piece of junk, had flood and it didnt work, had a new battery in it and it worked fine when i tested it, two months later had a flood in basement and it never worked

After a leak from a neighbor above in a high rise condo destroyed my floor, and experiencing the hassle and expense of installing a new floor, I got this Watchdog Water Alarm to monitor the cement floor inside the stack column of pipes behind the drywall of my kitchen - in the path where the water came down from above. Thanks to the six foot wire, I have the sensor on the cement floor by the pipes, and the alarm itself perched inside the access panel next to my kitchen counter. Less than a week after installation of the replacement floor, I hear what sounds like a fire alarm from inside the wall. It's the Watchdog Alarm. Not again!

But due to the early warning this time, I alerted condo Security and meanwhile diverted water dripping down from a new leak from a neighbor, into a large bowl by my sink before any damage could occur (thanks to quick makeshift rigging of a funnel using aluminum foil to catch the drips from above). On inspection of the cement floor where the sensor detected a leak, there was no pool or puddle - just a darkened patch of moist cement. The leak had just started! In a few hours Security was able to find the neighbor who was unaware of their own leak, and they repaired the plumbing at fault. So the alarm saved my new floor AND brought a quick response to the neighbor whose damage might have been worse without the response the alarm enabled.

Pros of this particular alarm:
- Loud alarm very much like a home smoke detector.
- The 6 foot cable allows placing the detector in out of the way spots where water leaks begin while placing the alarm where you can better hear it or reach it to change batteries easily.
- based on my experience it sensed water before it was deep enough to flow anywhere - moist surface was enough to set it off which is great.

Cons:
- no weak battery alert (need to schedule ahead to replace periodically)
- it would increase the cost but I'd like to have it capable to call or text my cell phone with an alert when I'm away. I'm looking into models with this feature - but because they cost more, I may end up with one that can text an alert, along with several of these less expensive audible alarm models.

I live in Houston and my neighborhood suffers from tropical storm flooding every few years. It always happens in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep, so the first warning may be the shocking sensation of stepping out of bed into a puddle of water. (This happened to me once!)

I set the Glentronics Basement Watchdog on the floor of my garage. The garage is always gets wet first to give me plenty of warning. But others could use it under an attic water heater, under a clothes washer, under sinks or anywhere else prone to unexpected disastrous water leaks.

I tested the sensor by dipping it in a glass of water. The alarm triggered instantly, about as loud as a smoke alarm, and quit when I pulled it out. And easier way to test it is to just touch the two sensor buttons with your fingertips. (No, there is no shock.)

The alarm uses a single 9-volt battery with a clever six foot cord nestled inside for the sensor. You can simply set it on the floor like a pack of cigarettes, or extend the sensor out and and hang the unit on the wall. Nice design! You can splice in up to 100 feet of extra sensor cord if needed (not included).

Minor downsides:

1. The sensor is super lightweight so some might want to add weight when used remotely.
2. The wall unit does not come with a screw or nail for mounting, and the oddly-sized mounting hole doesn't quite fit most nails or screws. 3. It would be nice if there was a LED light indicating battery power.

Despite these minor drawbacks, this is a terrific value and a solid five star bargain.

There are good detectors. I like the long cable for the sensor. I improved its detection capability by taping a piece of paper on the bottom. It rests on the paper and absorbs water , setting the sensors off after a few seconds. Without this it wasn't able to detect water running down concrete with a grade. The water level would have come up a bit to trip the sensors.

My sewer drain got clogged and overflowed in the downstairs bathroom shower which is the lowest drain in the house. Yes, it was fun to clean up! I inserted a drain cleaner bladder attached to a garden hose into the 4 inch sewer drain and it cleared the drain. After the cleanup I thought since this basement shower is seldom used that it would be a good idea to have a water sensing alarm there in case it happens again before I can get a plumber to run a video camera down the sewer drain to check for a broken pipe or obstruction. I hung the alarm in the shower and attached a washer to keep the sensor plate down. About 2 months later the alarm goes off as the water was backed up in the shower. At least this time my family knew not to flush toilets or turn on any faucet until the drain is unclogged. This alarm saved me from having to do another horrible sewage cleanup.