Water leak · Placement guide

Would a leak sit unnoticed here?

A local alarm does not stop water. Its job is narrower: make noise when water reaches one chosen location and someone is close enough to respond.

Free first

Look and meter before buying.

Inspect likely sources. Check under sinks, around toilets, supply hoses, water heaters, dishwashers, refrigerators, and visible plumbing. Fix active leaks rather than placing an alarm beside them.

Use the two-hour meter check. EPA WaterSense recommends reading the water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is used. A change can indicate a leak that needs investigation.

Choose the collection point. An alarm only reacts where water reaches its contacts. Find the lowest realistic pooling point without blocking service access or putting the device outside its published conditions.

Open EPA Fix a Leak guidance

The simple local alarm fits when…

  • have a specific indoor location where a leak could sit unnoticed and someone is usually close enough to hear an alarm.
  • want a simple local detector without an app, account, hub, or wiring.
  • will install and periodically check the required battery.

Choose another system when…

  • need an alert while away from home or need automatic water shutoff.
  • cannot place the detector where the first water is likely to collect.
  • need equipment for conditions outside the manufacturer’s published operating limits.

What Zircon publishes for Leak Alert

  • Zircon describes a self-contained, battery-powered detector that sounds when water wets both metal sensing contacts; no wiring is required.Source: Zircon Leak Alert official product page
  • The manufacturer lists a 90 dB alarm, a low-battery indicator, and a design that floats and continues sounding during a flood.Source: Zircon Leak Alert official product page
  • The current instructions specify one 9V alkaline battery, annual battery replacement and retesting, interior use, and placement with both contacts flat against the expected pooling surface.Source: Zircon Leak Alert current user guide

After inspection and placement

Buy a local alarm only if local notice is enough.

Install a new 9V alkaline battery, put both contacts flat where the first water is likely to collect, and follow Zircon’s annual battery-replacement and retest instruction. If nobody will hear it, choose a remote-alert or automatic-shutoff route instead.

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Read the current Zircon instructions
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