Adding a Water Alarm in Alde Compartment

[Deleted User]

See post below. I somehow ended up with a duplicate post. 

[Deleted User]

I've been using the Honeywell water leak detectors in my basement for many years and they have saved me a lot of time and money when I would get a pin hole leak in my water pipes, or the back flow preventer broke, sump pump was clogged up etc, etc.  It just occurred to me to put one in the Alde compartment! They run off a 9 volt battery and last for years.  

So glad I thought of this before putting in all my mattresses and bedding!

Update:  I had posted the link to buy it but it arrived today and it wasn't the Honeywell one that I've used for 10+ years even though the Amazon listing says it was Honeywell. I read the reviews after I saw it was a knock off and reviews were terrible. I didn't read the reviews before I bought it because I have six of them and they are awesome. The knock off one not so good!

Denny16

I don’t think you will really need a water detector in the Alde area, first off, water will just runoff, so it will not pool up, next in four years. We have never had a leak in our TaB400 in the Alde compartment.  If you do get a leak, you will see the water in your center locker or the floor in front of the middle compartment.  

Cheers 

[Deleted User]

I think I just got paranoid because my friends 2022 400 sprung a leak their first trip out and I've been reading various posts here.  The water alarms I've used in my house are very sensitive and the water didn't have to pool to set it off but now that I've realize I can no longer get the kind I already have (and it's replacement has terrible reviews) I've decided to not worry about it.  Like you said it a leak will likely make itself known pretty quick.  

JDRotz

I just installed one on my new (to me) '21 TAB 400.  Gently screwed the sensor to the floor in a relatively open area in the Alde compartment.  Cost $15 and took 10 minutes.  Used the same type alarm from Ace Hardware I've had in the basement for years... Saved me lots of $$$ when the stream humidifier developed a leak.  

I did this because when doing the pre-buy walkthrough, I found water damage on the Alde side of the under bed storage area.  The wood there had some slight discoloration and delamination from obvious water wicking. 

Not too bad, but I had the dealer call the previous owner to find out what happened.  Turns out that some of the '21's suffered from a manufacturing issue where the water connections weren't sufficiently crimped, allowing leaks over time.  Previous owner said when he noticed it, he recrimped the connections, installed an alarm, and never had a problem since.  Will definitely be keeping an eye on this.

JDRotz

Update to that post.  During a trip to the Pacific Northwest, ended up on I-5 in a downpour that lasted all morning.  When I stopped a few hours later, I heard a high pitched squealing that I recognized to be the water alarm.  Crap!  Tore open the bed to get to the Aldi compartment, and sure enough, there was some water setting off the alarm.  Not much, maybe half a cup, but still...  Turns out it came from the road spray filling the Nautilus box through the hose opening (which was closed, but it's not watertight).  Since then I just stuff a hand towel in that opening when travelling...problem solved.