Regularly testing and maintaining your sensors helps prevent false alarms. In most cases, a low battery or sensor damage is the root cause of irregular activity.

If You're Getting a Flooding False Alarm

1. Check for humidity. High-humidity environments can cause water droplets to build up on the sensor over time, triggering false alarms.
   • Fix: Wipe down the sensor and relocate it to a drier area.
2. Check the metal prongs. If the prongs on the bottom of the sensor are wet or in contact with water, this will trigger an alarm.
   • Fix: Make sure the sensor and prongs are completely dry.

If You're Getting a Freeze False Alarm

1. Check the sensor's environment. Freeze sensors need to be in a climate-controlled space. If it's exposed to outdoor weather, it may falsely detect critically low temperatures.
   • Fix: Relocate the sensor indoors or to a properly climate-controlled area.

If your Flood Detector shows a "Loss of Supervision" alert, it means the sensor isn't communicating with your keypad.

For troubleshooting steps, please see our Loss of Supervision Troubleshooting article. 

If your panel shows a "Low Battery" notification for your Water Leak Detector, replace the battery as soon as possible to keep the device working properly. Need to order a new one? See How to Order Replacement Batteries.

How to Replace the Battery

1. Disarm your Cove panel before starting.
2. Remove the rubber feet on the bottom of the sensor.
3. Remove the screws and open the casing.
4. Note the (+) and (–) orientation of the battery before removing it — the new one needs to go in the same way.
5. Insert the new CR2450 battery.
6. Reassemble the casing, screws, and rubber feet.

Battery Lifespan

The battery typically lasts up to 5 years, though frequent activity can shorten that. If you find yourself replacing batteries more often than every 6 months, contact our support team — this may signal an issue with the device.

If your sensor doesn't seem to be triggering correctly, start by testing it. Note: if the sensor hasn't been learned into the system, the panel won't respond when the sensor is triggered.

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Perform a sensor test to confirm it's communicating with the panel.
2. Replace the battery (CR2450) if the sensor test fails.
3. Move the sensor closer to the panel to rule out range/signal issues.

Important: What a Sensor Test Actually Checks

A sensor test only verifies communication between the sensor and the panel — it does not confirm that the sensor can detect its actual environmental trigger (water or freezing temperatures).

To test actual detection:

• Freeze detection: Place the flood/freeze sensor in a freezer for 15 minutes to confirm it correctly senses low temperatures.

What This Means

The Water Leak Detector has a built-in tamper switch inside the sensor. It sends a tamper signal when:

• The cover has been removed, or
• The button on the bottom of the sensor is being pressed.

This is a standard security feature designed to detect unauthorized interference. A tamper trouble condition on your panel usually means the sensor casing is loose, or the back clip isn't fully attached — this most often happens right after a battery change.

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Make sure the button on the bottom of the sensor isn't being pressed (intentionally or accidentally).
2. Check that the sensor casing is fully closed and the back clip is properly attached.