Packaging and Accessories:

The Xiaomi Aqara water sensor arrived in an envelope with the small, non-descript box shown below found inside. I was expecting the water sensor, but I honestly didn't know what I had received since the envelope was so small and slim. Once the envelope was open and I saw the large "Aqara" logo on the box I knew I had finally received the water sensor. Other than the logo, there isn't much to learn from the packaging.



Inside the box, all you will find is the water sensor and a sheet of instructions. Considering the instructions are entirely in Chinese, you will most likely be heading to the Internet for details on how to use this gadget!



The Basics:

The Xiaomi Aqara water sensor is a small white plastic puck with a domed top, and as shown in the images below it measures just about two inches in diameter. A small grey water drop is printed on the top of the dome, and invisible in these shots is a blue LED that lights up through the housing to indicate activity.



The underside of the sensor is shown below. Relative to the two other smart water sensors I have used, this one is different in that the two contacts (the metallic dots) are set rather far apart, and they don't actually touch the ground since they are slightly recessed in to the body. With the LeakSmart and Aeotec water sensors, the contacts touch the surface they are placed on, and they are very close together. You need both contacts to get wet to trigger an alarm, so the distance apart and the height off the ground could impact reaction time.



The above right image shows the battery cover has been removed - revealing the CR2032 button cell inside. Loking around the edge of the battery you should be able to see the black o-ring, which seals against the battery cover door when it is tightened down all the way, making the unit waterproof. I was surprised to see that the battery was installed and ready for use, as usually there is a plastic tab to keep the circuit from completing. As it turns out, the battery may have been discharging since being installed since I found it to have 1% charge left when I went to use it.