Sensor Battery Life and Replacement

Shipshape's leak sensors are the Water Sensor 7 Pro and the Water Sensor 8 (you may also hear them called Water Leak 7 Pro and Water Leak 8 Pro). Both run on one small 3V lithium battery: a CR14250 3V fits both, and a CR2 3V also fits the 7 Pro. It lasts about 3 years in a 7 Pro and up to about 2 years in a Water Sensor 8. Using another sensor, or an older 7 Pro that takes a 3.6V ER14250? Jump to Other Sensors and Older Versions.

Which Battery Does My Leak Sensor Take?

A CR14250 3V lithium battery fits both leak sensors. The Water Sensor 7 Pro also takes a CR2 3V, which is usually easiest to find, in the camera battery aisle of a hardware store or pharmacy, or online. Aeotec lists only the CR14250 for the Water Sensor 8.

Water Sensor 7 Pro

• Battery: CR2 3V or CR14250 3V (either works)
• Lasts: about 3 years (estimate)
• Opens: press the clip on the side, pull the cover up
• Spot it: no USB port. The sticker under the battery starts with ZWA019.

Water Sensor 8

• Battery: CR14250 3V
• Lasts: up to about 2 years (Aeotec's estimate)
• Opens: slide the back cover out, then lift it up
• Spot it: has a USB-C port. Model ZWA056.

Not sure which one you have? The app tells you. Open the sensor in the app (steps below) and the line under its name reads Water Sensor 7 Pro or Water Sensor 8.

About these numbers. They are estimates, not promises. A sensor that reports often, sits somewhere very hot or cold, or gets wet a lot will need a battery sooner.

The one rule that always works: read the code printed on the battery you take out and buy that exact code. Already threw it away? Next time, photograph the printed side first. Support can read it for you.

What the old battery says, and what to buy:

• CR2 or CR14250 (3V): buy a CR14250 3V, which fits both sensors. A CR2 3V also works in a Water Sensor 7 Pro.
• ER14250 (3.6V): buy an ER14250, 3.6V. That is an older 7 Pro, see below.

A CR123A does not fit a leak sensor. It is the bigger cell used in the MultiSensor 7 and TriSensor 8, so it is easy to grab by mistake if you keep spares.

Where Do I See Battery Level in the App?

In the Shipshape app:

1. Tap Manager at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap Manage Network.
3. Tap your gateway.
4. Tap the leak sensor to open its details. The battery level shows there as a percent, next to signal strength. The model name is printed under the device name.

Quick view: tap Appliances, then Devices at the top, then the sensor. It opens the same details. Or open the appliance a sensor watches, such as your sump pump, and scroll to Connected Devices. Each sensor shows Online or Offline and a battery icon that empties in steps as the battery runs down.

When the battery gets low, you get a Low battery alert. It shows in the app and, depending on your notification settings, as a push notification or email. Open the alert and tap the sensor listed under it to jump to its battery level. The alert comes before the sensor stops working, but plan to swap the battery within a week or two.

Replacing the Battery, Step by Step

The pictures show the Water Sensor 7 Pro. Swapping takes about two minutes and needs no tools.

1. Take the sensor down and open it: on a 7 Pro press the side clip and pull the cover up, on a Water Sensor 8 slide the back cover out and lift it.

   

2. Take the old battery out, note which way it faced, and read the code printed on its side.

   

   On a brand new sensor there is a plastic pull tab here instead. Pull it out and the sensor powers up.

3. Wait a minute, then put the new battery in with its + end matching the + mark in the compartment.

   A backwards battery will not damage the sensor, but the sensor will stay dark. Aeotec suggests waiting 1 to 2 minutes so the old charge drains before the new battery goes in.

4. Close the cover until it clicks or sits flat, so the battery cannot lose contact later. A cover left loose can also drain the battery or make the sensor misbehave.

5. Put the sensor back exactly where it was, with the metal probes facing down toward the floor.

6. Wake the sensor so it reports in right away, using the wet finger test described below.

Recycle the old battery at a battery drop-off, not in the trash. These are single-use lithium cells. Do not use rechargeable batteries.

Putting a sensor away? If a sensor will sit unused for a long time, take its battery out first. A battery left in can leak and damage the sensor.

Careful with the button

Each leak sensor has one small button inside. A single press is safe on both. Extra presses or a long hold change the sensor's pairing, and the two models count presses differently.

Water Sensor 7 Pro: the button is the small tamper switch on the base, next to the probe connector. It is the button the app has you press during setup.

• One press wakes it up. Safe.
• Three quick presses put it into pairing mode.
• Holding it 5 seconds, letting go, then holding it 5 seconds again factory resets it.

Water Sensor 8:

• One tap wakes it up. Safe.
• Two quick taps (within a second) pair or unpair it. That is easy to do by accident, so tap once and wait.
• Holding it 12 seconds or more factory resets it.

If you press it by accident and the light starts flashing, close the cover, leave it for a minute, and check the app. If the sensor has gone offline, contact support rather than pressing it again. A sensor that drops out of your network has to be paired again before it can report anything.

Wake the Sensor Up so It Reports In

A battery sensor sleeps most of the time. That is how the battery lasts years, but it also means a sensor with a fresh battery can stay quiet for a while before it checks in. A door and window sensor, for example, only checks for waiting commands every 12 hours by default. Do not wait on it. Trigger it.

Either leak sensor: wet a fingertip and touch both metal probes at the same time. The LED lights within a second and the alert reaches your phone in about ten seconds. Wipe the probes dry and the alert clears on its own.

Or use the button:

• Water Sensor 7 Pro: with the cover off, press the tamper switch once.
• Water Sensor 8: tap the button once. The green light comes on for a second and the sensor stays awake for 15 seconds. To also send a fresh battery reading, hold the button 3 to 5 seconds, until the green light turns bright, then let go.

Heads up: this fires a real water alert, so everyone on the home gets the notification. Tell them first if that matters.

Then check the app. The sensor should read Online and show the new battery level. If the level still looks low, the app is showing the last reading the sensor sent. It updates on the next report.

What the Light Is Telling You

Watch the light right after the new battery goes in. It tells you whether the sensor is still connected to your hub.

A sensor that has lost its connection will not come back with a new battery alone. It has to be paired with your hub again, so contact support and we will help.

If It Doesn't Come Back Online

1. Reseat the battery. Take it out, wait 1 to 2 minutes, put it back.
2. Check the + end against the mark in the compartment.
3. Try a battery from a sealed pack. One from a drawer may already be half drained.
4. Check the gateway. If every device reads offline, the problem is the gateway, not the battery. Start with Gateway Is Showing Offline.
5. Read the light. If it shows the sensor has lost its connection, it needs to be paired again. Contact support.

Still offline? Water Leak Sensor Offline or Low Battery walks through range checks and when to call support.

Why a Battery Drains Faster Than Expected

• It gets triggered a lot. A sensor that keeps getting wet, or a door sensor on a busy door, stays awake longer.
• The button inside stayed pressed. If the small black button inside a leak sensor is held down for a long time, the sensor stays awake and drains its battery.
• Weak signal. A sensor far from the gateway burns power retrying. Moving it closer, or a range extender near it, helps both signal and battery.
• Heat, cold and damp. A hot attic, a cold crawl space, a detached garage or a very humid spot shortens battery life.
• Battery quality. Use a name-brand battery of the exact type, seated with + matching +.

If the app shows a sensor as Offline, it has lost its connection, most often because the battery died and sometimes because of a weak signal. Start with Replacing the Battery, Step by Step.

Other Sensors and Older Versions

Older Water Sensor 7 Pro units (3.6V ER14250)

A small number of early Water Sensor 7 Pro units take an ER14250, 3.6V battery instead of a 3V one. A 3V battery (CR2 or CR14250) is the wrong voltage for them.

To tell them apart, take the battery out and look at the sticker underneath:

• A model ending in -A02, -B02 or -C02 takes a 3V battery: a CR2 or a CR14250.
• A model ending in -A, -B or -C is the older version and takes an ER14250, 3.6V.

Do not put a 3.6V battery in a 3V sensor, or the other way around. In Aeotec's words, the wrong battery will prevent the device from powering on. Still not sure? Send us a photo through the app and we will tell you which one to buy.

Other battery-powered sensors

• Door/Window Sensor 7 Pro: a 1/2 AA size battery, with the same rule as the 7 Pro leak sensor. -02 units take a CR2 or CR14250 (3V), older units take an ER14250 (3.6V). Press the side clip and pull the cover up.
• Door/Window Sensor 8: CR14250, 3V. It can also run on USB-C power.
• MultiSensor 7: two CR123A, 3V lithium. It can also run on USB power. Twist the back cover counterclockwise to open it.
• TriSensor 8: one CR123A, 3V lithium. Lift it off the magnetic mount, then slide or twist the back cover.
• aërQ temperature and humidity sensor: one CR2477, 3V lithium coin cell. Press the two indented arrows on the sides and pull the halves apart.

To wake these after a swap: wave a hand in front of a MultiSensor 7 or TriSensor 8, open and close the door or window, or press the aërQ button once.

No battery to replace

The gateway, range extender, smart plugs, siren and energy meter plug into the wall. They have no battery to replace.

When to Call a Professional

A fresh, correctly seated battery that drains again within weeks usually means a hardware or placement problem, not the battery. Contact Shipshape support or your installer if a sensor keeps draining new batteries, or will not come back online after a swap and a range check.

Pro Detail

Aeotec's battery specifications for the leak sensors

• Aeotec warns that an ER14250 (3.6V) in a Water Sensor 8 may damage it, and that rechargeable 3.7V cells must not be used.
• Sources: Aeotec's Water Sensor 7 Pro user guide, Water Sensor 7 Pro technical specifications, Water Sensor 8 technical specifications and replacement batteries for Water Sensor 8.

Shipshape Integration

Shipshape watches the battery level on every battery-powered sensor and sends a Low battery alert before the sensor stops reporting, so you can swap it on your schedule. Repeated low-battery alerts on the same sensor, especially soon after a swap, are worth raising with support.