Leak Sensor

I have two new leak sensors with fresh batteries. They defined and synced just fine as devices. I set triggers a couple of different ways to include a suggested config by Matt in one of the posts. The only time they work when I stick them in plate of water is when I have tapped the button on top, and the green light comes on. If I put them in water within a few minutes then they trigger just fine. But if I let them sit after that routine for more than ~10 or so minutes before sitting into water they don't trigger.

I do understand that once they do trigger they have a 'cooling down period'. It also doesn't seem to matter if in the Device view if they are off or on. They either work after tapping the button on top or they don't work if I wait 10+ minutes.

I also have seen 30+ minute delays in a trigger. Device sitting out of water and trigger fires randomly.

What the heck is going on?

How much water are you putting them in? I have never tested my leak sensors, but after a bad experience with an overflowing AC drip pan, I put them in both the drip pans, as well as under all my sinks and hot water heater. In the past 2 years, I have had two of them trigger perfectly; last November, the hot water heater developed a drip due to corrosion in the tank, and just yesterday one of the cursed "push in" connectors on the Reverse Osmosis filtration system developed a pinhole leak in the connector. Both times, the detector triggered and alerted me as soon as the floor under the metal studs became damp. I periodically sweep the log file to make sure I'm still getting heartbeats from all of them, but otherwise haven't touched them since I stuffed them under and behind wherever they were supposed to go back in July of 2014. I'd think that if the water level ever got up to the plastic case, it would kill the device. What you might want to try is putting them in a dry pan and then slowly adding water until it just starts to run under the device.

[jay (support)]

When you think they're supposed to fire, do you see anything in the Event Log window? Trying to establish if it's actually communicating with Indigo or if it's just not sending any signals.

So I didn't touch the two sensors over night (nearly 24 hours). Stuck it in the water and nothing.

In the DEVICES list it shows both sensors as 'On'. I tapped the light on the top and saw this:

Jul 21, 2016, 8:29:09 PM
Received INSTEON "Leak Sensor Door" on (sensor dry)

Stuck it in the water (1/4" deep") in a saucer and saw immediately:
Jul 21, 2016, 8:30:22 PM
Received INSTEON "Leak Sensor Door" on (leak detected)
Trigger Water Detected Crawl Space Door copy
Schedule Water Detected Crawl Space Door copy (delayed action)

Yeah! That's what I would always expect.

Then about every 10 seconds I saw the message as the device sat in the water. It went off a total of 9 times.

Then the message displayed with a longer duration between the long entries. The 10th message was about 2 minutes after #9.

The devices are literally 2 feet from my 2413U as I test. RF shouldn't be an issue. Have other RF devices working without issue. There are 6 switches and 3 bulbs throughout the house. I also have 3 plunger type triggers at the top of doors for switch control into certain rooms. All working as expected.


But the real question is why did I have to tap the button on the top to get it to work again?

[matt (support)]

The quick start guide says to press the tap button to reset it. The manual also says that the module never sends out the OFF command, only the ON command. So that is the way it is designed: after it trips you have to press the button on the top to reset it. I don't believe there is a way around that behavior, but you could contact Smarthome to see what they say.

Appreciate that info Matt. I thought I was loosing my mind but maybe I was just overthinking the operations.

I'm going to try one more test before I set them in place. I am going to tap the button on top to reset it and then let it sit for a few days before I test it in water. If that works then my confusion on it's inner workings have been for not.

Thanks again Matt.

[matt (support)]

Yes, let us know how that goes. The manual and quick start guide for that module definitely could be more clear IMO.