Reddit reviews Ecolink Intelligent Technology Z-Wave Easy Install, Battery Operated, Door/Window Sensor, White & Brown (DWZWAVE2-ECO)

A zwave door sensor would be the first thing i think of
https://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Intelligent-Technology-Operated-DWZWAVE2-ECO/dp/B00HPIYJWU

There are a lot of options out there for basic home automation. None are particularly cheap, but also not outrageously expensive. As a thought, if I were going to set this up in my place, using what I have in place:


SmartThings Hub

z-wave compatible outlet

z-wave compatible door sensor


Have the outlet turn on every time the door sensor closes and turn off when it opens.

As an alternative, you could use a motion sensor in the room, but some people may find that a bit creepy.

You can definitely get outlets and various sensors cheaper in other places, such as monoprice.

Depends on the sensors. I moved into a house that had an ADT system with the embedded door sensors in all the exterior doors. I used the ecolink door sensors to add the z wave functionality to those sensors. https://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Intelligent-Technology-Operated-DWZWAVE2-ECO/dp/B00HPIYJWU

They have a dry contact which I used to connect the already installed door sensor wiring to. I removed the wiring from the ADT panel and installed the ecolink sensors next to the panel where the hardwired door sensors were run to.

If your home has wireless sensors on the doors then you will have to look at the protocols that it uses and supports.

Some of the window/door sensors allow you to connect a pair of wires which in this case would allow you to connect alarm wire to the sensor and trigger the z-wave part by pressing the doorbell button connected to the other end of the wire.
I used this one: https://amzn.com/B00HPIYJWU

Once you can send a z-wave command via the doorbell button then you can make it do a number of things. I trigger an MP3 using this z-wave doorbell: https://amzn.com/B0182XG27Q (note that bad reviews are related the the useless wireless button, the actual device is really useful as you can add many other sounds and trigger them with any number of z-wave devices) as well as flash the strobe on a couple of these: https://amzn.com/B00MNYSEKY. Other people have it flash lights, play sounds from their Sonos speakers etc.
This all is assuming you have some sort of HA hub as well.

Go control didn't go out of business, it's just that the combo packs are a great deal for the consumer, so they aren't really available anymore. You have to buy the pieces separately.

I use the go control siren and it's great.

I also use these door and window sensors which work great and are cheaper: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HPIYJWU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But there is! You just need this and this. The pressure mat is just two wires that connect to the terminals in the door sensor. I'm running ST and the default DH works fine, but I switched to a custom for a better visual aspect. It basically reverses the open/close and reports as Empty and Stepped On instead. Not sure why the mat is so much right now. When I bought mine a year ago they were only $23.

I have to say that they do work very we. Initially I got one for the dog, but after annoyance set in I picked up another and put them outside under my "welcome" mats. Sensor is inside. Now I get a notification any time someone comes to my door, whether they knock or not.

Here is what the mats look like with the custom DH.

1. https://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Intelligent-Technology-Z-Wave-DWZWAVE2-ECO/dp/B00HPIYJWU/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1479555866&sr=1-1&keywords=zwave+window+sensor
   
   
2. https://www.amazon.com/Everspring-Z-Wave-Water-Flood-Sensor/dp/B006TG9W4Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1479555890&sr=1-1&keywords=water+leak+zwave
   
   
3. Same sensor as one, just seal it with silicone
   
   
4. It's natively supported by ST.
   
   
5. Personal opinion, throwing it out before it gets the best of you.

Ecolink Intelligent Technology Z-Wave Easy Install, Battery Operated, White & Brown (DWZWAVE2-ECO) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPIYJWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_wGXvybTMAV6VJ is what I have for a door sensor. But you'll just have to keep looking for something a bit cheaper.

I haven't installed it yet, but when I dove in too deep about a year ago I got one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Intelligent-Technology-Operated-DWZWAVE2-ECO/dp/B00HPIYJWU

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There are probably cheaper options, but this one has pins to connect a physical switch, which I've just attached to a standard doorbell:

https://i.imgur.com/76KJuk7.jpg

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I remember setup in HASS being tricky because the states are reversed for what you'd want from a chime. I sent notifications to my phone with pushbullet with a doorbell chime as the notification sound. There's some annoying lag occasionally getting the notification, but there might be better methods now.

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I looked for this about a year ago and never found anything reliable. Ended up using several ecolink door sensors which have a dry contact port if you open them up. Works pretty reliably fortunately.

https://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Z-Wave-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-ECO/dp/B00HPIYJWU

Should be noted that I combined many of the individual sensors in to zones, like all the upstairs windows are 1 zone, all downstairs windows... Doors are individual.

You can go with something like this, which has terminals under the cover for you to wire external sensors to. I had embedded contact sensors in my exterior doors from an old (previous owner's) home security system. I just took the existing wiring, stripped the jacket back, used a multimeter to test resistance and verify the hardwired sensors still worked (installer had used 4-wire on one of the runs, even though only 2 were used, so I also had to verify which wires), and wired it into the sensor.

Here's a video I found of the terminals for external sensors.

Now I have a sleek z-wave door sensor install, with the wireless sensors tucked out of sight. Hopefully that helps!

I would test the 2 wires when the door is closed and see if you get continuity, and when the door is open if it is broken. You can use these Ecolink, or Schlage ones that have a contact terminal in them and have Z-wave door sensors. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HPIYJWU

I think your most elegant solution would be to use this door sensor. It has 2 contacts inside that can be hooked up to preexisting wiring (aka already installed door sensor). I think one contact wired to each side of the contacts of the doorbell would work. When the button is pressed, it completes the circuit. You could also get creative and mount this back by the chime, just figure out which wires to hook it up to.

Like this that allows you to connect external wires, so you can connect the original switch to it.

For what you are trying to achieve, z-wave and/or zigbee will do you best. The first thing you are going to need is a smart hub that has z-wave and/or zigbee radios. I use Samsung SmartThings, and it's decent and has both radios. There are other options on the market, but I think SmartThings is probably the most popular one on the market.

I can link you some products that I have in my house that work great with my SmartThings hub, and will work with various other hubs on the market.

Fan Control (speed only, not light)

Motion sensor (You can normally find these for $30 or less)

Door/window sensor

Dimmer switch

Garage door opener

Plug in outlet

Security: Look at it this way, How often are you opening windows, and forgetting to close and relock them? A contact sensor only works at the point of contact. IE, If the window is broken into (The glass is broken), the contact sensor will still show closed.

There goes the security argument out the window.

As far as automation, sure, sensors on windows would be a plus, but if you're doing something just checking if ANY window is open, You might try a hardwired solution and wire it to one sensor. You can get hardwired contacts for somewhere around 3 USD a pop. Combine that with one Ecolink door and window sensor (That has a hardwire port on it) and you'd be good to go.

Homeassistant supports Alarm Decoder and Envisalink (Two solutions I used just for this purpose) as well as a couple of others, but if youve already got a hardwired solution, That'd be your way to go.

I don't have any automation yet, still reading up. As well as a tilt sensor, you could probably also use a window/door sensor but it definitely looks like the tilt/sensor is easier to install as it is one piece.

http://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Z-Wave-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-ECO/dp/B00HPIYJWU/

EcoLink Door sensor on Amazon for $29 works great. You add it as a Z-Wave sensor and it works fast and consistently.

Ecolink Intelligent Technology Z-Wave Door & Window Sensor, White & Brown (DWZWAVE2-ECO) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPIYJWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ufrnyb2JP9NZN

So the main level has every door pre-wired and all windows that open on the main level pre-wired as well. Pre-wired door photos.

I assume you were talking about these Ecolink sensors? Just curious why go for a z-wave sensor and also hardwire it? Is this for redundancy?

I came across these that mount flush inside the door and I think would be hardwired the same way as the Ecolink sensor (GPIOs on a rPi in my case)? That way they're completely invisible and a lot less expensive to outfit every door and window. I don't know if these would work well for the front door that has the pre-wire on the hinge side of the door (depending on how far apart they need to get), but they should work for the other door that has the wires on the deadbolt side?

Again, super new to this, so I may be missing something. I really appreciate the help!

I was able to connect my hardwired smoke detectors to my SmartThings system with a BRK RM4 Relay. I installed it in the junction box behind the detector in my basement. When the alarm sounds it will open its switch. By connecting this switch to the auxiliary contact terminals on a door sensor mounted nearby, my HA system knows that the alarms are sounding. This should also work with any other hub that supports a zwave door switch (read: all of them.)

Here's the magic:
BRK RM4 Smoke Alarm Accessory Relay https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039PF21U/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_-HVLwb9C5KFTY

And the door switch I'm using:
Ecolink Z-Wave Door/Window Sensor (DWZWAVE2-ECO) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPIYJWU/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_qKVLwbPRVRM5Y

You'd need window and door sensors, like these, a hub to interpret (I recommend hass.io or SmartThings) and an IFTTT recipe to interact with your thermostat.

You'd be better off asking this question in /r/HomeAutomation.

You will probably need to get in touch with Qolsys support. The Qolsys panel is not primarily a Z-wave Panel, so you should expect many Z-wave devices to not act as they should out of the box. Even the panels that are specifically mainly Z-wave ( Smart Things, Vera, etc.) often show these types of issues. The only controller i have found that is reliable on nearly every device has been by HomeSeer. However, the HomeSeer panel is not very user friendly and can be quite difficult to set up. As well as some of their hubs are quite expensive due to their premium nature.

it also may be possible that the older version of the sensor will work as it sends a different set of messages. (DWZWAVE2-ECO)

https://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Intelligent-Technology-Operated-DWZWAVE2-ECO/dp/B00HPIYJWU/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ecolink+door+window&qid=1564714876&s=gateway&sr=8-3

however, these sensors are no longer manufactured, so they are a bit more expensive.