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Products Recommended for Winchester HillsI wanted to share the inexpensive water sensors I found, installed, and am very happy with. Floods from corroded fittings are a problem here in WH. Note: To make it automatically turn off your water you need the hub, water sensors, and valve controller. You also need to configure it to do so in the app by going to Smart → Automation. I had to do this for each water sensor. Then to test it set one of the sensors in a plate of water.
This includes the Hub and 4 water sensors. Installation is very easy. The water sensors are powered by AA batteries that last about a year, and the app will tell you when they're getting low. The Hub connect to the app by WiFi, but the sensors use LoRa (like WiFi but long range and low power), so the whole system will work even when the power is out (as long as the hub is on a battery backup).
This lets the YoLink system shut off your water at the valve if any of your water sensors detect water. It's battery operated and installation was very easy, at least for my house. I tested it and it successfully closes the valve. The quality is good with metal gears. I haven't used this one yet, but am planning to put one with the sensor lead down my septic clean-out (so the sensor sits above the pipe the sewage flows through, in the clean-out pipe). That way if the system backs up I get notified ahead of time rather than finding out because sewage has backed up into my laundry room or basement tubs. This ingenious little sensor attaches to the top panel of your garage door and detects the "tilt" when your garage door isn't fully closed. I've already used it to text family members to close the garage when I'm not home and they've left it open in the evening. I know several neighbors who have had things stolen out of their garage because the door was left up unintentionally. Maybe these will help prevent that. This can be used to control your garage door, or as a relay to control about anything else in response to the sensors triggering, manually controlled in the app, scheduled, etc.
This can be put in your fridge or freezer to alert you if it loses power and the temperature rises too much. Last month a circuit breaker tripped and a spare freezer lost power and we lost 6 half-gallon containers of ice cream. No lie. The extent of that tragedy cannot be overstated. Now I can confirm that freezer is -0.4° F and all is well. I set the alert at 28° F, so hopefully future tragedies can be avoided.
This does the same thing as the temperature sensor above, but it doesn't have a display and is more weatherproof. Great for a porch, greenhouse, attic, etc. The motion sensor can be used to alert you when a person or package arrives on your doorstep, or to protect the entry to an outbuilding, or even to tell you when the mailman has come (assuming you live close enough to the mailbox, but these sensors go way longer than you'd think). You can also automate lights, etc based on these triggering (using the YoLink smart light switches or outlets). Same as the above motion sensor, but weatherproof (and detects horizontally). This replaces one of your wall switches and lets you control the switch manually from the app, based on a schedule, or in response to a sensor. For instance, you could use it to turn on and off your porch light at certain times or when a motion sensor is triggered. This gives you a simple way to control a single device, like a lamp. You can turn it on or off manually from the app, based on a schedule, or have it turn on or off in response to a sensor. Same as above, but installed in the wall. Same as above but with 4 outlets that can be controlled separately or together, and with USB ports that can also be controlled. Same as above but weatherproof and with 2 outlets that can be controlled separately or together (no USB outlets). I liked the YoLink system so much I decided to add a little security / convenience using it. No more surprises when the kids leave the door open. Works great for outbuildings, too (LoRa is good for 1000 feet so it should work anywhere on a 1 acre lot).
These work the same as the door sensors but are weatherproof so they can be used outside. OK, this is separate from YoLink / avoiding floods, but I just got this to chip several huge piles of branches I pruned off my fruit and nut trees and it worked really well. It's fairly quiet (for a chipper) and powered through everything I could fit through the slot.
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