A soaked bathroom from a leaking washer or a surprise flood under the kitchen sink is a nightmare for anyone with appliances at home. The risk is even higher for residents on upper floors who can damage neighbors below. IKEA’s Klippbok water sensor is a simple, low-cost tool that detects leaks early so you don’t discover the problem after the fact.
The Klippbok is a basic leak detector: place it on the floor in a risk area, and it will sound if it touches water. Two metal probes sit on the underside, and the alarm triggers when both probes make contact with liquid. The alarm sounds continuously for five minutes, then repeats at regular intervals until the probes dry or the battery dies.
Design and power
The sensor is compact enough to tuck under a sink or directly beneath an appliance. It measures 17 millimeters tall, with a footprint of 70 by 40 millimeters. Power comes from two AAA batteries. That isn’t as convenient as a built-in rechargeable cell, but you can mitigate that by using rechargeable AAA cells.
Smart home integration
One of the sensor’s biggest advantages is connectivity. Klippbok can be integrated into IKEA Home Smart or any other system that supports the Matter standard. You can also add it to setups like Home Assistant without trouble.
With integration, you get more than the onboard buzzer: the system can push notifications to your phone so you learn about a leak even when you’re not near the sensor. Installation and control require a hub that supports the Thread communication protocol. If your smart home is exclusively IKEA products, you can use IKEA’s hub.
Standalone use and price appeal
The sensor also works standalone, without tying into any smart home system. Its clear selling point is the price, which makes timely leak detection an affordable safety upgrade for any household.
