D-Link Wi-Fi Water Leak Sensor and Alarm, App Notifications, Battery Powered, No Hub Required (DCH-S161-US)

Just finished installing and so far so good! We bought this water sensor because we had an issue with a leaky washer. Setup was super quick and easy and the sensor was able to reach all the way under and behind the washer. Had one minor issue (thought it was an issue) where the sensor kept going to sleep and I could not access it from the app. I called the company and they assured me that it was completely normal behavior. Apparently the sensor goes to sleep when no water is detected to conserve battery life. They also told me to make sure to place the siren part of the sensor in an open area where it can get a better wifi signal!

Setup was pretty easy, the QR code on the back took care of the technical details quickly. The only minor stumbling block I had was that this unit only connects to 2.4G wifi networks and your phone MUST be on the same network in order to complete the setup. (I have both 2.4G and 5G networks in my house.) Once I completed the setup and moved my phone back to the 5G network or to cellular data, I had no trouble getting notifications.To test the unit, I put the sensor on a dinner plate and then started wringing out a wet paper towel on the plate. It didn't take much water at all to set it off. The notifications came through instantly, as well as a follow-up notification to say that water was no longer detected after I pulled it out.The sensor was small enough to fit under my fridge and is not visible in the kitchen, which was a must.No complaints from me, but I have not yet been able to test battery life or notifications related to dying batteries. Time will tell how good this product is, but so far so good on day 1.

I was initially disappointed that this successor to the DCH-S160 uses a sensor probe that only detects water at a single point. I've had slow leaks that did not spread very far, but over time, they incurred substantial damage, and this type of sensor is very unlikely to detect that kind of leak unless you've lucky, and the sensor happens to be where that small, recurring puddle is. However, I had excellent luck using Honeywell's continuous rope sensor (it detects water that touches any portion of the cable) as an extension for the old DCH-S160, and Honeywell's newer extension cable for their Lyric detector uses a 3.5mm jack, just like the new D-Link, so I gambled and bought both. Jackpot! The Honeywell cable works perfectly with this new sensor. The part # is RCHWES4:https://www.amazon.com/Lyric-Wi-Fi-Freeze-Detector-Sensor/dp/B01J7EVB1G/I bought this to detect any leaks in my hot water heater. I was able to arrange the 4 foot long Honeywell sensor rope in a half circle around the base of my water heater (it's up against a foundation wall on the side where no sensor cable is), thus absolutely guaranteeing an alert if there is any leak. The Honeywell sensors daisy-chain, so you could get two to encircle something completely, or to run cable under a kitchen sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator. You could also use common 3.5 mm headphone extensions between sensors, if needed. And you can plug the included D-Link point sensor into the end, if you thought you it would be useful.That's the good news. Unfortunately, this new sensor does not work with the original app that monitors/configures the old DCH-S160 sensor, and the new app doesn't work with the old sensor. So if you're buying this to expand on an existing system, you have to run two different apps.Also, configuration as documented is impossible--thankfully, reviewer TW here points out the fix: turn off mobile data (Airplane mode, then re-enable wifi is the easiest way) before setting up.Finally, the app claims that this sensor doesn't work with IFTTT, even though the box lists that prominently (as does D-Link's site). If you go to IFTTT, you can configure alerts via SMS or email, which is an excellent backup to push notifications. It's just annoying that the app is so broken.I did test the sensor after it had gone into power-save mode, and it alerts instantly (I left it for 24 hours after initial setup), so that problem--as reported by one of the 1-start reviews--has been fixed. The sensor also automatically updated it's firmware later, which is nice.In the end, it does what I need it to, but it was frustrating getting there.

I originally tried a cheaper device with double sensors. Was a heap of scrap. Refunded it and, per Amazon chat support suggestion, got two of these D-link detectors. D-link has a useful and pleasant App, fast Wi-Fi install, water test, and deployment... Under 10 minutes to completion. The local device has an alarm siren, and the App pops up a warning with option to phone someone from your contacts. Records events per last 24 hr, with option for Cloud tracking. Totally worth the extra money over what else is offered with "5 star" reviews (this is a real purchase review). However, battery life for routinely wet basements will be short, wifi and alarm will drain alkalines quickly. Device really needs to be 9V instead of AA battery so I could use a converter plug to power off a wall receptacle. Otherwise, nice device.