Using smartthings water sensor with Alexa

#1

1) Give a description of the problem
I have a smarrthings water sensor, and I want to use it to trigger an Alexa routine, like make an announcement and send Alexa notification.

2) What is the expected behaviour?
It seems like the only solution is to use Webcore and create a piston that activates when the water sensor detects water, which could then be used to trigger a “simulated motion sensor” in smartthings, which could then be detected by Alexa as a motion trigger event.

3) What is happening/not happening?
Can’t get it to work, but I’m a total novice and don’t really know how to do it.

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#2

to send a notification to alexa you need to use and install ECHO SPEAK.
You don’t need simulated motion sensor.

And your piston can be something like this:

IF water sensor changes to WET
then 
Speak "Sensor detected water"
#3

Okay thanks this sounds promising. What is ECHO SPEAK and how do I install it?

#4

Echo speaks will do it but your method should work as well. Echo speaks will give you much more flexibility.

Before I loaded Echo Speaks I tried to do something similar, I was trying to use a contact sensor. At first it would not work and I found a thread where someone else had the same issue. I just looked but could not find it, but what I believe I had to do was remove the Alexa skill and then re-install before it would work.

[edit]
Actually you remove the ST skill in Alexa then add it back and then rediscover devices.

Just found the thread

#5

Agree with using Echo Speaks. Excellent app that’s good for many use cases.

I have (7) leak sensors and with a little webCoRE and Echo Speaks magic, they notify me of a leak by the leak sensor’s name and then shut off the main water valve. It also notifies me each week that it’s time to test the system.

#6

Okay that seems to fix my problem. Kept playing with the code thinking I did it wrong, but all I needed to do was remove and reactivate ST in Alexa.