“Learn how to build a low-cost (and low-code) water leak detection device complete with SMS notifications if a leak’s detected
Story
In a survey, 77% of homebuyers face unexpected repair costs in the first year of ownership, and over 2/3 of those people paid over $1, 000 for the repairs. Many of those expensive home repairs have a habit of cropping up when they’re least convenient, as well.
Hottest weekend of the year so far? The air conditioning goes out Friday night. Family coming into town for the holidays? The oven refuses to heat up. Heading out the door on vacation? The water heater / dishwasher / refrigerator starts leaking.
While I can’t help you with the first two scenarios, I can help you with the last one: catching those pesky leaks soon after they’ve begun - not hours (or days) later after your hardwood floors have been ruined or your basement’s totally flooded.
This project is inspired by my own true story. Earlier this summer the air conditioning unit had a pretty serious leak that my husband noticed while changing the air filters. If he hadn’t caught it when he did, it could have soon overflowed the drip pan underneath the unit and resulted in serious water damage to our attic and upstairs floor.
We got lucky this time, but why gamble on something like that when I can build my own leak detection device? I do work for Internet of Things (IoT) startup Blues Wireless after all, and the company’s whole mission is to make wireless IoT simple. How about making my own IoT leak detector?
So you can rest easier in your own home, I’ll walk you through building a simple, low-cost leak detector that uses a water sensor, a cellular module, and instant SMS alerts powered by Twilio, whenever water is detected.”