The ZSE42 Leak Sensor can be added to compatible Alarm.com systems* and will function as a water leak detection device. Once included, the sensor reports wet and dry events to the system, allowing it to generate notifications and trigger automations or security rules.
However, Alarm.com is simply the cloud platform and mobile app used to access and manage your system remotely. It provides the automation, notifications, and account management, but it is not the physical Z Wave controller in your home. The actual controller is the hardware installed on site, which may be an Alarm.com automation hub, a security panel from Qolsys, a security panel from 2GIG, or another compatible gateway. This hardware determines which Z Wave devices can be added, how they appear in the interface, and which features are supported.
Support for third party Z Wave binary sensors is relatively new, so compatibility depends fully on the specific hub or panel firmware you have installed in your home. The ZSE42 can only be included on systems where the controller supports external Z Wave contact sensors. *The specific automation hubs listed below have integrated and fully support the ZSE42 Leak Sensor (still no access to the advanced settings).
You can read more about Alarm.com compatibility specifically here.
Expected Functionality
You will receive a Wet event when water is first detected. However, to avoid any excessive Wet / Dry status updates, Alarm.com forces a 30 minute delay before the sensor will display as Dry in the Activity history. The time that the sensor went Dry is backdated to 3 minutes after the last time it was activated to Wet. Every subsequent activation for the leak sensor will extend the amount of time that the Wet status is displayed for another 30 minutes before reverting to Dry. This won't prevent automations from being run; this is to keep the status and Activity history from getting congested with updates. There is nothing we can do on our end to change how this works, as this is fully decided by Alarm.com.
You will not have access to any advanced settings for the ZSE42 Leak Sensor in the Alarm.com app.
Exclusion Steps
1. From the Alarm.com app, click More.
2. Click + Add Device.
3. Click Z-Wave Device.
4. Click Next.
5. Wait while the system prepares.
6. System ready > click Next.
7. Click the Z-Wave button on the ZSE42 sensor 3 times quickly. The LED indicator will begin flashing blue to indicate communication.
8. Enter the 5 digit Pin from the QR code on the device. Click Continue.
9. Wait while connection completes.
10. The ZSE42 will display as a Door/Window Sensor. You can keep the default name, or edit it here and click Next.
Device Display
1. The ZSE42 will display with your water devices, and the status will show as Wet or Dry.
2. Activity will show the recent sensor activity, showing when the sensor reported Wet and when it reported Dry, along with any battery alerts.
Troubleshooting
Having issues including your sensor? Check out the troubleshooting steps below!
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Try excluding the sensor first. This can be done even if it has never been included to any hub, or even if the sensor is included to another hub. Exclusion simply acts as a soft reset that prepares the device for inclusion.
- If the LED indicator still does not respond, please try a fresh battery in the unit to rule out any power related issues.
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If the LED is responding as expected to inclusion and exclusion, try bringing the sensor closer to the hub to rule out any range or interference issues. If it includes at the nearer location, the original location may be too far or have too many interferences.
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Try a factory reset prior to attempting inclusion again.
If you have any questions, let us know! Our team is ready to help.
