ESP32 - Water Leak Detector

In this tutorial, we will learn how to use the ESP32 and a water leak sensor to detect water leakage. The water leak detector, also known as a water leak sensor, will help us identify any unwanted water presence.

Hardware Used In This Tutorial

1	×	ESP-WROOM-32 Dev Module
1	×	USB Cable Type-C
1	×	Water Leak Detector
1	×	Breadboard
1	×	Jumper Wires
1	×	(Recommended) Screw Terminal Expansion Board for ESP32

Or you can buy the following sensor kits:

1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (30 sensors/displays)
1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (18 sensors/displays)

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Introduction to Water Leak Detector

The water leak detector, also referred to as a water leak sensor, will assist us in identifying any unwanted water presence, ensuring early detection and preventing potential damage.

Water Leak Detector Pinout

The water leak detector has two wires:

Similar to the switch or button, we do not need to distinguish between the two wires of the water leak detector.

How the Water Leak Detector Works

When water is present, the circuit closes. When water is not present, the circuit remains open.

To use the water leak detector with an ESP32, connect one wire to GND and the other wire to an ESP32 input pin set as a digital input pull-up. When water is present, the ESP32 pin will read a LOW value. When there is no water, the ESP32 pin will read a HIGH value.

※ NOTE THAT:

The water leak detector does not work with "non-conductive" water, such as pure water. However, we can make it work by sprinkling some salt around the sensor location. The water will absorb the salt, which will ionize the pure water and make it conductive.

Wiring Diagram between Water Leak Detector and ESP32

ESP32 water leak detector wiring diagram

This image is created using Fritzing. Click to enlarge image

If you're unfamiliar with how to supply power to the ESP32 and other components, you can find guidance in the following tutorial: How to Power ESP32.

How To Program ESP32 to read value from Water Leak Detector

Initializes the ESP32 pin to the digital input mode by using pinMode() function. For example, pin GPIO19

pinMode(19, INPUT_PULLUP);

Reads the state of the ESP32 pin by using digitalRead() function.

int water_state = digitalRead(19);

ESP32 Code - Detecting Water Leakage

/* * This ESP32 code is created by esp32io.com * * This ESP32 code is released in the public domain * * For more detail (instruction and wiring diagram), visit https://esp32io.com/tutorials/esp32-water-leak-detector */ #define WATER_SENSOR_PIN 19 // ESP32 pin GPIO19 connected to water sensor's pin int water_state; // current state of water sensor int prev_water_state; // previous state of water sensor void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); pinMode(WATER_SENSOR_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP); // set ESP32 pin to input pull-up mode water_state = digitalRead(WATER_SENSOR_PIN); // read state } void loop() { prev_water_state = water_state; // save the last state water_state = digitalRead(WATER_SENSOR_PIN); // read new state if (prev_water_state == HIGH && water_state == LOW) { Serial.println("Water leakage is detected!"); } }

Quick Instructions

If this is the first time you use ESP32, see how to setup environment for ESP32 on Arduino IDE.
Copy the above code and paste it to Arduino IDE.
Compile and upload code to ESP32 board by clicking Upload button on Arduino IDE
Pour some water around the water leak detector.
See the result on Serial Monitor. It looks like the below:.

COM6

Send

The water leak is detected The water leak is detected

Autoscroll Show timestamp

Clear output

9600 baud

Newline

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