Yeah, tweaking sensitivity is definitely a trial-and-error thing. Took me forever to find that sweet spot too. I actually had the opposite issue at first—missed a slow leak completely because I dialed it back too much. Learned my lesson there. Also, heads-up: battery life on those sensors isn't always great, especially in colder areas like basements. Had a couple die on me unexpectedly...might wanna keep an eye on that.
Totally agree on the battery life issue—I've had a few sensors just randomly die on me too, usually at the worst possible time. Makes me wonder if these apps or sensors have some kind of built-in low-battery alert? Has anyone noticed if the new app has improved notifications for this?
Also, speaking of sensitivity settings, how do you guys deal with false alarms? I mean, it's great having everything dialed in, but I had one sensor that kept going off every time the washer drained... drove me nuts until I figured out it was just vibration triggering it. Ended up moving it slightly and putting down a bit of padding underneath. Seems to have helped, but I'm still a bit paranoid about missing an actual leak.
And has anyone tried using rechargeable batteries in these things? Might save some cash long-term, but I've heard mixed things about their reliability in colder temps (like basements or garages). Not sure if it's worth the risk or better to stick with regular ones and just swap them out more often.
One more thing—do you guys keep a backup system in place just in case the app or sensors fail completely? I'm cautious by nature (maybe overly so), but I still keep an old-school water alarm near my hot water heater. It's loud as heck and doesn't rely on connectivity or batteries lasting forever. Just gives me peace of mind knowing there's a backup plan if tech decides to flake out on me.
I've actually had mixed results with rechargeable batteries in sensors. Tried them out in a basement setup once, and while they worked fine initially, performance dropped noticeably when temps dipped below 50°F or so. Regular alkaline batteries seem more reliable in colder spots, at least from my experience.
About the backup alarms—honestly, I think relying too much on old-school alarms might defeat the purpose of investing in smart sensors. If you're constantly worried about tech failing, maybe it's worth reconsidering your sensor placement or brand choice? I've found that higher-quality sensors rarely fail outright without some kind of warning. Most newer apps do have low-battery alerts built-in, though admittedly some notifications could be clearer or more timely.
As for false alarms, padding helps, but sometimes adjusting sensitivity settings slightly lower can solve the issue without compromising leak detection. It's a balancing act for sure...but I'd rather deal with an occasional false alarm than risk missing a real leak because I dialed things back too far.
I've had similar issues with rechargeable batteries in colder areas—seems like they're great indoors but struggle a bit once the temp drops. Alkalines definitely seem more consistent for basement or garage setups. On the false alarms, tweaking sensitivity helped me too, but I've also noticed placement matters a lot. Have you tried repositioning sensors slightly away from drafts or moisture-prone spots? Sometimes just a small shift makes a big difference...
