DLink DCH-S160 WiFi Water Sensor Review. How many times have you come home to find your basement is flooded from the washing machine, dishwasher or sump pump overflowing. The DCH-S160 WiFi Water Sensor allows you to keep an extra eye on things when you’re away or not paying attention.
What’s in the box and Specs
In the box you’ll find the DLink DCH-S160 WiFi Water Sensor device along with a 3.2 ft extension cable and 1.6 ft of Sensor Cable for a total length of 4.8ft. If you need more line, you can even extend the line even further with a standard RJ-11 phone cable which can be convenient since your desired location may not be reachable with 5ft of cable. A built-in audible alarm provides 70dB of beeping for local notification; the D-Link logo on the center of the unit will also flash red along with the alarm beeps.
The DCH-S160 runs on a typical 802.11n and g frequencies with a maximum operating range of 2.4GHz to 2.4835GHz of your existing WiFi network. Two internal antennae allow the unit to be alert and responsive.
It weighs about 3.53 ounces and measures 2.56 x 2.56 x 2.07 inches so it’s not the most compact thing to have on your outlet. Inside you’ll find the DCH-S160 plug, 3.2ft extension cable, 1.6ft sensor cable and 3 plastic clips with sticky to keep the sensor line planted where you want it. A status LED, WPS button and Reset button reside on the side of the unit and compatible with Android or iOS. As with all of the D-Link devices, a Quick Install Card that contains a QR code for quick download of the mydlink Home app along with all the pertinent info: PIN Code, Serial Number and Mac ID for the device are also included on the card. For indoor use only.
Setting up and using the DCH-S160
Setting up the DCH-S160 is simple using the WPS button should your network router support the feature but if you don’t have WPS, setup isn’t rocket science either. Plug the unit into a wall outlet, connect the sensor line directly or connect with the RJ11 phone extension, then download the mydlink Home App and add a new device using the information on your Quick Install Card.
The unit will not by default send an alert to your phone so you must set up that rule inside the mydlink Home App which is easy as pie once you’ve paired it to your router/ get it on your WiFi network. One additional step is to set up a rule or New Action which is really no more than selecting the option and tapping done. That’s it!
You can also use the DCH-S160 in tandem with the DCH-S220 WiFi Siren, DSP-W110 WiFi Smart Plug, DSP-W215 WiFi Smart Plug or DCS-935L WiFi HD Camera to trigger a local device alert somewhere else in your home with another device. You have the option to “Send notifications when this rule runs” during set up in the mydlink Home App. This feature can come in handy since you may want to visually see what’s happening if you have setup a camera at that location. If you lose internet, but still have power, the units will not push notifications but will still trigger events locally; audible alarm or visual alerts from a lamp etc if you’ve set up your alert system with multiple devices for redundancy. However once your internet does return, you’ll still receive the past alerts. A log of alerts is available so you can check the alert history for any patterns or past notifications you may have missed.
The wall-plug style DCH-S160 Water Sensor will send you a push message to your device when it detects water. A sprinkle did not seem to keep the alarm going but prolonged exposure to water did, so you can get some sort of idea if it might be urgent or someone spilled a cup somewhere.
While the D-Link Water Sensor isn’t feature packed, it does what it does quite well, which is to alert you when it detects water on the sensor. What I’d like to potentially see is a slider adjustment of some sort on the UI that would allow you to adjust this unit for not only water exposure but also humidity levels.
The DCH-S160 unit can be coupled to work with the DCH-S200 WiFi Siren which will provide an additional audible alarm within your WiFi network’s range with up to as much as 100 dB of added alarm.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a simple flood protection device, the D-Link DCH-S160 WiFi Water Sensor is an excellent choice for some added protection from water damage to your home.
Quick and easy setup that doesn’t strap you into purchasing an entire system. It’s not foolproof and does require your WiFi to be running for push alerts, but it’s a simple purchase that can help you keep a second eye on things and potentially save you thousands in the long run.
DLink DCH-S160 WiFi Water Sensor
$59.99
