Skip to main content
Tom's Guide Tom's Guide
Subscribe
RSS
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
Technology Magazines
(opens in new tab)
Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)
Why subscribe?
  • The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12.99
(opens in new tab)
View (opens in new tab)
  • Best Picks
  • News
  • Reviews
  • How Tos
  • Phones
  • Streaming
  • Deals
  • More
    • Antivirus
    • Audio
    • Coupons
    • Fitness
    • Gaming
    • Home
    • Laptops
    • Mattresses
    • Personal Finance
    • Security
    • Smart Home
    • TV
    • VPNs
    • Wearables
    • What To Watch
    • All Topics
Forums (opens in new tab)
Trending
  • iPhone 15
  • ChatGPT
  • Google Bard
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra Review
  • Best Laptops
  • Best TVs

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Smart Home
Supported

Smart water leak detectors can save you thousands this winter — here’s your best options

By Kate Kozuch

Here's how to avoid pricey plumbing repairs and flood damage using smart water leak detectors

In Association with

Eero logo (opens in new tab)
Smart water leak detectors can save you from thousands of dollars in damage this winter
(Image credit: Moen)

When I got one of the best smart water leak detectors earlier this year, I recalled returning home from vacation to a filthy flood caused by an old, bursted pipe in my basement. Though this happened more than 10 years ago, the stink of mildew still traumatizes me. 

Now, in a new home — a DIY smart home, nonetheless — I’ve taken measures to make sure our finished basement doesn’t suffer the same misfortune. Thanks to Flo by Moen Smart Water Detectors, a series of simple-to-install pucks that pair to Alexa and sound an alarm in the presence of water, I have some peace of mind when I’m away.

DIY Smart Home

See our smart home guide for everything you need to know (and buy) to set up a connected space.

I set up the smart water-detecting pucks at the start of summer, where excessive humidity in my beachside community was a bigger concern perhaps than cracked pipes. One of the best dehumidifiers provided a fix once our water sensors read just how much moisture lingered in the air. But transitioning our home to winter meant getting prepared for cold weather to challenge our plumbing.

Along with knowing how to insulate your windows for winter, how to bleed a radiator or even how to winterize your hydrangeas, you should know how to keep your pipes intact when the temperatures drop. 

Frozen pipes are prone to crack. When the water in your plumbing system freezes, it expands, adds pressure to your pipes and voila, you’re dealing with a rather expensive dilemma. According to Fixr (opens in new tab), the average cost to fix a cracked pipe is $500, but that doesn’t include the value of personal effects or replacing ruined carpet or walls. You could be looking at thousands of dollars in damage.

With water leak detectors like mine, you’ll at least be informed of the early signs of a leaking pipe, whether you’re home to hear the alarm or receive a push notification from a smartphone app. If you’re home, you can manually shut off your water system to stop the leak before a professional comes by for a repair.

But if you plan on being away from your home for an extended period of time during the winter, you might want to consider a smart water shutoff system instead. Flo by Moen offers a $499 smart water shutoff device that can stop water by itself if it detects a major leak, as well as monitor overall water usage. The $699 Phyn Plus Smart Water Assistant offers the same assurance. Both are be installed in-line at your house’s main water supply line by a plumber, and can shut off your whole home’s water on your command or when triggered by a leak. (One could even cut water to my cool Alexa-enabled smart faucet.)

For more “DIY”-style solutions, affordable devices separate from your water line like the Flo by Moen pucks ($78) or the Resideo Wi-Fi Water Leak & Freeze Detector ($79) at least let you keep an eye out for potential plumbing concerns. Either will let you know about suspicious temperature changes, too. A failing HVAC system or any reason your house falls to freezing temperatures puts you as risk for a burst pipe. While you can always get one of the best smart thermostats (just checking, do you know what a C-Wire is?) to see the inside temperature from your phone, water leak detector devices are an additional safeguard.

For more “DIY”-style solutions, affordable devices separate from your water line like the Flo by Moen pucks ($78) or the Resideo Wi-Fi Water Leak & Freeze Detector ($79) at least let you keep an eye out for potential plumbing concerns. Either will let you know about large temperature changes, too. A failing HVAC system or any reason your house falls to freezing temperatures puts you as risk for a bursted pipe. While you can always get one of the best smart thermostats (just checking, do you know what a C-Wire is?) to see the inside temperature from your phone, water leak detector devices are an additional safeguard.

The best smart home devices don’t just make your day-to-day more convenient. If you haven’t already learned how to save thousands setting up a connected space, you could save as much with intelligent defenses to common points of failure in any abode. At least I know that's one of my top motivations for setting up the ultimate smart home.

Today's best Flo by Moen Smart Water Detector deals
92 Amazon customer reviews (opens in new tab)
☆☆☆☆☆
Moen Smart Water Leak... (opens in new tab)
Lowe's (opens in new tab)
$49.99
(opens in new tab)
View (opens in new tab)
Moen 920-005 Flo by Moen... (opens in new tab)
Amazon (opens in new tab)
Prime (opens in new tab)
$157.40
(opens in new tab)
$131.80
(opens in new tab)
View (opens in new tab)
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Tom’s Guide created this content as part of a paid partnership with eero. The contents of this article are entirely independent and solely reflect the editorial opinion of Tom’s Guide.

Be In the Know

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions (opens in new tab) and Privacy Policy (opens in new tab) and are aged 16 or over.
Kate Kozuch
Kate Kozuch
Social Links Navigation

Kate Kozuch is an editor at Tom’s Guide covering smartwatches, TVs and everything smart-home related. Kate also appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account (opens in new tab), which you should be following. When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her on an exercise bike, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef. 


Topics
Smart Home
No comments yet Comment from the forums
  1. iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max/iPhone 15 Ultra renders from 4RMD
    1
    iPhone 15 Pro’s incredibly small bezels could already be beat
  2. 2
    Quick! PS5 just got its first-ever discount at Amazon — and other retailers are price matching
  3. 3
    Hackers are stealing Gmail messages — delete this extension right now
  4. 4
    John Wick Chapter 4 review: A perfectly bloated mess
  5. 5
    Huawei Mate X3 is the lightest foldable phone ever — and thinner than iPhone 14 Pro Max
  1. iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max/iPhone 15 Ultra renders from 4RMD
    1
    iPhone 15 Pro’s incredibly small bezels could already be beat
  2. 2
    Quick! PS5 just got its first-ever discount at Amazon — and other retailers are price matching
  3. 3
    Hackers are stealing Gmail messages — delete this extension right now
  4. 4
    John Wick Chapter 4 review: A perfectly bloated mess
  5. 5
    Huawei Mate X3 is the lightest foldable phone ever — and thinner than iPhone 14 Pro Max

Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement (opens in new tab)
  • Advertise with us (opens in new tab)
  • About us (opens in new tab)
  • Archives (opens in new tab)
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.