3 Top Wi-Fi Enabled Basement Water Sensors

We've solved the immediate problem for now - our sump pump is working properly, and the roots are
cleared from our drain pipes.

(The problem tree is still standing, but will be removed this week.)

But what if something goes wrong with our solution? If our basement floods, we need to know immediately. Especially if we're away from home. 

We need water sensors!

Each spring, our Chicago suburb sees a dozen or so homes with a sad pile of wet, soggy possessions and carpet out at the curb.  

That's not gonna be us! Our basement has been dry since the house was built in 2008, and it's going to stay that way. 

However, it's a SUPER deep basement, and due to our location, water tends to flow into our lot. It's a recipe for trouble. 

Ideally, Apple would do literally anything with HomeKit. 

I've also been really intrigued by the Fibaro Flood sensor - but that seems to be unavailable in the US market for now.

But in the meantime, we can't wait - we need water detection. 

Quirky Overflow

Quirky makes a water sensor called Overflow. 

It's currently on pre-order, and should ship by May. it will cost $40. 

It's a part of the Wink system, and will work with the Wink app. 

There are some things about the Overflow that I really like - the wi-fi component attaches to the wall, where it will presumably remain safe and dry. 

But that feature is also a bug for me - by the time water ever reached one of my walls, I'd be in serious trouble.

Water can flow from a couple of sources - my hot water heater, my sump pit - and in both cases, the floor slopes toward a basement drain. 

I'd like to have a couple of sensors - one in the "direct line of fire", or rather, line of water... and another farther away. 

Those sensors could work together to tell me if I have a "normal" water problem, with water going down the drain - or a serious problem, with the whole basement flooded.

Using the Overflow will require the purchase of a Wink Hub, so really, we're at $90 installed. 

SmartThings Moisture

SmartThings makes a water detection kit - the "SmartThings Moisture" that works on the SmartThings Zigbee home automation platform. 

It's $49 for the Moisture sensor, and another $99 for the hub. 

The Moisture is a small battery-powered box that sits in "trouble areas" and notifies you if it senses water. It also tracks temperature, which is cool. 

We could place a few of these around the basement, and be notified of specific water problems based on which sensor was reporting water. 

If we went with the SmartThings system, there are a number of partners - Philips Hue, Schlage, Sonos - but again, no Nest, and that's where we're invested at the moment. 

WallyHome

I didn't even know this existed until I started writing this post. 

Now that I know it does, I think I'm sold. 

Wally may be everything I'm looking for.

If it's as good as it looks, Google should be purchasing this company and selling their products as "Nest Sense". It looks that fantastic. 

Moisture sensing? Check. And the notifications you get can be customized - i.e., "Water detected near the Sump Pump". 

Expandable? Check. The hub is $125, the sensors are $35, and you can buy a Hub + 6 sensors for $300. 

Works with Nest? Check PLUS. 

Not only will this system monitor for water leaks, but it will monitor the temperature at each sensor, and literally control your Nest Thermostat. 

You can put a sensor in your baby's bedroom, for instance, and if it's a hot summer night, Wally will automatically adjust your home's temperature to make sure she's comfortable. 

Wally's website says that the system uses the copper wiring in your house as an antenna for each sensor - but the sensors run on batteries, and don't have to be plugged in. 

I'll need to read up on this SNUPI (Sensor Nodes Utilizing Powerline Infrastructure) tech in order to write about it intelligently, but frankly, if Google gave it the "Works With Nest" badge, it's good enough for me. 

I'm ordering a Wally system tonight - maybe as many as 6 sensors. 

This one will DEFINITELY warrant a full review.