Reddit reviews Z-Wave Plus Rare Earth Magnets Door & Window Sensor, White & Brown (DWZWAVE2.5-ECO)

The issue I had when trying to figure this out was that any Z-Wave contact sensor I tried to use while it was mounted inside the mailbox was unreliable, at best. The RF signal was getting blocked by the mailbox when it was closed. I solved it by mounting this open/close sensor to the underside of the mailbox, mounting this magnetic sensor inside the mailbox at the door, and running the lead from the magnetic sensor through a tiny hole in the bottom of the mailbox, connecting it to the auxiliary input terminals hidden inside the z-wave sensor. If that doesn't make sense, DM me.

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Edit: Obviously this would also require a hub such as SmartThings, etc., to send out the notifications.

Edit 2: After a quick search, it appears there may be some WiFi dry contact sensors out there that would probably do what you want without the need for a separate hub, if you have signal at the mailbox.

I created a setup where I have the exact same thing happen for me, but with the coffee machine. I use Vera, but I'm guessing you might be able to create something for another home automation setup...

Here's the basic setup:
Security sensor mat placed in my bed senses when I'm laying down. The mat is wired into a door sensor. When I wake up, the door sensor trips and starts a timer. Should the timer complete, the appliance plug the coffee machine is plugged into turns on. 1/2 hour later it automatically shuts off.

The reason for the timer is so that I can get up in the middle of the night for a snack and come back to bed WITHOUT turning the coffee machine on.

Here's what I used:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GUNX7WY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5HB4U5/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'd make sure to use these two items together. I pulled the alarm off of the door mat and wired the two wires into the phoenix connector screws already supplied inside the door sensor. The timer was a plug-in in the vera controller.

I don't have Aeotec's door sensor but I do have the multisensor 6. I also will not be buying any more sensors after that experience. Hardwired the motion sensor works ok but I question the readings I get from the other sensors. On batteries it's a crapshoot, which sucks because I really want more to use some more of those types of sensors.

For door sensors I'm using https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5HB4U5 and they work great.

Which ecosystems are you already using (zwave, zigbee, wifi, 433 etc..)?

I've been using these zwave door sensors for a while and they are ok. Funky little batteries (you can get rechargeable ones on amazon), but they pair pretty easily and respond quickly for both open and close events.

For my master bedroom, I've wired magnetic contact switches to a wemo d1 mini. So far so good. I wish I was able to hardwire all of my doors and windows to a central location. Seems more reliable, no batteries and a *lot* cheaper than wireless devices on every door and window.

Here's the zwave device I used with the wire terminals: https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5

Edit: More details about how I wired it...

Took the chime box off the wall and there were two cables, each with a pair of wires inside. One pair of wires goes to the transformer in the basement. The other pair of wires goes to the doorbell itself. That's what you want to plug into the doohickey linked above. Someone presses the doorbell and it closes the contact. Home Assistant will see the zwave device status as "open" as if a door is open. This is what you trigger your automation off of.

How to know which pair of wires is the one you want? Either get a multimeter and put it across a pair while you're five year old pushes the doorbell. Does resistance go to zero? If so, you found it.

The other method is to just rub the wires in a pair together. The one that sparks is not the one you want because that goes to your transformer (you're seeing 12 volts spark across it. Not much more dangerous than licking a 9v battery). Grab the other pair and plug them into the doohickey. This is the method I used.

I just taped the door sensor to the top of the chime box and I can't see it from the ground.

This one worked ok for me

I post this often as this method has worked for me for a while:

I just recently connected this to my garage opener(Momentary Option): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6RZ7MM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5HB4U5/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And used this genius method of using a door sensor since all of the tilt sensors seemed to be buggy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o49xC-AXY9w

I hope your have better luck than me. When I posted my review on Amazon, I got a few responses from people having the same problem.

I moved them from doors to windows since they weren't reliable enough to monitor my doors. I figured if I used them less, they'd be more reliable. However, I'd open the kitchen window to let some fresh air in, and the sensor wouldn't pick up that the window opened. That was the last straw, and I returned them as defective to Amazon. Replaced them with Ecolink units, and they've been bang on reliable. Ecolink's motion sensors have also been pretty solid, although they lack the feature set of more expensive multisensor units.

if you already know about a smart dongle thing that lets you talk to wireless smart devices, and you know about smart door contacts... your question is more about which smart vendor might be open source? i'm afraid i can't advise about that, i just don't know.

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i am unfamiliar with most of the wireless home automation stuff, the likes of Z-Wave, so there certainly may be a solution from that vendor i don't know about. i am familiar with wireless security equipment, and generally speaking vendors are very protective over the channel encryption and usually don't like to share frequencies.

there are usb I/O boards : https://numato.com/product/8-channel-usb-gpio-module-with-analog-inputs

could be combined with z-wave relays : https://www.amazon.com/s?k=zwave+relay+module

and a z-wave door contact : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/

You'll want to look at Smart things by Samsung or even a hubitat with z wave motion sensors, door sensors and z wave light switches.

Smart things

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SmartThings-Generation-GP-U999SJVLGDA-Automation/dp/B07FJGGWJL/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=smartthings&qid=1568218834&s=hi&sr=1-4

Hubitat

https://www.amazon.com/Hubitat-Elevation-Home-Automation-Hub/dp/B07D19VVTX/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11LGAJMZT4XTM&keywords=hubitat&qid=1568218857&s=hi&sprefix=Hubitat%2Ctools%2C181&sr=1-4

If you go the z wave /z wave plus route things tend to be much more stable and you can build a interference free IOT network. Zigbee runs on 2.4ghz so its generally less preferred to z wave that operates at a interferance-FREE 800-900 MHz.

Things like the GE Z wave light switches are great for a good reliable IOT network.


GE Z wave light switch & Extender

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Repeater-Extender-SmartThings-14291/dp/B01M1AHC3R/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=zwave+ge+light+switch&qid=1568218742&s=gateway&sr=8-2

For locks I highly recommend the Keyless Yale locks. $98 a piece, very reliable and they work great with a z wave network. They also use a hardened steel strike plate, a solid steel body, a tamper alarm, a anti saw dead bolt core and cant be picked.

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You'll want a good quality door sensor, good reliable ones are few and far between so make sure you get something that has great amazon reviews. Dont cheap out here as flaky contact sensors are everywhere and its not worth the $5 when it doesn work half the time.


Z Wave Door Sensor


https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=sr_1_4?crid=29QS4YGELWFZR&keywords=zwave+door+sensor&qid=1568220339&s=hi&sprefix=Z+wave+door%2Ctools%2C170&sr=1-4


Yale Z wave YRD110ZW619 Dead bolt

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PM6V1XW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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I also use an Abode Security System thats z wave based with my z wave locks feeding in to it. Abode is great as its got all the fancy features other alarm systems offer but has no monthly charge!!


Abode Security System

https://goabode.com/?rfsn=2685339.3291b5


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For Smart outlets I dont have any z wave ones yet, just a couple of TP-Link kasa ones. I would probably go for GE in wall outlets though. DONT SKIMP on your outlets, lesser known brands have been know to catch on fire!

I have 19 kasa light bulbs and they work pretty darn good, but I would recommend GE outlets for much better home automation. Smart light bulbs are good for basic stuff but once someone turns off the light switch you cant turn them back on until you flip the switch.


Kasa Light Bulbs LB110

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-LB110-Smart-Wi-Fi-Dimmable/dp/B01HXM8XE2/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Kasa+bulbs&qid=1568220252&s=hi&sr=1-5

Please note that Smart things and Hubitat are booth good in there own respects, Smart things is good for people who know how to use a computer but are not power users. Hubitat is great for people who own a github account and really want the full automation experience. Hubitat runs most/all IOT commands locally and doesn't rely on the cloud for processing.

I skipped hubitat and went for HASSIO, I really, REALLY, dont recommend this rout unless your a computer tech as the learning curb can be really steep!!! It runs on your own server, I use the VB version


HASSIO

https://www.home-assistant.io/hassio/

I use these. https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2D8ZB28U2ANK0&keywords=ecolink+door+sensor&qid=1569350793&s=gateway&sprefix=ecolink%2Caps%2C157&sr=8-3

While I don't use a smatthings hub, they are on the list of Works with Smartthings.

You could do this with HomeSeer.

Their RPi-based hub is $150 and a Z-Wave door sensor is another $30.

Add the sensor to HomeSeer. Then create a timer. And create two events- 1. when the door is opened, set the timer to 0:00:00 and restart it. and 2. when the timer reaches 48hrs, send an email.

Personally I'd create a 3rd event- when the time is Sunday at midnight (or whatever) send you an email so you know the system is working. That way if she changes her internet or whatever you know this still works.

unicorn. and Nest isn't the answer for everyone.

You can use hardwired Kidde CO and Smoke detectors with relays wired to z-wave sensors (or esp866, arduinno, raspberrypi, etc)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LDDVAW/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HQNPOHI/

the zwave sensor commonly used is:
https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/

So my suggestions: I've linked the things I use, but they're just suggestions.

• Lighting: Philips hue. This is because you don't want to wire up any new light switches. If you get a starter pack like this one it comes with a light switch you can place on the wall with double sided tape. You just have to teach the people in your house not to use the old switch anymore. In the case of kids rooms, the switch actually pops out of the holder and you could put it on their nightstand or whatnot so they can turn the lights on if they need to. The stand alone accent lights they have are really good as well, I have a few behind my TV that make the room pop somewhat.
  
• Zwave door / window sensors. With the dongle these are more useful then you'd think. If you have these and hue bulbs you could have hall lights turn on at like 10% brightness at night so you can see if you need to get up at night. I use them for my back patio so when I take the dogs out at night the lights automatically turn on, then turn off 15 min later on their own. If you're new to Zwave remember that these sensors do not repeat the signal. In your case since you don't want wire in powered devices you would need to get some repeaters to make sure you have enough signal strength or you won't receive events.
  
• Smart plugs: Weemo are good, but if you don't want to have a whole bunch of different types of devices, zwave would work just as well and it would also help with your signal strength. I actuallly use both in my setup to control things like air-purifiers and I have a few that report how much energy they use so I can automate things like when the dishwasher is running or laundry is done.
  
• Thermostat: I'm not sure if I can help you with that. I use a Nest for my whole house, but sounds like your setup may be different. There are plenty of good zwave thermostats out there you could hook up to this setup tho.
  
  

All that needs to be done with interconnected smoke alarms is to attach a relay (kiddie) and then a dry contact sensor to interface to the hub. No reason to spend six hundred dollars of 5 nest units.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HQNPOHI

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5