{"id":4904,"date":"2018-05-12T14:40:06","date_gmt":"2018-05-12T18:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/24-7-home-security.com\/?p=4904"},"modified":"2022-02-20T21:30:31","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T02:30:31","slug":"how-to-make-an-improvised-diy-water-sensor-under-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/24-7-home-security.com\/how-to-make-an-improvised-diy-water-sensor-under-6\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make an improvised DIY water sensor for under $6"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the age of in-home personal digital assistants like Google Home<\/a> and Amazon Alexa<\/a>, I thought it would be fun to take a look at how simple solutions can cheaply and effectively solve problems around the house.<\/p>\n

So, let's take a look at how you can make an improvised water sensor or diy water alarm <\/span>using materials you may already have around the house.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Why Bother with a DIY Flood Sensor?<\/span><\/h2>

Water damage in a home is one of the quickest and most common ways to incur damage in a home. In fact, a study conducted by Traveler's Insurance in North Carolina, excluding catastrophic events, concluded that \"damage caused by water accounted for 28 percent of its property claims<\/strong> in the state, compared to three percent for fire.\"<\/p>

That's nearly 10x<\/strong> more!<\/p>

Combine the likelihood of water damage in your home with the expense of repairs, and you've got a real problem that deserves a solution.<\/p>

<\/p><\/div>

Want to skip all of the work? <\/span><\/h2>

Check out these commercial solutions if you're willing to trade money for time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Sensor<\/th>\nProtocol<\/th>\nCost<\/th>\nRating<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Samsung SmartThings Water Sensor (https:\/\/amzn.to\/2JDmDFR<\/a>)<\/td>\nZigbee<\/td>\n$38<\/td>\n4.0\/5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aeotec Water Sensor 6 (https:\/\/amzn.to\/2r8zckz<\/a>)<\/td>\nZ-Wave Plus<\/td>\n$60<\/td>\n4.2\/5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Centralite Water Leak Sensor (https:\/\/amzn.to\/2JB5wEA<\/a>)<\/td>\nZigbee<\/td>\n$35<\/td>\n3.8\/5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

And while there are good water sensors that will integrate with a home automation hub<\/a>, this article will let you design one that has no such requirement (though it's possible...hint: read through the last section).<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

What you need to build your DIY water sensor<\/span><\/h2>

Here's what you need to get started:<\/p>

  • a clothes pin<\/li>
  • a short length of wire (braided would be best, small gauge like 20 AWG would be fine)<\/li>
  • a battery<\/li>
  • a buzzer<\/li>
  • an Alkaseltzer tablet<\/li>
  • electrical tape<\/li><\/ul>
    \"DIY
    I had everything but the siren itself already, sometimes being a pack rat pays off!<\/figcaption><\/figure>

    That's it! many of you will have the first few, and you can pick up one of these buzzers on Amazon and have it in a couple of days to complete your list.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

    How to build your DIY flood sensor<\/span><\/h2>

    Once you have everything you need, building the water sensor will be a piece of cake. Here's what you do:<\/p>

    1. Strip the covering from the end of two pieces of wire<\/li>
    2. Spread the wire out on the inside surface of the clothes pin and place a piece of the Alka Seltzer tablet in between the wires<\/li>
    3. Connect the other end of one wire to the buzzer<\/li>
    4. Connect the other end of the other wire to the negative terminal of the battery<\/li>
    5. Now, connect the other lead of the buzzer to the positive terminal of the battery<\/li><\/ol>

      That's it! To test your setup, just remove the tablet and make sure the buzzer goes off once the two sides connect.<\/p>

      Now, all you have to do is relocate your new sensor to a spot you want to monitor.<\/p>

      \"Completed<\/p>

      Here are a few places to consider:<\/p>

      • Under your sinks or garbage disposals<\/li>
      • Near a toilet<\/li>
      • Under a hot water heater
        in the catch pan under your<\/li>
      • HVAC evaporator drip pan<\/li>
      • Near a sump pump in your basement<\/li>
      • To monitor your washing machine hoses<\/li><\/ul>

        In any of these locations, the difference between hours of flooding before you notice versus an immediate alarm could save you thousands of dollars.<\/p>

        Speaking of which, let's talk about shortening that response time (and the cleanup bill)<\/strong>\u00a0when you're away at work or out of town right after a quick test of our new sensor.<\/p><\/div>