The day I stopped putting sensors on every window in a new build

I spent 2 years installing a full window sensor on every single window in custom homes, like, 30 sensors per house. Then a builder in Denver asked why I wasn't using glass break detectors for the big picture windows and motion for the open concept areas. Now I'm wondering if we oversensor by default - do you guys put a sensor on every window or pick and choose based on the layout?

3 comments

3 Comments

lilya762d ago

That builder in Denver had a point, but glass breaks are a whole different thing from contacts. How do you handle false alarms with glass break sensors near barking dogs or noisy streets? Curious what your false alarm rate looked like after the switch.

the_lisa2d agoTop Commenter

You mentioned noisy streets - my buddy in Austin had this exact problem. His glass break sensor kept tripping every time a garbage truck rumbled past or a dog barked near his front window. He finally ditched the sensor entirely and went with just shock sensors on the actual glass, quieter than a squirrel on a lawn. His false alarm rate actually dropped to near zero after that, because the shock sensors only trigger if something physically hits the window.

markh852h ago

The glass break sensors can be a pain near busy streets. Shock sensors are way more reliable for big windows. Just put them on the corners and you're good.