WHEN IT COMES TO WATER LEAK DETECTORS, SIMPLESENCE BREAKS THE MOLD

May 06, 2020

Although mold has a bad reputation, here are some facts that might give you a new-found respect for one of nature’s more fascinating creations:

Penicillin, a life-saving drug that kills scores of infections, is made from mold.
Many of our favorite cheeses have mold in them or on them, such as Camembert, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, and Brie.
There is a strange form of mold known as “slime mold,” that can actually move around on its own. It almost looks like it’s walking.
There is even a form of mold that can think; its chemical processes are employed to solve problems and assist in the organism’s survival. (OK, now even we’re freaked out.)

Unfortunately, despite the occasional medical breakthrough or cheese-related achievement, mold has more than earned its low societal standing. Consider: Mold destroys more wood than fires, floods, and termites combined. Dead mold spores can cause problems for decades after the live spores have been killed. And anyone who saw the movie “Mold!” knows that mold definitely cannot act.

But it’s the health issues that have made mold such an outcast. Mold is linked to 30 different health problems. On the lower extreme, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions; severe reactions can occur in the elderly, children, and people with lowered immune systems. Believe it or not: an astonishing 100% of chronic sinus infections are caused by mold.

It’s probably no mystery where we’re going with all these facts and figures about mold. Most people are aware that mold needs moisture to grow and thrive. And leaky or broken pipes are a prime source of this life-giving dampness. This is especially true for areas not immediately visible to the naked eye, such as the cabinet under your kitchen or bathroom sink where a small leak can do undetected for a long period of time, hidden by a surplus of cleaning supplies, toiletries, or other sundries.

Compounding the problem is the fact that mold grows incredibly quickly: mold can grow on common household surfaces like drywall, plaster or wood within 24-48 hours of water exposure. Which means that even if you discover the leak within a couple of days, there is a high likelihood that some mold has already taken root. Now, think about how serious the problem can become if left undetected for weeks or even months.

In promoting our SimpleSENCE Water Leak and Freeze Detector, we spend a lot of time pointing out the thousands of dollars of structural damage that can be caused by undetected water leaks, as well as the disruption of family members’ lives should such an event occur. And we point out why SimpleSENCE is so effective in detecting these issues so early, as well as the various methods (text, email, audible alarm) by which the homeowner can be alerted in order to stop potential damage before it begins.

But in this blog, our goal is to call attention to mold and the devastating effect it can have on your family’s health when a water leak goes unnoticed. From a purely scientific perspective, mold is a fascinating substance, one which has offered endless hours of research and exploration to mycologists (scientists who study fungi, including mold; see, you learned something new today). And, as noted earlier, it can walk, think, and produce terrific cheese.

Still, the idea of mold lurking in your home, ready to pounce and damage your family’s health, does not sit well with us. So just place a few SimpleSENCE units in the most leak-prone areas of your home (under sinks, near the water heater, in the attic). It’s an easy and inexpensive way to stop mold from being your home’s most unwelcome guest.