Faithful readers of our HomeCamCafe site know we like to stray from our traditional home security camera articles once in a while. So today, we’ll talk about the Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector.
Reasons for Having the Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector
Why do you need one of these? Those that have experienced a leaking hot water heater can appreciate the advantage of knowing there’s a leak as soon as it hits. A delay can be very costly.
How costly? Going back 15 years ago, I owned a condo at the Jersey Shore. On April Fool’s Day (for real), I received a call from my neighbor telling me there’s water coming off the balcony of my upstairs neighbor and when he places his ear to my front door, he can hear it raining inside. I got down there to discover my upstairs neighbor’s hot water heater burst and it totally destroyed by condo. Everything except for an old TV and a microwave oven was ruined. The drywall warped, carpet ruined and the entire contents was destroyed. What followed was a few months of attorneys bickering back and forth until I got my money from the upstairs neighbor’s insurance company.
If they had the Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector, the damage would have been somewhat minimized. Maybe even isolated to the upstairs carpet.
How Does it Work?
So here’s how the Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector works. The device connects to the internet via WiFi. It reports temperature and humidity into the Honeywell servers once, twice or three times a day. You can access all this information on your phone’s app. You can set alerts for exceeding high and low thresholds.
Most importantly, it has sensors built into the bottom as well as a cable that can detect moisture. At the first sign of a leak (measured in drops) the Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector will alert your smartphone. Additionally, status LED lights and a 100 dB buzzer will notify of a leak detection.
It’s a battery operated device powered by three AA batteries. According to Honeywell, the batteries can last up to three years depending upon reporting frequency (three years if reporting daily, two years for twice a day and one year for once a day).
I must admit, activating the device was easier than most home security cameras. Pop in the batteries and use the Honeywell Lyric app to add the device. Unlike many other similarly themed devices, no hub is required.
Then set up your thresholds, reporting frequency and how you want to be alerted (email and / or push messages on your phone). SMS messages are not supported which would have been a nice feature.
Where to Use the Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector
You can simply place the device face down on the floor next to the area you are monitoring – just like the photo that accompanies this article. Optionally, add the moisture cable and hang the device onto a wall. The cable covers a much larger area versus the sensors on the bottom of the device.
There are plenty of practical uses for the Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector. I use one next to the hot water heater. These also are useful placed next to a toilet or under the sink. Placing one in an unheated basement or garage will detect a broken pipe.
The Honeywell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector is handy for use with a hot water heater, in a leaky basement or under a sink. It’s also especially handy for vacation homes where you aren’t present for extended periods of time.