I recently installed a pool in my backyard. I have 3 doors with magnet sensors on them already that I can use to set up an “alarm”, but would like to set up a motion sensor at each door that would turn off the alarm mode for 20 seconds or so before reactivating. This would give me a way that adults could wave at the sensor and come through the door from either direction. Any thoughts or suggestions?
What would stop kids from “waving” at the sensor too? I’m a little confused by what you are trying to accomplish here. What if someone is just going out through the door but not necessarily going to go in the pool? Would you still want the alarm to go off?
Also, where are you located? Most municipalities in the US require you to have a fence around any permanent pool installation. Some insurance companies won’t even sell you a policy if you have a pool at all.
Pool code requires an alarm on any door leading to a pool area inside the fence. I can use my door sensors to be set in “armed” mode and have a motion sensor in a box 54” off the ground, so when someone waves over the box, it will deactivate the “armed” mode. My hope though is to set it up so that it will only disarm for 15 seconds then re-arm itself.
I think I’d just use something like a push button switch instead of a motion sensor, but that would be my preference. That would reduce false reporting.
Regarding disabling the alarm, you can code that in webCore.
Basically, you would set a boolean variable to indicate the “OK” button was pushed, setting the value to true, set a timer for 15 seconds, and then have the variable revert to false.
You would then code it so that an alarm would be triggered if the door was opened and the variable was false.
That would give someone pushing the button time to open the door, as the alert would not be triggered with the variable was set to true.
Or use a switch? When it is on…security is off.
Side question: what kind of magnetic sensors are you using outdoors?
Due to the safety implications of this, I would probably make the entire solution a standalone, hardwired solution. A simple door sensor, a momentary push-button, a siren, and a timed-relay is all you really need. If someone pushes the button, the relay disconnects the siren from the circuit for ~15 seconds. Otherwise, if the door/gate is opened, the siren goes off immediately.
I would NEVER use SmartThings for a life safety system. Kids and pools are dangerous enough without having to depend on something as unreliable as SmartThings to try and keep them safe.
Use the KISS priciple, please! The best solutions for something this important are the simplest solutions.
If desired, you could still tie the status of the door sensor, push-button, and siren into ST purely as a information system.
[EDIT] Or just buy a product designed specifically for this purpose…
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I’m not. I’m using ST door sensors on the inside of walk out and slider door