The sensor on a leak alarm is located on the side of the case: it consists of two thin wires, spaced a small distance apart.
When water comes into contact with both wires, the resistance between the two is reduced, allowing the current to travel through the circuit to the buzzer, which is activated and alerts anyone in proximity to the leak.
The wires travel down the side of the case and then tuck back in at the bottom, which means that the sensor is a small distance from the surface it is placed on. This distance is small enough for water to be detected early but great enough to stop the surface below interfering with the device.
Buzzing with no leak
If you have a leak alarm and it begins alerting when there is no leak to be seen, there are a couple of reasons this could be happening.
The most likely cause is a low battery – some models are designed to alert when the battery is low.
Interference from the floor or anything else touching the device could be a problem, even though leak alarms are designed to minimise this. Ensure your device is not placed on a conductive surface or place it on some paper if this is not possible.
Ambient moisture and humidity could be high enough to set off your leak alarm. Unfortunately there is not much you can do about this.
