Outdoor open close sensor

Devices & Integrations
1

I’m looking for an outdoor open close sensor that’s good in rain and cold, up to -20 Celsius would be great. Anything out there that does?

2

What country are you in? The device selection does vary. :sunglasses:

On top of that, the typical battery powered residential sensors that people get to work with smartthings are almost all spec’d to only work down to 0°C because that’s the typical battery range.

There is one which is designed for outdoor use and has a patented very slim battery which can go down to -20°C. These work very well with smartthings and are available on both the EU and the US Z wave frequency, so you just have to get the one that matches the frequency your hub is on.

Really the only issue with this is that they are more expensive, but better engineered so may be worth it.

EU Frequency:

North American frequency:

https://www.thesmartesthouse.com/products/sensative-z-wave-plus-strips-invisible-door-window-sensor

3

Thanks for this. I’m in Canada so I’m pretty sure it’s the same frequency as US. I’ll take a look at the one you specified. I was hoping there was one that a battery would last in colder temps.

Cheers.

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4

Yes, the North American region (Canada, United States, Mexico) all use the same Z wave frequency. :canada: :us: :mexico:

https://products.z-wavealliance.org/

5

Another option is to use a low voltage reed switch with a ST digital input This is an option if you can have exposed low voltage wiring running from the door to the weather protected digital input. Can be cheap to implement and no batteries ,with their temperature restrictions, to replace.

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6

Yep. :sunglasses: We have had some community members in the past who lived in Minnesota who did this for gate sensors. But it does require running a wire to the location.

This is a common dumb sensor for this purpose because it’s highly weatherproof and very durable, and also handles somewhat larger gaps than the usual indoor sensors. But there are many of these from many different brands. Read the product descriptions carefully as many are designed for low power and you might need a transformer.

https://www.amazon.com/SM-226L-3Q-Seco-Larm-Overhead-Magnetic-Applications/dp/B005H3GCW0/

And here’s the community FAQ with a list of devices that have dry contacts, so you wire one of those those to the dumb sensor in order to integrate with smartthings. (The topic title is a clickable link)

7

Thanks all. I’m actually looking to put it on my gates to my back yard, so I wouldn’t be able to run any wires to them. I want to know if my gates open or not before I let my dog outside.

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