure that water is immediately cut off to the entire house in case there’s an emergency, such as a broken pipe or burst line under your sink.

With these leak detectors, you never have to worry about the batteries dying on them because they’re plugged into your main electrical system.

A single-point shutoff system uses a sensor on the floor that is held inside an appliance pan to detect water. When it detects a leak, this will turn off your supply so appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines cannot keep pumping out water.

Of course, there are also products that can monitor your entire home for leaks and frozen pipes. These are whole-home shutoff systems and they would be considered the ultimate in a water leak detection device.

These whole-home shutoff systems use a series of wireless sensors throughout your home’s plumbing and can shut off the source of water into your home if it detects a leak or if a pipe has frozen. These would be excellent for vacation homes in very cold climates (like the northern Georgia mountains) especially if you are away for most of the winter months.

How Do Home Water Leak Detectors Work?

The basic water leak detectors sound an alarm when the sensor itself comes in contact with water. These are often used by air conditioner units or furnaces, hot water heaters, etc.

The smart water leak detectors are connected to the main water supply to your home and once they detect an abnormality, they immediately shut off the water supply to your home thus stopping the leak. These are usually installed where the water comes into your home.

If you have any questions about detecting water leaks, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.