We all know we need to take steps to protect our homes from fire and burglary. How many of us can honestly say we’re are so diligent when it comes to protecting our homes from water damage? Not me, that is for sure.
I had a leak that flooded into my kitchen and ruined the ceiling – you can see the results of that home disaster here. There was extensive damage, it was very costly and also inconvenient at the time.
Bearing this in mind, new to the market is a fab bit of smart technology for our homes – the GROHE Sense water sensor. I was pleased as punch when they asked me to test it out – as we all know how much I love techie stuff for the home (Sonos speakers anyone?)
Let me show you how it works.
What is GROHE Sense?
This handy, little gadget detects water, frost and humidity in your home. Simply put the sensor in a potentially dodgy spot (e.g. next to a dishwasher, by the bath, in the boiler cupboard, down in the cellar etc.) and if there’s any kind of problem the unit will beep and flash.
Cleverer still, it sends an instant notification to your smartphone via the GROHE Ondus app.
That way you can deal with the problem before it becomes a way bigger headache. Imagine water pouring through your kitchen ceiling, rising damp, frozen pipes when you are out the house…need I say more.
You can easily move the unit to wherever it’s needed or have multiple sensors dotted around your home so you’re fully protected.
Testing the Sensor
My sister, Erika and her family have had no end of problems with water damage since moving into their Victorian conversion four years ago. So far the ensuite shower has been replaced twice due to numerous leaks; the bath dripped water into the kitchen below, ruining the ceiling. And the downstairs loo had a leaking pipe that caused so much water damage, the floor had to be ripped up and replaced.
They’ve been saddled with massive plumbing bills and stuck without a shower/bath/loo for weeks.
Given all of the above, who better to test the GROHE Sense than my lovely sister?
Easy Set Up
She’s not the most techie of people by any stretch of the imagination but she managed to set it up, download the app and get it going in under ten minutes. Big thumbs up here from Erika.
Testing A Leaking Loo
First she decided to put it in the downstairs loo which had been recently fixed. And after a week of use, so far so good – no problems reported! She had peace of mind that the toilet wasn’t about to explode and that her plumber had done a good job.
Trying it out at Bath Time
Impatient to see it in action, she moved it next to the bath tub for her boy’s nightly splash-a-thon.
Needless to say within seconds the sensor beeped, flashed and an alert pinged through to her phone.
Interestingly, the sensor also flagged that her bathroom was too humid. Since then, Erika has bought a new ventilation fan and she is making a conscious effort to ventilate the room.
Giving it a go in the kitchen
Finally, she’s placed the sensor next to the washing machine as – in her words ‘it’s old and bound to do something stupid soon’. With the sensor placed right next to it, Erika feels happier using the machine at night or when she’s out the house.
Is it worth the £52 price tag?
My sister’s overall verdict on the GROHE Sense is that at just under £52 a pop they’re well worth it. Especially if you consider they could help you avoid emergency call out charges and hefty repairs bills later down the line. I’ll leave the final word to my sister:
‘I wish I’d had this years ago, it would have saved me so much money and hassle.’
If you live in an old house with temperamental plumbing, or if you’re a bit worried about water damage from bath-time, then consider this sensor and iphone app for ultimate piece of mind.
** Disclaimer. This was a sponsored post. All thoughts are my own and my sisters! Photos are mine.