Water Leak/Flood Sensors

We offer three models of leak/flood sensors:

Our original Water Leak Sensor (now referred to as the Water Leak Sensor 1) is our most popular and best-selling model. It is completely waterproof, eliminating concerns about replacing your sensors just because they got wet. The "WLS1" has water-sensing electrodes on the top and bottom, meaning it can detect water as it drips onto the top of the sensor, as well as pooling up below it. As noted in the Set It & Forget It video, you simply place the WLS1 on the floor. And leave it there, to do it's job, silently for five years or more! This is thanks to the efficient use of battery power made possible by our LoRa based wireless technology. And, it is worth noting, the WLS1 does not have a sounder or siren built in. This extends battery life to the max.

Here are several considerations about built-in alarms and sounders and battery life: when shopping for leak/flood sensors, consider if an audible sound is desired at the device location (in addition to any audible alerts you may have set up on your phone for YoLink alerts). Some customers want to have sensors that make an audible alert, but they find that many times, they were too far away, asleep, or not even home to hear the alarm. The alarm feature does subtract from battery life, so, please include more frequent battery replacements in your schedule, and in your cost of ownership calculations. When comparing competitor products, please note that some can not achieve even 6 months battery life.

The Water Leak Sensor 2 has a removable and extendable water-sensitive cable. This cable can be used to either reach a more confined space or multiple cables (add optional additional cables to the end) can be used to create a specific water-detecting region or area. The Water Leak Sensor 2 does have a sounder alarm built-in. Because of this, the sensor electronics must not get wet, so place it on the wall and/or away from the potential leak, splashes, or flooding, if possible. The sounder can be disabled in the app, but it can not be silenced from the app; you must go to the sensor to remove the wet cable, and replace the cable with a new one or dry it (with a hairdryer, etc.)

The "WLS2" does have the advantage over the WLS1 when it comes to confined spaces. The sensing cable can fit in places not possible for the WLS1. An example is using one or more cables to encircle a dishwasher or water heater.

The Water Leak Sensor 3 which is also referred to as the Water Level Monitoring Sensor, is simply the Water Leak Sensor 2, with a different cable. The cable supplied with the WLS3 is a "probe cable" - this cable has a pair of electrodes at the end. Unlike the WLS2, it does not detect water along the length of the cable, but only at the end with the electrodes. This allows for detection of water at a precise location, as well as for placing the cable in confined spaces or locations not practical for the Water Leak Sensor 1. While Water Leak Sensor 2's water-sensitive cable can take a while to dry, the Water Leak Sensor's probe cable is fast-drying, which may be a consideration for your application.

Al sensors use replaceable off-the-shelf AA batteries. The WLS1, being watertight, requires using tweezers or a needle or similar object, to remove the rubber plugs that protect each of four housing screws. Once the rubber plugs are out, it's an easy battery swap from there. This process is outlined in the user guide and is visually demonstrated in several videos on YouTube and here in our YoLink Academy page. See the "email a smart systems architect" banner below, if design assistance is required.