As a homeowner for the past ten years, the amount of water leaks I’ve encountered has almost become a regular occurrence. When I lived in a block of flats in King’s Cross we had so many problems – leaks from the shower to the flat below, leaks into our flat from upstairs’ washing machine. We even had to have all the wood flooring replaced once – we only noticed the shower was leaking underneath the boards when they started to buckle and warp. In our new house recently, I noticed an ominous damp patch forming on the bedroom ceiling – water had been slowly coming in through cracks in the chimney. Often you only notice these things when water is pouring in or the harm has already been done. But what if you could detect water in your home before it caused any long-term damage?
Innovative German brand GROHE has just launched GROHE Sense and GROHE Sense Guard, a very clever water security system for the smart home. GROHE Sense is an app-controlled water sensor that monitors humidity and temperature and alerts homeowners to leaks. It can be used on its own or combined with the GROHE Sense Guard, which is installed in the main water pipe so you can switch off the water supply in the event of a burst pipe. So, wherever you are, this intelligent early warning system takes care of your home and protects against damage that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
I’m not alone in experiencing water leak woes. According to a survey by GROHE earlier this year, 54% of households have experienced mains-related water damage at least once, while 65% of all cases were related to pipes. Sometimes small leaks can go on for weeks or months before manifesting themselves – it might be a leaky pipe under the bath, a faulty appliance or a damp basement. What I didn’t really realise was that the walls of your home can also be affected, especially if your pipes are hidden inside them. Mould can start to build up in just 24 hours due to humidity, so time really is of the essence.
GROHE Sense can be easily monitored and controlled via the new GROHE ONDUS App. The wireless sensor comes with batteries and uses wifi to connect to your phone. The set-up is really easy but make sure you have the latest operating system for your phone and are using a 2,4 ghz network. Once you’ve gone through the quick step-by-step guide you’ll be able to see the latest data for temperature and humidity. The interface is clean, simple and easy to read.
The GROHE Sense can be positioned flat on the floor out of the way, next to a bath, on a kitchen worktop or on an appliance like a washing machine in a utility room. It’s really light and can easily be moved around to different places.
You can also connect multiple devices across different rooms so everywhere in your home can be covered. Here it’s positioned under the washing machine (we have a red light on our washing machine to indicate when it is on). Other than the obvious places where you might have a leak, we also have quite a damp basement so I’ll be interested to track the humidity there to help prevent condensation and mould. The GROHE Sense will alert you if the humidity stays above or below ideal levels for more than three consecutive hours.
If there is a leak in the room where the GROHE sense is positioned, an alert pops up on your phone screen and the sensor starts to flash red and emit a beeping sound. If you have the GROHE Sense Guard as well, it tracks water consumption and can detect frost risk, micro leakages and pipe breaks. With the Sense Guard, the water supply can be automatically turned off with the app, so you’re protected wherever you are – no nasty surprises when you get back from holiday!
Minimal and smart in white, GROHE Sense is an understated, unobtrusive piece of tech that can fit seamlessly into your home. Priced at £51.99, I think it’s a small price to pay to take the stress out of any unforeseen problems by having an early warning in place. Smart technology is at its best when it can be used to better help our everyday lives in our homes so we can enjoy the moments that really matter. GROHE Sense looks out for issues so you don’t have to. Hopefully any leaks I have in the future won’t be so problematic and I’ll be better able to protect my lovely home. A smart device for a smart home.
GROHE Sense is priced at £51.99 and the GROHE Sense Guard at £439, find out more here.
This is a sponsored post written in collaboration with GROHE. All imagery: Cate St Hill
