Summary
Smart bulbs, plugs, and speakers are the usual starting point for a smart home ecosystem. Plugs and bulbs connect things usually controlled by a switch to the internet, allowing for convenient remote control and automation. Smart speakers let you control the smart plugs and bulbs with your voice, allowing you to manage your home from the comfort of your couch. While sensors aren’t the flashiest smart home upgrade, they’re the one type of gadget that aims to keep your house, and the people living in it, safe. There are a handful of helpful smart sensors that serve this purpose, including presence sensors, contact sensors, and carbon monoxide sensors. There’s one sensor I recommend installing in your home before any other, and it’s a water leak sensor. After a hot water tank leak flooded my apartment, I became well aware of the risk water damage poses. A water leak can quickly turn into a disaster if it occurs while you’re asleep or away from home, but these liquid sensors make sure you never miss a potential leak. The sensor you hope you’ll never need A water leak sensor could save you from costly damage in an emergency When my apartment’s water tank burst, I was sitting a few feet away from it. It was in a studio apartment, meaning the water tank was tucked away in a closet not far from my desk. Had the water tank imploded while I was asleep or away on a work trip, I can’t imagine how much damage it would’ve caused. I lucked out because I heard the water rushing out of the tank and could shut off the emergency valve before the damage was catastrophic. I’ll say it again: I got lucky. If any number of things had gone differently, the liquid damage would’ve been much worse. Not only to my unit, but to the three floors of apartments below mine. Even with my luck, the area of my apartment closest to the water heater was flooded with a few inches of water, and it took days of remediation and some replacement flooring to fix it. A smart water leak sensor would’ve sounded immediately after detecting the liquid, informing me of the failure — even if I was thousands of miles away from home. After this experience, I resolved to install water sensors near every potential source of a leak in my home. Under the sink, near the washing machine, and of course, at the bottom of the water heater. They’re affordable, as options like the Ikea Klippbok are available for around 10. You can buy 10 of them for the price of a standard smart speaker, and they have the potential to save you thousands in repair and damage costs. Leak sensors work when the power and Wi-Fi drops They use batteries and alarms that sound when liquid makes contact The best thing about water leak sensors is that they work with or without a robust smart home ecosystem. With a home hub, you can receive smartphone notifications when your water leak sensor detects liquid. When using a Matter-equipped water leak sensor with a supported smart home ecosystem, like Google Home, water leak sensors can be part of powerful automations. For example, I can set up my smart speakers and displays to [broadcast a spoken warning message](https://www.makeuseof.com/5-smart-home-automations-you-should-build-this-weekend/) when the water leak sensors detect liquid. This functionality is helpful for people with a robust smart home ecosystem, or for people building one. But for those just starting out, water leak sensors are self-sufficient. They are often battery-powered, which means they can keep checking for leaks even if the power goes out. Many of them have built-in alarms that sound when liquid is detected, and that allows them to continue working even without an active Wi-Fi connection. They are certainly more functional with a connected smart home hub and an active Wi-Fi connection, but water leak sensors will still have your back without them. [Govee's water leak sensor](https://www.amazon.com/GoveeLife-Upgraded-Detector-Ultra-Long-Basement/dp/B0DQLDBXWF/?tag=makeusw-20&ascsubtag=UUmuoUeUpU2045572&asc_refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makeuseof.com%2Fsmart-home-sensor-you-should-buy%2F&asc_campaign=Feed) supports up to 1,804 feet of range and has a 105 dB alarm, so you'll hear it from almost anywhere in your home. Thanks to IP67 durability, the sensors will survive the very leaks and floods they're trying to warn you about. Sensors are the key to starting your smart home Presence, contact, and CO sensors also monitor your home's safety I stopped buying smart bulbs and plugs when I realized the high cost of outfitting an entire home with these gadgets outweighed the marginal convenience benefits they provide. Comparatively, smart sensors offer the right mix of utility and value to be one of your first smart home purchases. Even if you never use them, the peace of mind they provide is worth the cost. I know firsthand the damage leaks can cause, and spending 10 a sensor on monitoring is money well spent. The same value proposition applies to contact sensors, which inform you when a door or window is left open. Carbon monoxide sensors provide a similar value, as they detect silent and odorless leaks that can be deadly. While “dumb” versions of these sensors are available, the smart versions that can notify users remotely of hazards are more useful than any bulb or plug. They’re the first smart gadgets I set up in any new home.