GSM Bilge Water Detector Experience?

[knotstogo]

In another thread, a popular YouTube couple recently lost their boat due to the failure of a through-hull. It got me thinking about high water detection options so after a quick web search I found this item:

POLUS GSM AQUA

It is a water sensor that sends a GSM text message alert to a user programmed telephone number. Does anyone have any experience with such a device? Obviously the boat would need to be in a place with cellular service for this to work and if the water incursion is fast enough, it may just get the owner to witness the launch of their new submarine.

Still, it seems pretty cheap.

[Lepke]

I liveaboard and rarely leave for more than a few hours. I use a tube float system like a bilge pump uses. Set higher than the bilge pump float. It sets off an alarm and if in a marina, a warning light. There's a light panel I can put in a window that indicates what the light is warning or what bilge area it's coming from.
On boats I've owned that are left for some time, I close all the sea cocks so I don't have to worry about hoses, etc.
If you have good thru hulls and inspect them at haulouts, a thru hull failure is remote.
Most of my thru hulls are from 1942 and heavy castings, always protected by zinc. If I add something new, I buy the expensive thru hulls that have some meat.

[knotstogo]

Originally Posted by Lepke

There's a light panel I can put in a window that indicates what the light is warning or what bilge area it's coming from.

That's a neat idea! Closing the seacocks is the prudent thing to do and I agree that type of failure is pretty rare.

The text message alert caught my eye because there are also security systems that warn the owner of a break-in attempt. I imagine the big yachts all have this sort of thing now but I was surprised at how cheap it is.