High water alarm

[gizardlizard]

Could someone recommend a high water alarm system they like and trust? I want low voltage sensors that are hard wired (not battery operated) and WiFi so my phone would alert me of a high water condition. Lots of reviews I’ve read, people complain about connectivity issues. Anyone have some brands and models they trust? Looking to monitor a sump pump pit and a floor drain in a finished basement.

 

[usa#1]

Check out YoLink products. I've found they have an exceptionally long range. Check on Amazon for their product line. I've been extremely satisfied with them. I currently have 4 of the water detectors and they work great. Sorry these are battery operated, missed the hardwired part. However the batteries last years in these YoLink devices.

 

[kbuhagiar]

I've had great success with MySpool products:

Water Products

Be Alerted of Leaks while away from home or business: MySpool Water Detector uses Wi-Fi to send text messages, email or push alerts when water is detected Name each Water Detector during set up and send notifications to identify the source of the leak Each MySpool Water Detector is independent...

myspool.com

 

[Higgins]

Check out YoLink products. I've found they have an exceptionally long range. Check on Amazon for their product line. I've been extremely satisfied with them. I currently have 4 of the water detectors and they work great. Sorry these are battery operated, missed the hardwired part. However the batteries last years in these YoLink devices.

Wow
Wish I had know of them sooner…
We had some nasty storms in KY recently lost TWO sub pumps and the basement flooded….
So it’s going to be a long road to recovery as both my wife and I are in our 70s
It would appear that there was some sort of electrical issue as we lost other devices in the house and garage.
We do have a hole house generator, and the pumps it turns out are on the same circuit. So that eliminates both pumps failing at the same time….

 

[Higgins]

Check out YoLink products. I've found they have an exceptionally long range. Check on Amazon for their product line. I've been extremely satisfied with them. I currently have 4 of the water detectors and they work great. Sorry these are battery operated, missed the hardwired part. However the batteries last years in these YoLink devices.

Wow
Wish I had know of them sooner…
We had some nasty storms in KY recently lost TWO sub pumps and the basement flooded….
So it’s going to be a long road to recovery as both my wife and I are in our 70s
It would appear that there was some sort of electrical issue as we lost other devices in the house and garage.
We do have a hole house generator, and the pumps it turns out are on the same circuit. So that eliminates both pumps failing at the same time….
The good news is we have sub pumps insurance. The down side is it’s capped at $25K and doesn’t cover the cost of the pumps and is capped at $25k.
Looks like that will cover about half of the costs to get back to some form of normal..

Signed
I’m Tired

 

[gizardlizard]

I've had great success with MySpool products:

Water Products

Be Alerted of Leaks while away from home or business: MySpool Water Detector uses Wi-Fi to send text messages, email or push alerts when water is detected Name each Water Detector during set up and send notifications to identify the source of the leak Each MySpool Water Detector is independent...

myspool.com

This looks super promising. Thank you

 

[engineer2]

I use MySpool and they have been reliable. Chinese, but they have a support guy in NJ.
Get a version with float switches. Some versions have the water sensor grids and they corrode after a while. You can easily convert grids to float switches if they go bad.
I have dual 120 VAC pumps connected to two computer UPSs.
MySpool also makes a 3 input voltage sensor. It will let me know if house power goes out, if pump 1 UPS battery voltage is low, and if pump 2 UPS battery voltage is low.

 

[BombShelter]

Unfortunately drain tile with a sump pump isn't waterproofing, it's water management. Most power outages are during rain events and a back-up system should be available. If there's a ton of water, more of a flooding condition, the sump pump system wont be able to contain that water if it's moving through larger cracks and holes.

I'd walk around the outside foundation and see if you can spot any of these cracks or holes at grade, especially around the downspouts. Even small hairline cracks can let in a ton of moisture with enough pressure. Have someone dig down a foot or two and repair these areas. Check window wells for trim rot or crack concrete, repair these areas and caulk up the sides of the window well. While this will help, an exterior waterproofer will be able to seal up the foundation further down.

 

[gizardlizard]

Unfortunately drain tile with a sump pump isn't waterproofing, it's water management. Most power outages are during rain events and a back-up system should be available. If there's a ton of water, more of a flooding condition, the sump pump system wont be able to contain that water if it's moving through larger cracks and holes.

I'd walk around the outside foundation and see if you can spot any of these cracks or holes at grade, especially around the downspouts. Even small hairline cracks can let in a ton of moisture with enough pressure. Have someone dig down a foot or two and repair these areas. Check window wells for trim rot or crack concrete, repair these areas and caulk up the sides of the window well. While this will help, an exterior waterproofer will be able to seal up the foundation further down.

Not sure who this message was meant to go to.

 

[engineer2]

Yes, it's water management. Newer houses with poured and sealed concrete foundations are pretty good at keeping water out.
Foundation leaks are a separate issue that need to be addressed. As said, caulk those window well sides and also cover them to keep rain out.
I'm an experienced basement flood fighter. Grew up at ground zero for flooding basements. One of the oldest companies in the business started in my hometown.

 

[mm08822]

While perimeter drainage at the footing is important, managing the ground water from downspouts or being on the low-side is really important.
Divert downspout runoff away from basement perimeter to distant low spot, storm sewer or street. Swails can also help. Topography is important for which options could be available.

 

[Stuart in MN]

It's just the float switch part of the question, but I always had good luck with the Gems Sensor LS-270. They're simple, durable and inexpensive, and I used them for floor flood and sump level monitoring on many industrial projects. You'd still have to come up with the monitoring / wifi part of the system - there's probably some arduino module with wifi that would work. https://www.gemssensors.com/search-products/product-details/ls-270-single-point-level-switch-43760

 

[JKinAK]

One option (but it’s battery powered) that’s versatile is from Ubiquiti. It’s a multipurpose sensor (but if configured for water sensing it looses other capabilities). Unfortunately the water sensor is only available as one of the three sensors in a 3-pack. The advantage is that you can check multiple types of sensors from one app. I use them mostly for monitoring door open/close status and it simultaneously provides temp, humidity, light, and motion sensing. You can also add cameras to the system.
Here’s the dashboard with 4 sensors and no cameras.

Protect All-In-One Sensor - Ubiquiti Store

A battery-powered smart sensor capable of detecting motion, lighting, and environmental changes.

store.ui.com

 

[BombShelter]

I just assumed if your looking to monitor water in your basement that your having water issues. A properly waterproofed basement shouldn't need a sump pump but they can be nice for piece of mind and most basements are not properly waterproofed, more like damp-proofed. Most remedial "waterproofers" don't address foundation issues, let the water in, pump it out. Throw in a power outage and the alarms/pumps don't work unless you have a battery or generator. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

[DGersic]

I’m tempted by the myspool water level monitor. It would be useful and interesting to know how often my sump pump is running.

 

[DGersic]

I just assumed if your looking to monitor water in your basement that your having water issues. A properly waterproofed basement shouldn't need a sump pump but they can be nice for piece of mind and most basements are not properly waterproofed, more like damp-proofed. Most remedial "waterproofers" don't address foundation issues, let the water in, pump it out. Throw in a power outage and the alarms/pumps don't work unless you have a battery or generator. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Not all water issues involve basements. Some are not easily or inexpensively resolved. I have a somewhat unusual problem with water at my beach cottage that’s 1000 miles from home so I can’t easily check on things. Even just knowing that I have a problem allows me to send someone to deal with it if needed.

 

[gizardlizard]

I just assumed if your looking to monitor water in your basement that your having water issues. A properly waterproofed basement shouldn't need a sump pump but they can be nice for piece of mind and most basements are not properly waterproofed, more like damp-proofed. Most remedial "waterproofers" don't address foundation issues, let the water in, pump it out. Throw in a power outage and the alarms/pumps don't work unless you have a battery or generator. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

My house is situated in a very low area. My backyard is a protected wetland. The ground didn’t perk for my septic system, so I have a mound system on some adjacent property. In the early spring during the thaw and/or rainy season, my sump pump will have a run time of 15 minutes or more and might be off for 5 minutes at a time. It’s crazy how much water comes in. I’ve never had water in the basement but have a battery backup pump, along with a spare line voltage pump ready to go. The alarm is for peace of mind. My neighbor has it worse than me. His pump will run even longer cycles.

 

[Tuhls]

Not an alarm suggestion, but I installed a BLINK camera above a sump pit with a 9w (60w equivalent) bulb on 24/7/365.
I had a CSH Industries hardwired water alarm WA9-04-30 mounted on the main hvac plenum to be heard everywhere in the house. This was at my parents house, if the alarm sounded they notified me so I could look-in and with this early warning had time to react as the drainage tubes into the pit had not yet backed-up with water. The success of the system relied on somebody being home, but that was never an issue.