5 Small Smart Devices That Can Prevent Major Property Damage

You've probably heard the old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." And if you've ever dealt with an issue around your home, like a flooded basement or kitchen fire, you know that acting quickly can mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major disaster.

Luckily, there are plenty of small smart home devices that offer big protection around the house, helping prevent costly damage. And when it comes to protecting your home, big isn't always better. Read on to find out how these small but mighty smart home devices can protect your home from a wide range of damage, from fires and floods to theft and vandalism.

Here are six of our favorite small but mighty smart home devices.

1. Smoke detectors

Smoke detectors are designed to provide early warning in the event of a fire, giving people more time to escape and contact the fire department. This can mean the difference between complete loss and repairable damage. But more importantly, it can also save lives.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, 3 out of 5 deaths from a house fire occurred in homes where no smoke detector was present.

In the United States, smoke detectors are required by law to be present in every home on every habitable level and outside bedrooms. When choosing a smoke detector for your home, smart smoke detectors like the Vivint Smoke Detector provide benefits that can potentially save your life. These include: 

• Smoke and excessive heat detection, so you’ll be alerted before you even smell smoke.
• Integration with your Vivint Smart Hub and Smart Home App, so you’ll know if an alarm goes off even if you’re not at home.
• Wireless and battery-powered functionality to ensure proper function during outages.
• Professional monitoring that alerts authorities for you, so you can get to safety.

When part of your Vivint smart home system, your smoke alarms go a step further to get you to safety. When your alarm goes off, it immediately triggers your smart thermostat to cut off airflow, helping slow the spread of fire. Smart door locks also unlock automatically, so you can get out quickly. 

2. Water sensors 

Water damage is another potentially catastrophic event for a home, and you don’t need to live in a flood plain to experience it. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 13% of water usage in the home is attributed to plumbing leaks. 

These small leaks, which often go unnoticed for long periods of time, can raise your water bill and your likelihood of damage and mold growth. 

Insurance experts consider water damage the number one risk homeowners face. It’s not a cheap claim to file, either–the average claim is approximately $10,000, and water damage claims can cause your rates to jump an average of 10%. 

Despite these somewhat grim statistics, water damage doesn’t have to be in your future. But how can you know a small (or large) leak is even occurring, especially if you’re away from home? That’s where a Vivint Water Sensor comes in. These little devices can be placed strategically around your home in areas most prone to water leaks or flooding, including laundry rooms, basements, or beside your dishwasher or toilets. 

Water leak sensors provide both water leak detection and temperature monitoring, which is useful because freezing pipes run the risk of bursting. If water or freezing temperature are detected, you’ll immediately receive a notification, allowing you to act quickly to prevent additional damage. 

3. Carbon monoxide detectors 

Another small smart device that can save lives is a carbon monoxide detector. Unlike a fire, which produces flames, intense heat, and smoke that you can smell, carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that is both odorless and colorless. In other words, you won't know if you're being poisoned by it—unless you have a carbon monoxide detector.

Carbon monoxide detectors work like smoke detectors in a similar way. When dangerous CO levels are detected, the detector sounds an alarm. While smoke detectors are required by law, only 27 states and the District of Columbia require carbon monoxide detectors, so it's important you make sure your home is equipped with them.

A Vivint Carbon Monoxide Detector provides fast, accurate detection and is battery-operated, so you can reposition it as needed. Designed to operate for up to five years worry-free, it also works with your smart home to get you to safety as quickly as possible by unlocking your front door, deactivating window sensors, and upping your furnace fan to get air flowing.

4. Door sensors 

For most people, your home's front door is the main entry point to your home. But that goes for burglars, too—34% enter a home through the front door.

With that in mind, it makes sense that you'd want to protect it. You can go beyond basic locks and make sure it's secure with door sensors.

When you have a Vivint smart home security system, a door alarm will alert you and the central monitoring department if your door opens. This feature is not only essential for security but can be helpful for parents of little ones, too.

5. Window sensors

What's the next most common way a burglar breaks into a home? Windows! For 23% of burglars, climbing in through a first-floor window is the access point of choice.

When your security system is armed, window sensors will also keep your home secure, triggering an alarm if a window is opened. And glass break detectors will immediately sound the alarm and notify Vivint's alarm monitoring if glass is broken.

These little contact sensors not only help protect you and your property but can save you money as well. Most burglaries are committed when people aren't home, and the average insurance claim, as a result, is $2,500. Proactive protection with door and window sensors helps discourage burglaries altogether, keeping your property in your home where it belongs.