UpaSmartHome
Home Security Sensors: Door, Window, Motion, and Water Leak Detection
Set up upaHome's four alarm sensor types - contact, motion, water leak, and vibration - to monitor doors, windows, and rooms for security and safety events.
Beyond temperature and relays, upaHome tracks four kinds of alarm sensors, each built for a different kind of event: contact, occupancy (motion), water leak, and vibration. All four show up the same way in the app - as a triggered/not-triggered state with battery and signal-strength readouts - and all four can push an instant notification the moment something changes.
The four sensor kinds
- Contact - a magnetic reed switch across a door or window frame. Reports open or closed. Use it on entry doors, windows, or (as in our garage door guide) the garage.
- Occupancy - a PIR motion sensor. Reports whether movement was detected in a room, useful for knowing when someone's home, or flagging activity while you're away.
- Water leak - a moisture probe, typically placed under a water heater, washing machine, dishwasher, or near a sink or sump pump. Reports triggered the instant it senses moisture.
- Vibration - detects physical shock or tampering, useful on windows, safes, or anything you want to know was struck or moved.
Setup
Every alarm sensor is a standard Zigbee device paired the same way as a temperature sensor - through the app's device discovery/pairing flow, over Zigbee2MQTT on your Pi. Once paired, name it something specific ("Front Door", "Basement Sump Pump") so notifications are actually useful at 2am.
Each sensor reports its own battery level and Zigbee link quality alongside its triggered state, so you'll get a low-battery warning well before a sensor goes silent.
Notifications and voice
Every trigger event generates a push notification through the app. If you've linked Apple HomeKit, Google Home, or Amazon Alexa, contact sensors also report their open/closed state - ask "Hey Google, is the front door open?", "Alexa, is the front door open?" or check status directly in the Apple Home or Google Home app.
Pair your security sensors with automated heating and hot water routines - see our guide on Zigbee temperature sensors and heating automation.