A Beginner’s Guide to Flood & Freeze Sensors
By Ring on January 22, 2024
It may not come in the box when you order a security system, but that doesn’t mean a Flood & Freeze Sensor isn’t an essential tool in protecting your home.
A Flood & Freeze Sensor is a small but mighty tool that plays an essential role in your security system. This powerful sensor can clue you into potential issues before they cause serious damage — and help save you from future headaches.
What exactly does a Flood & Freeze Sensor do, and what makes it a worthwhile addition to your security system? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about this handy add-on.
What Is a Flood & Freeze Sensor?
A Flood & Freeze Sensor has two components: a sensor that detects the presence of water, whether it’s a minor leak or significant flooding, and a temperature monitor that detects when it’s close to freezing. The device is powered by a lithium battery, which makes it easy to place in hard-to-reach areas that might be affected by leaks or cold temperatures. When one of the sensors is triggered, it communicates with your security system using your home wifi to sound a siren.
Ring’s Flood & Freeze Sensor connects to the Ring Alarm Base Station and sends a notification to the Ring App when you have a Ring Protect subscription, sold separately.1 That means if you’re not home and there’s an unexpected leak, you’ll know as soon as water reaches the sensor, allowing you to take action.
How Does a Water Leak Sensor Work?
Water leak sensors use a pair of metal prongs or discs that, when exposed to water, create an electrical circuit that triggers the device. A water leak sensor is built in to your Ring Flood & Freeze Sensor. When water is detected, the Flood & Freeze Sensor communicates with your Base Station to sound a siren and send a notification if you have a Ring Protect subscription, sold separately.1
How Does a Freeze Detector Work?
Freeze detectors are the second component of your Flood & Freeze Sensor that monitor the temperature of the surrounding air. If it drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the sensor triggers your Ring Alarm system. Once you get the notification or hear the siren from your Ring Alarm, you can turn up the heat, open a cabinet door to help promote airflow, turn on a faucet to let it drip, or take other steps to prevent frozen pipes.1
Why Do You Need a Flood & Freeze Sensor?
Water leaks and flooding are common problems in homes across the United States and can cause significant damage, ranging from soaked heirlooms to mold. FEMA states that just one inch of water can cause $25,000 of damage to your home, and according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), around one in 60 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing each year.
With a Flood & Freeze Sensor, you can be alerted to potential damage before it occurs or becomes a larger (and more expensive) problem. These sensors can be especially useful in areas of your home that you don’t check on regularly or in vacation homes that sit vacant for weeks or months between visits. Since a standard broken pipe can leak 10,000 gallons of water in just a few hours, according to the North Texas Municipal Water District, early detection can help prevent a leak from turning into a full-on flood. You can quickly shut off your home’s water supply or call a friend to keep the leak at bay until a plumber can address the issue.
Where Should You Place Flood & Freeze Sensors?
Since Flood & Freeze Sensors are powered by batteries, you can place them nearly anywhere in your home that might be affected by a leak or cold temperatures, as long as they can connect to the Base Station. If you plan to place a Flood & Freeze Sensor in an area far from the Base Station, like a laundry room or basement, an Alarm Range Extender can help keep it connected to Ring Alarm.
Here are some common locations to place Flood & Freeze Sensors:
Help Prevent Property Damage With a Ring Flood & Freeze Sensor
If you’re looking for a smarter way to help protect your home from water damage, Ring has you covered. Our Flood & Freeze Sensor connects directly to Ring Alarm to alert you of potential leaks and low temperatures, so you can take action when it matters most. And with a Ring Protect subscription, sold separately, you’ll get real-time alerts to your phone.
Whether you want to monitor an old appliance or a pipe under the sink, Flood & Freeze Sensor offers both temperature and water sensing, so you don’t need two devices in the same place. And since they’re small and compact with a battery that can last up to three years, your placement options are nearly limitless.
Don’t have a Ring Alarm yet? Check out our Alarm Kits to find the right setup for your home, or learn more about our Flood & Freeze Sensor to see how it pairs with Ring Alarm to help level up protection around your home.
1 Ring Alarm and all Ring Alarm accessories require a subscription for in-app features and digital notifications, including digital arming / disarming and integration with other Ring, Echo, Alexa, and third party products. Subscription sold separately. View ring.com/protect-plans for pricing and details.
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