Phyn, maker of the eponymous Phyn Plus Smart Water Assistant + Shutoff, has expanded their line of water watchdogs with the Smart Water Sensor, an extensible system capable of monitoring for floods, water leaks, damage from humidity, and frozen temperatures. Designed to work in concert with Phyn Plus or as standalone monitors, the Phyn Smart Water Sensors integrate with the Phyn app and can be used used in multiple areas throughout the home to keep an eye out for water and temperature issues at the source. Furthermore, the Phyn Water Sensor Extension Node and Phyn Water Sensor Cable accessories can be used to monitor for issues in hard-to-get-to areas, such as underneath a washing machine, around a hot water heater, or even along a baseboard.
Extending the Water Monitoring Model
The puck-shaped, battery-powered Phyn Smart Water Sensor has a blue LED light (in the form of the Phyn logo) on its top and water sensor contacts on its bottom. Phyn says the two AA batteries should power the unit for up to 2 years, and battery life can be checked from the Phyn app. The sensor can be used by itself, and when it detects water the LED illuminates and an audible alarm goes off, while at the same time notifications can be sent to the Phyn app and via SMS.
What sets the Phyn Smart Water Sensor apart from most other smart water sensors are the extensible plug-in accessories. The Extension Node is effectively a remote sensor, and the 1-in diameter sensor is fitted with a 4-ft. cable to enable placing it away from the main sensor unit. Water sensor contacts on both sides enable it to detect water from above or below.
The most interesting add-on is the Water Sensor Cable. This accessory is also 4-ft. in length and plugs into a Phyn Smart Water Sensor, but sends an alert if any part of the cable gets wet. That makes it ideal for monitoring for water along a baseboard or coiling the cable up around a sump pump. Additionally, up to 3 of the Water Sensor Cables can be daisy-chained to extend the monitored area to 12-ft.
When the wireless Phyn Smart Water Sensor is used with one of the 2 wired sensor accessories above, the sensors in the main unit are still active.
Phyn Plus Integration
As one might expect, a leak detected by a Phyn Smart Water Sensor anywhere in the home can instruct the Phyn Plus Smart Water Assistant + Shutoff to shut off the water main.
