THIRDREALITY Zigbee Water Leak Sensor with Dripping Detection 4 Pack, 120 dB Alarm, App Notifications Enabled When Compatible with Home Assistant and Compatible Zigbee HUB, Batteries Included

These leak detectors are great. I grab them when they go on sale because you once were able to get them for $14. I use SmartThings to add them to my Ecosystem and Home Assistant to handle the automations. I put them in all my bathrooms, in the laundry room, under the kitchen sink, near the basement sump pump. What's great is they have an audible sounder making it easier to locate which one is tripped, even though my automations text me the location. The newest version now has some included hardware to increase the sensitivity of the sensor. It consists of 2 metal arms that attached to the screws to make the detection area smaller. SmartThings was able to add these without incident. After putting in the batteries a blue blinking light on the sensor will indicate its ready to pair, open SmartThings, add a new device and scan for nearby. That's it. I've been using these for a couple years now. Battery life is good and reported in SmartThings so you can create a SmartThings automation to let you know when the battery is low. Overall, this is a really good sensor for the price.

These work and are easy to set up. Water is detected by two of the bottom screws contacting water.As shipped the screws are inset about a millimeter. And the screws are not close together.To make it detect in a smaller area, you can screw on two parts which form a smaller gap so you can detect closer together therefor a smaller puddle.However once you do this, the screws are now bot recessed and touch the floor. In my case this makes to alarm go off even if the floor is just damp from humidity or steam.I may have to put tape ever them or think of something else. It’s a small flaw but something to consider.

The Thirdreality sensor case has a distinct form factor, but in a house with a number of other small sensors of various types, that could be a good thing. Good build quality, and reliable operation so far.Stuff I've liked:It had the best range for pairing and operating of the ones that I've tried. It had a loud, on-board alarm. The version with the drip leak function can optionally detect very small amounts of water, depending upon physical configuration. It has paired easily and worked well with my Hubitat system. It uses common AAA batteries.Possible issues:Where an audible alarm is not wanted, another brand/model sensor would be needed.The case is much thicker than others in its class, and may not fit beneath a refrigerator or other device.The first unit I received used slot-head screws. A very small screwdriver was included in the box, a really thoughtful touch. But, a jeweler's kit, like many folks use to tighten eyeglass screws, would be much easier. The sensors in a subsequent order had screws that could be worked with either a Phillips or straight-bladed driver.Where a low-profile case, or a sensor with a remote head, is not needed, this is my choice so far for an inexpensive Zigbee unit.Background:Most homes have many potential sources of leaks - water heater, dish washer, clothes washer, refrigerator, bathroom plumbing, etc. - that could cause expensive damage. I decided to buy and try five different, inexpensive, Zigbee leak detectors that might work directly with my Hubitat home automation hub. They were by iAlarm, Neo, Thirdreality, and Treatlife, and a generic "Water Leak Detector Zigbee" was added to the mix. At the time of my purchase (August, 2023), each was slightly less than $20.All worked properly with my system using the Hubitat "Generic Zigbee Moisture Sensor" driver. All but the Thirdreality also worked with the custom "Tuya NEO Coolcam Zigbee Water Leak Sensor" driver, which adds an explicit state indication of online or offline. But, both drivers support current wet/dry status and battery % reporting. A tip would be to install the custom driver first, if desired, then let Hubitat choose it during device pairing. Also, each of these should be paired within a couple of feet of the hub, then moved to the desired location.Some thoughts about the group:Overall build quality of the group seemed quite good, with the exception of the generic "Water Leak Detector Zigbee", which was only mediocre.The Thirdreality and Treatlife devices have onboard alarms, and could be used as stand-alone detectors, although there appear to be several detectors available that are only stand-alone, and less expensive than the Zigbee devices. The Thirdreality alarm is much louder than the Treatlife's.The Thirdreality unit had a longer range than the others, both in pairing and in operation. It and the Treatlife both use common AAA batteries, but I haven't used these sensors long enough to be able to compare battery life.The Neo device was the only one with a "remote" sensor - limited to the length of the attaching cord, but still may be needed functionality. However, the cord actually plugs into the wall mount, not the unit itself, so the mount must be used when remote sensing.

Paired easily with Hubitat Elevation home automation hub.Uses 2 AAA alkaline batteries which are included.The sensor comes with two metal arms that are attached to the two of the three screws that hold the case together. The three screws are also water sensor contacts so that if moisture is sensed across the screw or the metal arm that is attached to the top of teardrop shape and either of the two other screws or the hooked arm, the alarm goes off.Besides the Zigbee signal that moisture is present, the sensor also gives off a loud alarm.One thing that I thought was strange with the metal sensor arms is that they won't contact the floor or surface that you set the sensor on. There is probably about an 1/8th inch gap. I was worried that if the water leakage was not deep enough that the sensors won't detect the water. However, I found that the screws securing the arm actually extend below the plastic case of the sensor so that they will contact the floor. So as long as the water can reach between the top of the teardrop and to the other screw that holds the hook-shaped arm, the sensor will detect the water. The screw not holding a metal arm though doesn't extend enough to contact the floor. I think I will add a small washer to make it contact the floor to give it another point to sense water.The sensor is very sensitive, and would alarm if I touched two points simultaneiously with separate wet fingertips.

The THIRDREALITY Zigbee Water Leak Sensor with Dripping Detection works flawlessly with my Hubitat Elevation C-8 and Moen Flo. I had a leak under the sink, and this sensor detected it immediately. Hubitat triggered my Moen Flo to shut off the water, and the 120dB alarm made it easy to locate the issue fast. Thanks to this setup, I avoided costly water damage. The integration with my smart home saved me time and money. If you're serious about protecting your home from water leaks, this sensor is a must-have!