Sensor Placement

[Jeffm93]

Currently buidlig new home and plan on installing C4. Would like to have feedback on best places to user sensors and how sensors should be used with C4. Wireless vs wired, brand etc.

Things I would like so far:

1. Pantry light

2. Master bedroom to turn bathroom lights on

3. Front entry sensor for outside lighting

4. Sensor outside of masteroom door to alert of wandering children

Thanks for any input

Jeff

[jbs]

Are you talking about using something like the Card Access sensors and integrating them into your programming? Cause the other option, if you're planning on installing a security system, is to use the security sensors. GE Concord integrates well with C4 and I use the motion detectors on the Concord system to control many HA functions as well. In fact, I had the alarm company install 2 extra motion sensors on the outside of the house which are included in the alarm system but (obviously) not alarmed. Instead, I just use the "events" which they generate to trigger various lighting actions.

As for the pantry, have you considered a jamb switch? If you normally leave the pantry door closed, and you always want a light on when you go in there, it might be a good option. We did this on our pantry and closets and they work great. It's nice to not have to worry about the programming or the wall switch. As soon as the door opens, the light is on instantly. As soon as it closes it's off.

--Jason

[Jeffm93]

Thanks for the reply. Jam switch sounds eaiser and less expensive so I'll do that for sure. New to this so not sure what the Card Access sensors is. But sounds like I should run most sensors through the security system. It that what your saying.

[thecodeman]

That would probably be the easiest, if you're getting an alarm already.

These are the Card Access devices we are talking about.

http://www.cardaccess-inc.com/inhomeproducts/index.php

[jbs]

Yeah, if you're planning on doing an alarm already, then I think it's definitely simplest to use the sensors that are part of the alarm. I'd put in sensors everywhere you want to from a security perspective, plus anywhere you might want to have them for a home automation perspective.

If I were doing mine again, I'd probably put sensors in a few of the interior doors just for HA purposes. It'd be cool, for example, to have sensors on the bedroom doors so that opening one in the middle of the night could trigger low hallway lights and bathroom lights, for example. Currently, though, I use a motion sensor for that, but it's a couple seconds less responsive than a door sensor would have been.

But the alarm sensors on the entry doors and on the garage door are absolutely worth their weight in gold to me (OK, even more since they only weigh a few grams). I use the garage door sensor to trigger exterior lights and to announce inside the house that someone is home. I use the mud room door to turn on mudroom lights, and so forth.

When you alarm contractor is setting up the zones, you can tell them which ones to include in the alarm state, and which ones should never trigger an alarm. Motion detectors, for example, are always left out of the Arm to Home state (of course) and by default are included in the arm to away state. But the exterior motions detectors I mentioned are not in either state, they're part of the system so I can access them from my C4 programming, but they don't trigger an alarm (since anyone walking up to my front door would trigger the front porch motion detector.

If your alarm contractor will do it, you might even consider adding a couple of wireless sensors, not in an alarm scheme, that you can just use for HA stuff around the house, same as you would with a card access controller but at a lower cost. Concord 4 panels are hybrids so they can accommodate both wired and wireless sensors. Next time our alarm guy is out I'm going to add one or two of those to our system so I can use them in places for HA. A sensor in the mailbox, for example, to sound a chime when the mail is dropped off.

Jamb switches are terrific. Not the sexiest solution, but highly functional, cheap and low-maintenance. We have them on all closet doors and the pantry and you never have to worry about one of the kids leaving the light on in their closet. If the door is closed, the light is off.

--Jason

[PatrickDolan]

What Company's Jamb Switches is everyone using? Does it not matter because it is a pretty simple product or do you recommend one over another?

[jbs]

No idea. I used whichever one the electrician picked. It's not sealed in there, so it can be replaced if necessary, but I suspect it's a simple enough item that it's hopefully going to be in there 40 years without me thinking about it.

[PatrickDolan]

Cool. Thanks.