Features:

  • 24/7 Monitoring: Receive alerts when there’s unexpected movement in your home
  • Home Automation: Set devices to automatically turn on or off as people come and go to minimize energy usage
  • Detection Ready: Adjust the sensor with the quick tilt magnetic ball mount to capture motion up to 15 feet with 120 degree view range
  • Requirements: Must have SmartThings App and SmartThings Hub or compatible device with SmartThings Hub functionality (connected devices sold separately)
  • Compatibility: Works with Google, Alexa, SmartThings, and Z-Wave and ZigBee communication protocols
Fast reacting water sensor, tiny, & good battery life. I just ordered 4 additional leak sensors

I already have a SmartThings hub with several devices and am expanding my device types with my first water leak detection sensors (new generation). This sensor was easy to connect to the SmartThings hub (30 seconds) and test out. I like that it has sensors on both the top and bottom of the unit. I configured the SmartThings hub to send a push notification to my phone if a leak is detected. When testing the sensor, I was pleasantly surprised by two things. First, it is extremely sensitive. All I had to do was lick a finger and put it across the probes and they set off with that small amount of moisture. Second, when I tested it, I received the push notification on my phone in about two seconds. Both of these characteristics are exactly what I want in a leak detector. The battery life appears to be pretty good. In two weeks, the battery has only dropped 2%. At that rate, the battery should last just under two years. Finally, I just ordered 4 more of these sensors for other plumbing locations in my home, hence the 5 star rating.

Ditched by Iris/Lowes? Join the SmartThings club

So, Lowes sent me a 'sorry, not sorry' about how they won't support Iris anymore. I spent close to $600 in security kits and what not over the last couple of years, so this was disappointing, to say the least. Luckily most of the Iris stuff will port seamlessly over to the SmartThings environment, provided you do the following: 1) download the Classic SmartThings app (don't bother with the new one) 2) using the iris portal (or app) remove one item (such as living room motion sensor) 3) using the classing ST app, add that item.. name it to match what it was ("living room motion sensor") repeat... this is a lot easier than doing what I did, which was remove EVERYTHING from iris as a batch... and then realize ST added everything with no immediate way of telling which is which (other than, walk to a sensor, trigger it, notice which one it was, click on settings, edit the name... so it's not critical, but will hopefully make the transition less annoying, esp with a large number of items to migrate) the Iris Keypads sort of works with ST... but you have to learn how to use the smartthing website to install custom handlers and smartapps. I can't get it to show 'partial' when i'm in 'armed (stay)' mode... sadly. and it doesn't let me use longer codes (stuck with a 4 length code) a few iris items didn't transfer over (gen 1 iris plugs) and the Radio Thermostat CT101 controls are lacking (Iris let us set the mode in automation... I cannot for the life of me figure out how to do so with SmartThings... only automate temperature down to 35F in 'Heat' and 120F in 'Cool' to pretend to turn off heating/cooling) also, I had to call it a 2gig CT100 to get it to pair. (and might have had to deal with custom handlers for that as well) Now, I do see ST showing the Iris Radio Thermostat CT101 as "coming soon"... so maybe, just maybe, it can be fixed in the [near] future. All in all, at least most everything works and I didn't end up with a house full of abandonware when Lowes pull the fast one on us. IIRC, we have until March 31st to transition. On the flipside, i'm now getting really nice alerts on doors being open directly from the app as well as text... I don't think Iris provided that in their 'free' account.

The water alarm works

I have a basement with 3 sump pumps and need to monitor for water issues before they cause major problems. I installed this system on Friday. The setup took me about 30 minutes running software updates, pairing the sensors, and setting up the alarm schemes. In the Samsung hub, there is a section for "Smart Home Monitor". In there, I set it to take over my Sonos and sound an alarm in addition to pinging my phone. On Sunday, one of my pump discharge lines started leaking. Right as it got a corner of the basement damp, the alarm sounded on the Sonos and my phone. I was able to fix it inside of 5 minutes and save a big disaster that I wouldn't have caught until it was a bigger problem.

Big Improvement Over Previous Gen Model

I love the fact that it's magnetic. This means that you can simply attach the motion sensor to a magnetic surface (like fridge or laundry room appliance). Alternatively, you can use the included magnetic ball mount with adheisive backing to easily attach it to a non magnetic surface and precisely angle your motion sensor. This model makes my previous gen units feel antiquated. I might have to replace them in the near future with this version.

Fantastic!!! The Magnet is in the Sensor and will hold to drywall screws!

These sensors are nice. They are small, the sensing distance is good, and they also record temperature. Best part with the "magnetic mount" system is that the magnet is in the sensor...not the base. I was able to mount these by finding a drywall screw that was close enough to the surface. The magnet in the device secures it well to the drywall screw! No tape, no adhesive, no drilling holes...and I can easily move it if I want to! For all those having issues with disconnects, you probably have a week ZigBee mesh. - ZigBee is 2.4 GHz, and gets interference from your WiFi, Microwave, etc. - With battery operated devices, the range is not "as advertised"...especially through walls and such. - Battery operated devices do not act as mesh repeaters, only devices running off AC do You wouldn't expect your WiFi signal to travel 10 million miles, why would you expect ZigBee (or Z-Wave) signals to? To make things better, get yourself a ZigBee plug-in device (or two) and place it (them) strategically between the hub and the device you are having problems with. The key is to have enough devices to build a strong mesh.

Working superbly, after initial problems

This is an update to my review of several weeks ago, when I rated the motion sensor (2nd generation) as only 1 star since it constantly became undiscoverable. Rather than return it, I continued to try to reset it, but that proved unsatisfactory. Ultimately I just opened up the device, removed and reinstalled the battery, and everything has worked fine since then. It never goes down. It notices motion immediately. I have created an Automation which alerts two SmartThings electrical outlets to switch on when they notice motion. One is for a recirculating hot water pump for our water heater so I effectively have instant-on in the kitchen and bathrooms when it notices motion (I have it set to run for one hour, then shut down, so when I leave the house, the hot water stops circulating). The other is for a counter mounted instant hot water faucet (for making tea/coffee) so it only is on and available when it notices motion. I highly recommend this device and can envision a variety of applications.

Really Nice, Small Sensor

This is a really nice, small sensor that easily connected to my SmartThings hub v2. I installed it as an open/close sensor on my garage door. I've attached a photo of the instructions for configuring it as a garage door (tilt) sensor using the SmartThings Classic app. BTW, my garage is detached, yet the sensor has enough range that it notifies me almost instantly when the garage door opens or closes. The temperature sensor is spot on, too. No more garage door sitting open all night!

A rather easy transition

I got word that Iris, my previous home automation system, was shutting down at the end of March 2019, so I immediately ordered a Smartthings hub as my replacement. It didn't hurt that this was one of Lowe's recommendation and that the vast majority of my devices would transition. The setup and transition was fairly painless. I removed one by one each of my transferable devices and immediately paired it with Smartthings. I had an issue with one device, which required some Smartthings phone support to get paired, turned out to be simple after Daniel got on the phone. My biggest concern was my thermostat This one was an Iris 1st generation device. Everything I read said it would pair, as it turned out we need to download and install the previous version of the Smartthings app and install it from there and it showed up on the new app. I have 3 devices yet to transition over, I just wasn't in the mood to crawl under the house or move my car in the garage for 2 of them. I'll do that this coming week as they're not mission critical today. Programming Scenes, scheduling tasks and assigning button functions was no more difficult than Iris was, actually it may have been a bit easier, or Iris gave me some good experiences. Programming options are about the same, just wish there was a history event log. From Iris I could see at a very quick glance if she preformed the tasks and/or when the last time the garage door either went up or down. The Geo Tracking function in theory looks promising, however it seems very slow to recognize when I return home and run the assigned scene. In time I'll add my Iris fob and assign scenes to run with the press of a button from the car rather then rely on the Geo Tracking function if doesn't speed up. I'm not a home automation power programmer as some I've seen out on the internet, but for my simple needs I'm hoping to have as good a relationship with Smartthings as I had with Iris. Rest in peace Iris, it was a fun ride. One more thing: Smartthings, find Daniel in customer service, give the guy a hefty raise!!! He understood my needs and came to the rescue in a cool, calm, and very knowledgeable way. Guys like him are hard to find and easily lost.

These are great!

I bought 2 of these. They paired easily with the SmartThings Hub. I have one on my back door, and one on my garage door. The two-sided tape on the main unit works great, but not on the magnet. On the one on the back door, the magnet kept pulling off of the door frame and attaching to the main unit. I used command strips, and the same thing happened. I had to turn the magnet with the flat side facing/attached to the door frame using a command strip to stop the magnet from attaching itself to the main unit. It works perfect in this orientation. Also, I've already had to replace the battery in the one on the back door. I noticed on the second day that the battery dropped to 88%. Two days later, the sensor went offline. It turned out the be the battery. I checked the log in the SmartThings app, and could see the progression of the battery dropping, and after 20% it just died. I've replaced the battery, and everything seems good now. Great product! Works as advertised. Just watch the magnet and the included battery. EDIT: Please separate these items, so that each can be commented on.

A High Quality Button

9/3/2018: 5 stars so far, will update as necessary These pair effortlessly, and did not require me to be near my hub. The buttons have a great feel to them; easy to press and good tactile feedback. Press, double-press and hold are all easy to activate. You don’t need automation for these, as you can assign actions to the device directly. BUT, you may find this useful if you want the most flexibility. I wanted single press to turn a light on or off- a toggle. This particular lamp is plugged into a smart switch / zigbee repeater. To do this, I created a custom automation (in the new app, apparently I like pain). To turn on, the action was set to single press AND the condition was added that the smart switch is consumed 3W power or less. If both are met, the light turns on with a single press. For the off automation, everything is the same except the power is 3W or greater and the light turns off. Now the button acts as a true single press toggle. And I still have double-press and hold available to assign. The temperature monitor reads accurately. All in all, a good addition to our zigbee ST network.

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