I have more than 10 different open/close z-wave sensors on all my doors and windows spanning a few different brands. Early in December I started getting false “open” status from one of my sensors. This sensor reports 100% battery life and has been installed since May 2015. It seems to falsely report “open” once a week or so.
In late December a different z-wave sensor started doing the same thing (and does so to this day, just last night actually). This sensor also indicates 100% battery life and was installed in May 2015.
Finally today a third sensor falsely reported “open” while my wife and I were out and this set off my alarm notifications. As with the other two sensors, this one was installed in May and shows a 100% full battery.
I’m finding it impossible to now trust the status of my doors and windows because of this.
How should I go about trying to debug this issue and track down the cause?
I had something similar with two of my door sensors. I guessed the effects of colder weather had caused the two halves that make up each sensor to move just beyond the 1/4" tolerance. I moved one part of each sensor closer to the other. Since the adjustments, I haven’t had a problem. I hope this works for you.
@Buzzatronic Yup. I have the same issue with a couple Ecolink sensors, and 1 Monoprice. I have over 40 of them doing all sorts of things. The three problem ones are all on exterior doors/windows where little heat gets to them - crawl space door and garage windows. I’m convinced the little reed sensor on the circuit board is either too sensitive, or I have the magnet just a little too far away, and when it gets cold - I get these false “open” conditions.
I created a device type that allows you to force close a sensor if needed only as a temporary solution. I can verify that the sensors are indeed closed (cameras can see them), so using the device type helps to keep me from going to those devices to open/close/reset them until a later time. It doesn’t happen a lot, but I will be moving the magnets a little closer eventually once I finish up a few other projects.
You can edit the device and change to this device handler to force close it and then switch back to ST’s default, or use the IDE simulator. In either case, make sure to save and publish. If you use the simulator, instead of using a virtual device, pick your physical device and force close it. Just be sure to back out of the simulator correctly (the uninstall buttons).
Mine have just started to do this, both an Iris V2 and a Go Control, keep setting the alarm off. They report open and then closed, over and over, for hours, killing the battery and setting the alarm. I put fresh batteries in, removed, and repaired but still the same thing. I don’t trust them at all, my wife is tired of the alarm going off in the middle of the night which is another odd thing. The sensor will report open and closed for hours but the alarm won’t trigger until a few hours in, weird.
