FloodStop Sink Leak Detector Kit with Automatic Water Shut-Off and Visual/Audible Alarms, 3/8" Compression, Hot & Cold Valves

Here's a photo of how this looks installed under my kitchen sink. I bought this FloodStop device after my mini water tank heater sprung a leak and made a big mess. The way this works is pretty simple - it shuts off both water supply valves as soon as there is a short circuit in the sensor grid (so it's easy to test by touching a piece of metal). I can see the company has put some thought into the reliability details, for example the logic automatically cycles the valve on and off every month to make sure that the valve doesn't get stuck. When a leak is detected, the alarm beeps and then you can press the button to mute the sound, or press a button to open the valve after the water is dried from the sensor. I'm using Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries for the backup because these will last much longer than alkaline batteries. It took me about 15 minutes to install this, and most of the time spent was to make the excess wire look nice using plastic zip ties.

Expensive; however, if there is a leak or a flood, it will quickly become very cheap as to say replacing kitchen cabinets or other types of damage. The only complaint is the wire/plug attachment needs to be stronger. Two wires came off during installation. I contacted the manufacturer and they sent me replacement wiring. Otherwise 5 stars, great product.

This product would deserve five stars for the way it works and the damage it could prevent. So I recommend it - but deduct one star for some annoyances and three for not supplying replacements for a wear item. The company does not sell or provide replacements for the paper sleeves that go around the sensors. The sleeve wicks up moisture so small amounts can be detected. Once it's worn out or lost, the sensors will be less effective and cover a smaller area. How can the company be so dismissive of its customers? The wires from the control panel to the valves are a stingy 30 inches - far too short to reach from the water supply, around under-sink clutter, to someplace accessible to mount the control panel. I would suggest adding to your order the 9 foot extension cables (too long for this use) - except Amazon doesn't sell them. The one outlet under my sink has to handle two other AC cords, but the strangely shaped plug blocks two of the outlets on my 3-way adapter. I almost returned the product because the instructions say it is for a "Washing Machine," not a sink. In fact the instructions apply to three different models although the only indication of this is three model numbers next to "Washing Machine" and the illustrations which don't look like what's in the box. All that said, the installation was fairly easy and it works as advertised. So I hope the manufacturer lengthens the valve wires and fixes the instructions, and starts providing those paper sleeves.

Last year I installed a Ready Hot instant hot/cold water dispenser in conjunction with a Filtrete Maximum under-sink water filter. The online reviews for both items indicated that leaks could be a problem, so to avoid potential damage and have more peace of mind, I installed the Flood Stop in conjunction with both of them. I also installed a Xtreme Mats Under Sink Kitchen Cabinet Mat under the sink to better contain any leaks and ensure they are detected quickly by the Flood Stop. The FloodStop instructions were not great (they were focused on the washing machine model of this device) but the company provided fast answers to my questions via email after I called them. One area for improvement is that there is a lack of strain relief where wires attach to valves and to the control unit. I tacked up the low-voltage wires to the side of my cabinet with insulated staples to ensure they won’t get pulled on in normal use. The output of my below-sink water filter goes into a ¼” John Guest tee fitting that feeds my Ready Hot along with a copper line that runs through the crawlspace and extends to my fridge across the room. Since I’ve had some water supply leaks from the fridge in the past, I opted to buy an extra leak sensor and use 18/2 thermostat wire to extend the water detection to the area under the fridge in case there’s ever a leak there. It would have been easier to install a completely separate FloodStop system for the fridge (I would have avoided the need to run the 18/2 cable through the crawlspace and inside the walls). However, since the fridge water line is now fed by the filtered water under my sink, it was way cheaper to just add a sensor and not purchase a totally separate unit for the fridge. I love the peace of mind I get knowing that a leak from any of the plumbing under the sink will result in an alarm and automatic shutoff rather than a flood and property damage!

In principle this is a great product - it saved me from a flood when my reverse osmosis system failed. It's also easy to install and use - by itself. If you install it in some difficult location, well, that's not its fault. I use one set in the kitchen and a second set (different part number) on the clothes washing machine. In practice, things could be better. The build quality is highly variable; the most recent set purchased had one inside seal (around the ball valve) clearly deformed out of place. A simple visual inspection at the factory should have caught this critical problem. The previous set failed and started leaking, though it redeemed itself by setting off the alarm while I was at home and I could immediately shut off the supply. And with hot water the valves fail and need replacing roughly every two years; on cold supplies they last longer. (not entirely surprising...) When I have contacted the actual manufacturer (Aqua-Managers, 949 362 2916) they were helpful about replacing broken parts. But free replacements don't make up for the labor time lost monkeying around under the sink; a product with higher build quality the first time, and every time, would get five stars. So, three stars.

Quality