Equipment Spotlight: Flood Sensors

Is your Pinnacle alarm system equipped with a flood sensor? These specialized sensors are part of our line of environmental products and will detect water in your home. If you’ve ever heard that fateful drip-drip-dripping sound, gone to investigate, and found one big mess of water where you don’t want it—you know exactly how frustrating flooding can be. It can quickly ruin your carpet, walls, furniture and personal possessions, creating a messy and expensive (not to mention smelly) headache. Whether you have a burst pipe, a leaky dishwasher, or a rain storm creeping its way into your basement, a flood sensor will warn you early on so that you can take the necessary actions to stop the small problem before it becomes a big one.

Why do I need a flood sensor?

While homes located in low lying areas, coastal areas, or downstream from dams or other bodies of water are at particularly high risk of flooding, floods can occur anywhere. If you have never experienced the nightmare of flood damage and don’t live in a high risk flood area, you may think you don’t need this kind of protection—but think again. Here are just a few stats for you:

• There is a 26% chance of experiencing a flood during the life of a 30-year mortgage (more than 6 times the likelihood of a fire)
• Floods occur within all 50 states (they can occur anytime, anywhere)
• 25% of flooding occurs outside areas formally designated as being flood prone (i.e. Special Flood Hazard Areas)
• Nation-wide, flooding caused more than $4 billion a year in losses in the 1990′s
• Even minor flooding can cost homeowners thousands of dollars in losses and repairs

Palm Beach County. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pbcgov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/floodawareness/floodfacts.htm

Another important thing to know is that most home insurance policies don’t cover flooding—check your own insurance and you may be surprised. This makes a flood sensor a very valuable piece of equipment to have in your home.

How does the Flood Sensor work?

Basically, it detects the presence of water where it shouldn’t be. You can have it installed in your basement, bathroom, near water heaters, or wherever else you have flood concern. All of our environmental products (including the flood sensor) are monitored 24-7, whether or not the system is armed. When water is detected, the sensor will trip the alarm and alert the monitoring station.

How much will it cost?

The Flood Sensor itself retails at $99, but that pricing does not include installation. As with all pricing, it may vary based on your current configuration and account with us. To get your exact price, call our Customer Care department at 1-877-746-7233. You can also learn more about the Flood Sensor on our website: http://pinnaclesecurity.com/floodsensor.php.