What the Fibaro Flood Sensor does well
The Fibaro Flood Sensor is a premium product — and you can tell. What it does well:
- Design: The round design has won several design awards. The Fibaro looks like a small piece of jewelry — not like tech.
- On-site alarm: When it detects water, it beeps and flashes. It floats and keeps alerting if a bigger flood lifts it off the floor.
- Temperature sensor: Also measures room temperature — useful for frost warnings in unheated basements.
- Battery or mains adapter: It runs on a CR123A battery (about 2 years, according to the manufacturer) or on a 12/24 V DC supply — the battery then serves as backup power.
- Tilt sensor: Detects if the sensor is moved or lifted — a clever security feature.
- Smart home integration: Integrates into Z-Wave hubs like Homey, Home Assistant, or Fibaro Home Center and can be used in automations (e.g., close a valve on water contact).
Why it falls short in a pump sump
As good as the Fibaro is as a leak detector — in a pump sump it hits limits that no firmware update can fix:
- One contact point only: The Fibaro reports water where its contacts sit. Placed on the floor next to the sump, it alerts only after the water has already overflowed. With extended probe wires you can set a single trigger point inside the pit — nothing more.
- No level measurement: It floats, but it doesn't measure the water level. You get a binary signal: wet or dry.
- Z-Wave controller required: For phone notifications, the Fibaro needs a Z-Wave controller (Fibaro Home Center, Homey, Home Assistant with a Z-Wave stick, etc.).
- Power outage: The sensor keeps running on battery and beeps on site. But the controller and router need power — without a UPS, no push notification gets through. With Drainbee, the cloud notices the device has stopped reporting and alerts you in the app.
- No pump monitoring: The Fibaro can't see whether or how often your pump runs. The Drainbee app shows every pump cycle. If the pump fails, the level rises — and the threshold alarm fires before the water overflows.
- No history: Drainbee shows you water level, pump cycles and inflow over time.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Drainbee | Fibaro |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous water level monitoring | ||
| Alert on water contact at floor level | ||
| Submersible probe for pump sumps | ||
| Alert during power outage | ||
| Pump cycle and inflow history | ||
| No hub required | ||
| Temperature sensor | ||
| Built-in buzzer | ||
| Tilt sensor / tamper detection | ||
| Z-Wave smart home integration | ||
| Cloud dashboard with water level history | ||
| Self-learning thresholds |
When do you need which?
Choose the Fibaro Flood Sensor if …
- You have a Z-Wave smart home and want to detect leaks in living spaces
- You value beautiful design and the sensor will be placed visibly
- You want to use the sensor in automations (e.g., close a valve)
- You don't have a pump sump or drainage shaft
- Temperature monitoring in the basement is important to you
Choose Drainbee if …
- You want to monitor a pump sump, drainage system, or shaft
- You want to be warned before water reaches the basement floor
- You want to see in the history whether and how often your pump runs
- You want app alerts even on power outage and WiFi loss
- You don't need a smart home system and want a standalone solution
Or both: Fibaro in the kitchen and bathroom for leaks — Drainbee in the pump sump for water level and pump cycles. Both systems work independently.
Verdict
The Fibaro Flood Sensor is an outstanding smart home water detector — perhaps the most beautiful on the market. For leak detection in living spaces and Z-Wave automations, it's a top choice. But for monitoring a pump sump, it lacks the crucial capabilities: no level measurement, no view of pump cycles, no push notification in a power outage without a UPS. Drainbee was built exactly for this — as a standalone system that continuously monitors the water level in your sump and alerts you in the app, even on power outage and WiFi loss.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the Fibaro Flood Sensor in my pump sump?
Only to a limited extent. The Fibaro only reports whether water touches its contacts. With extended probe wires you can set a single alarm point inside the pit — but it doesn't measure the water level. Drainbee's probe is lowered directly into the pump sump and measures the water level continuously.
Do I need a hub for the Fibaro Flood Sensor?
Yes. The Fibaro Flood Sensor communicates via Z-Wave and requires a Z-Wave hub (e.g., Homey, Fibaro Home Center, Home Assistant with Z-Wave stick). Without a controller, you get no notification on your phone. Drainbee needs no hub — it connects directly to the cloud via WiFi and alerts you even on power outage and WiFi loss.
What happens to the Fibaro Flood Sensor during a power outage?
The Fibaro itself keeps running on battery (on a 12/24 V supply the battery is the backup) and beeps on site. But its Z-Wave controller and your router need power. Without a UPS, the alert never reaches your phone. That's especially critical in heavy rain, because the pump also stops without power. Drainbee has no battery: when power or WiFi drops, the device stops reporting. The Drainbee cloud notices and alerts you in the app.
Is the Fibaro Flood Sensor worth the money?
For smart home leak detection: yes. The Fibaro is a premium product with excellent build quality and beautiful design. If you have a Z-Wave system and want to monitor leaks in living spaces, it's one of the best options. For pump sump monitoring, however, it's the wrong tool — for that you need a specialized system like Drainbee.