Leak detectors
A noise in the room, or a notification on your phone?
Both detect water. One tells the room, which is the right answer in an occupied house; the other tells your phone, which is the only answer in an empty one. An empty house is exactly where a leak does its worst work.
| Compared on | SWS54 | HSWM10000 |
|---|---|---|
| Alert type | Notification and sound up to 110 dB | Local 85 dB siren, continuous while water is present |
| Network | Wi-Fi, through the X-Sense base station | None |
| Base station | Required | None |
| Detection points | 2 upper, 4 lower | Two floor probes |
| Sensitivity | From 0.4 mm (0.016 in) of water | Not stated |
| Batteries | Included, about 3 years stated | Not stated |
| Weather rating | IP66 | Not stated |
| Works without Wi-Fi | Sounds locally | Always |
| Listed on amazon.com | Yes | No |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
Buy the SWS54 for a house that is regularly empty — a second home, a vacation rental, or any household that works away. Unlike the ABUS, it reaches your phone when nobody is there to hear it.
No amazon.com listing was found for this one. We hold references for other markets but none for the United States, so it may not be buyable here — which is the first thing to weigh against anything below.
Buy the ABUS for an occupied house, where a washing machine fails mid-cycle with somebody home. It needs no network, no account and no app.
Under the washing machine, behind the dishwasher or under the sink cabinet, and beside the water heater or at the lowest point of a basement. Many household water leaks start in one of those places, and a sensor in the middle of a floor reports a leak that has already spread.
It is worth exactly what you can do with it. Arrange a neighbor with a key who knows where the stopcock is before relying on the sensor — otherwise you have bought earlier knowledge of the same damage.
Wi-Fi · push notifications · 2 upper and 4 lower sensors · sounds locally and on the base
A connected leak detector: X-Sense states six sensing points — two upper and four lower — with a push notification to a phone as well as a local alarm and a tone from the base station.
Best for: A property you leave — a holiday home, a second home, or any house whose owners work away.
85 dB · two floor probes · stands on the floor · basement, laundry, kitchen, utility room
A standalone water alarm that stands on the floor with two probes underneath. ABUS states an 85 dB tone that sounds as long as the probes are in contact with water or another conductive liquid.
Best for: The floor beside a washing machine, a dishwasher or a water heater.
