Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was unfortunate enough to experience water damage in two different homes in less than 2 years. Both caused by leaking appliances. After the first incident, I had detectors in my next home, but the leak was such that it missed detector as the water traveled down a pipe in a wall. As I result I now use different detectors depending on the location and where the water is most likely to flow. Now for the specifics on this unit: Pros: 1) Loud enough (similar to smoke alarm) 2) Simple to change the battery (slide panel on side) 3) Ability to place the detection contacts upto 6ft from the alarm. Cons: 1) No battery indicator, but its easy/quick to test. Just make sure you test it regularly 2) Spot detection only (more specifics below) 3) Size - its not going to slide into some places, but you can pull out the sensor and place it, but likely will want to tape the sensor in place to insure it does not move. There are dozens of water detectors on the market and the majority come in one of two types. Spot and area detection. Spot detectors, like this one - typically have two sensors that require moisture to come in contact with the sensors to activate the alarm. This unit has two metal sensors and moisture must contact BOTH to activate the alarm. The drawback is that unless moisture contacts both sensors, no alarm - so the area you are protecting is VERY small. As such, you must think about where water is most likely to come FROM and the path it is likely to take and place the sensor in that path. Area detectors: These use a sensor wire that can be many feet in length and some allow extensions and even multiple sensor wires. The alarm is activated when moisture comes in contact with any portion of the sensing wire. These typically cost 2-3+ times more than a spot detector, but the area they can cover is much greater and as such a much greater level of protection. I use both types of detectors. For appliances/devices that may have a pan or other containment device beneath or around them, I use a spot detector INSIDE the container as the moisture is guaranteed to come in contact with the sensors. For situations where there is no containment or moisture can come from multiple points in the same location OR it could take multiple paths, I use an area detector. Water follows gravity and the path of least resistance - sometimes its not obvious which route its going to take. That is how my second incident went undetected, even with a spot sensor directly under the refrigerator, the water leaking from the icemaker traveled down the copper line, and was wicked directly into the flooring material, never activating the alarm. With an area detector, wrapping the sensor line around the copper line and under the appliance, I may have avoided the damage. The cost of this protection is a lot less than your deductible, not to mention the hassle of the repair and the inevitable increase in your insurance rates.