The unpleasant sensation you feel when stepping onto a wet carpet after returning home on Monday morning comes from the silent water damage that erodes your finances. Traditional sensors won’t help you since there is no one to turn the alarm on if you are not at home. It has to be a screaming gadget that tells you everything directly in your pocket whether you are stuck in the school’s traffic jam or not. The true heroes of the laundry room are smart water leak detectors, and the installation is not a big deal.

First, you need to purchase the device that won’t cost you a fortune. For instance, the Govee Wi-Fi Water Leak Detector doesn’t require monthly fees and costs less than a fancy pizza. As for the hardware, you only need your router. There is no need for a huge hub that has to be plugged into the socket. You will have to leave some free space near your washing machine or water heater to install it there.

Installing the sensor itself is the easiest part of this procedure. All you need are two AAA batteries (which usually come with the device) and two minutes of your time. Open the back cover of the sensor, put in the batteries and hear the small beep that indicates its activation. To make the sensor react to water presence, it will need two metal prongs on its bottom part.

The hard part begins here – you need to make it communicate with you. Download the Govee Home app from the App Store or Google Play and create an account there for free. In the main menu, tap the plus icon and add a new device, then select the water leak detector in the pop-up menu. Next, it will request you to connect the sensor to your home Wi-Fi – you should be ready with your password.

Now that the blue light is not blinking anymore, the pairing process is over and you are able to configure the software. Go to the device settings and then tap on “Alert Settings” menu. Toggle the “App Notification” option to ensure that even if your phone is locked, it will buzz with the notification. It is the time to make your dumb sensor a smart guard of your flooring.

To have maximum peace of mind, you should specify that this device will send you a text message, not just an application alert. You should find the “SMS Alert” option that normally requests you to confirm your phone number (with the help of an automated code). Some sensors require you to set up IFTTT integration to get an SMS alert, but the newest Govee versions have this feature in the application itself. If you cannot find it, check whether there is a firmware update available.

The testing phase is the most fun part of this whole process, especially if you have children. Put a wet paper towel on the metal prongs of the sensor and see how it starts panicking. Your phone should buzz with the notification and receive the SMS right away. If the sound causes your dog to hide under the sofa, you have set up the alarm loud enough.

Mount the sensor right on the floor near the washing machine or under the kitchen sink, which are the spots with notorious leaks. You know that leaks in those places will eventually lead to significant troubles if left unattended. Do not install it too deep into the corner so that you could easily take it out in case if the batteries run out. This small box is guarding your floor while you are doing a million things.

Your dishwasher won’t flood the hardwood flooring while you are having your shopping spree anymore. All that you have to pay for this system is less than fifty dollars, and it takes no more than fifteen minutes to install it.