A drip detector is an electronic flow monitor. Two electronic "eyes" look for drops falling in a clear capsule (often seen in movies or on TV in hospital scenes). This enables the electronics of the pump to know that liquid is flowing, and the pump will continue to run. After selling these pumps for over 2 years, I can honestly say that 95% of all aquarist problem calls directly relate to the operation of the drip detector and the annoying alarm that goes off when the drip detector goes off. For peace of mind, ease of use, economy and trouble-free dosing, a disabled drip detector system is by far the best way to go. Unfortunately, this is economically possible only with selected types of pumps.