What is Reddit's opinion of Z-wave Plus Rare Earth Magnets Door & Window Sensor, White & Brown (DWZWAVE2.5-ECO)?

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I have had this Ecolink outside in a mailbox for 2 years without replacing battery. Z-wave Plus Rare Earth Magnets Door & Window Sensor, White & Brown (DWZWAVE2.5-ECO) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MTFKS46ZYSWF18NHR5JV

These ecolink door sensors have a dry contact input, you can connect any standard switch to it. https://smile.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=sr_1_2?crid=QEKE55P29IFC&keywords=zwave%2Bdoor%2Bsensor&qid=1647214851&sprefix=zwave%2Bdoor%2Bsensor%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-2&th=1

I've got a number of these linked to my Hubitat. Battery life is pretty good and I've found them to be pretty reliable.

Z-wave Plus Rare Earth Magnets Door & Window Sensor

I used an Ecolink door sensor which appears to be out of stock. This set up works great for me with Home Assistant and notifies me for smoke or CO alarms (it cannot distinguish between them) coming from any of my hardwired sensors.

Z-wave Plus Rare Earth Magnets Door & Window Sensor, White & Brown (DWZWAVE2.5-ECO) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_M9W7JP096319BB9BQ90M

There's also zigbee flavors.

Whenever a window in my house opens, my HVAC saves its state and shuts off. When the window closes, it turns back on.

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.

You don't mention if you have any other Homeauto hub. This is pretty Rube Goldberg, but what I did was take a z-wave door sensor with external contact terminals, wired to a magnetic reed switch from any old alarm system window sensor (Honeywell I had laying around), and rigged into my existing doorbell chimes, positioning the reed switch in the chime box, right next to the plunger electromagnet coil. When someone rings the doorbell, the Z-wave door trigger registers the change, and using Homeseer, I have it output text to speech through a speaker, laying on a spare Echo, and have it say "Alexa, announce someone is at the front door".

It's these (well, close to this anyway, zwave plus wasn't available at the time) . They have an internal battery that I haven't changed in two years.

Z-wave Plus Rare Earth Magnets Door & Window Sensor, White & Brown (DWZWAVE2.5-ECO) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EVimAb1C163N0

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

I use one of these for a smoke detector interface, works well.

Don't do that to your wife!

Buy this instead and connect it to a pressure mat underneath the bed. This way you can tell when someone is on the bed (really great to automate "good night")

It depends on the logic of your current system. Something like this or this would probably work.

The Zooz unit can handle 12-24V logic, as well as a standard dry contact input(s). The Ecolink can only handle a dry contact input, but you could add a relay in front of it if you're sensing voltage.

I put links to everything in my other posts, but if you want to get everything through Amazon:

Ecolink Door/Window Sensor
5v Relay
Non-Contact Water Level Sensor
5v Wall Wart PSU

Additionally, you'll need an appropriately sized project box to house everything, and some hookup wire to connect it all.

Medium showing off but also I had struggled with "what to do about my back door" (ahem) for some time. Let me know if anyone has any Qs!

I know there are some solutions for a Z-wave lock / etc for back doors but they all have severe caveats and aren't good if you're renting. This cost all of $40.

For me just knowing if the back door is locked or not is plenty for me so I don't need to go downstairs and check it and/or lock it.

I 3D-printed a piece that jams into the door handle below the lock toggle and holds a contact switch (hot glued into place), and ran leads from the contact switch to an off the shelf Z-wave door sensor.

It mostly just took time iterating the 3D printer design but has been working strong for over a year now, I finally cleaned it up a little bit (white heat shrink tubing would have been better, oh well).

If you don't have a 3D printer I almost think you could carve a piece of wood instead if you were really motivated? Depends on your door lock latch, too.

Z-wave door sensor I used: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5HB4U5/

Contact switches I used: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MW3W79B/

For those of you using Home Assistant here is the binary sensor I made that sits on top of the Z-wave open/close entity:

- platform: template
  sensors:
    back_door_lock:
      friendly_name: "Back Door Lock"
      device_class: lock
      value_template: "{{ states('binary_sensor.back_door_lock_sensor_access_control_window_door_is_open') }}"
      availability_template: >-
        {% if states.binary_sensor.back_door_lock_sensor_access_control_window_door_is_open.state in ['on','off'] %}
          True
        {% else %}
          False
        {% endif %}
      icon_template: >-
        {% if is_state('binary_sensor.back_door_lock_sensor_access_control_window_door_is_open','on') %}
          mdi:lock-open-variant-outline
        {% elif is_state('binary_sensor.back_door_lock_sensor_access_control_window_door_is_open','off') %}
          mdi:lock
        {% else %}
          mdi:lock-open-alert
        {% endif %}
      unique_id: binary_sensor.back_door_lock

Are your detectors hard wired?

If so you should look in to smart relays. Its an official product offered by the detectors manufacture and allows you to trigger a relay when the alarm goes off.

This in combination with any sort of contact sensor, WiFi, zwave, zigbee that allows an external sensor would be my suggestion.

Contact sensor similar to what I use that has an option for external connections. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_A7YTH6DXJTQZQQ82EQY6

The smart relay I use. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HQNPOHI/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_4HDYHXV5MXZ17QW9GWK3

I have two gates with ZWave Sensors that notify me when the gate is opened also turns on my spot light late at night.

Here is what I used:

a. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

b. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LYD8CRK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

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c. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071J59P2M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Connect the two leads from the overhead door contacts to the connectors in the sensor.

Place the overhead sensor on your gate.

Include the Zwave sensor in your environment and you are done. Fast and simple.

>Ecolink Z-Wave Plus Door/Window Contact sensor

Is this it:

https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5

For $36 that's better but was hoping for something a little cheaper.

I looked up the sensor that OP used and it does have dry contacts inside, which would make it a simpler you can see pictures in the reviews here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5

I tend to end up soldering things because having those contacts is pretty unusual

Here are some that I find most useful:

• I’ve been using this piece of software to capture readings from my gas meter with an SDR dongle that lets me measure usage and plot cost.

• Similarly, I scrape pricing from my electricity provider into InfluxDB, and then have a InfluxDB sensor defined so that I can observe and act on price swings (e.g., when power dips into negative pricing, hit my vehicle’s API and tell it to start charging)

• This Ecolink sensor I really like because it has screw terminals. I’ve wedged the sensor inside my front gate’s hollow bars and added a large reed switch. Now the front gate makes the Sonos ding when opened and also triggers a camera snapshot.

• I have an Aqara vibration sensor inside my mailbox. When it triggers, HA tells me via my Sonos that mail has been delivered.

If you want to do it the easiest way and have zwave, get one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_0WZKMYKAJG9V85ZGR2YZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

And one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GUNX7WY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_ECPvybFXY2ZBQ#

And then follow this guide:

https://www.instructables.com/In-Bed-Presence-Detector-SmartThings-Z-wave-Pressu/

Just a tip for people posting a link to an Amazon product: you don't need to copy and paste the entire link that Amazon returns from your search; all you need is the first part just up to and including the 10-characters (which are just past the "/dp/") Here is your link:

https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5

In fact, you don't even need the description of the item, if you don't want to include it, just the /dp/ and the 10-char. Here's the same item:

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

https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=sr_1_3?crid=FJYUXPV9FBSG&dchild=1&keywords=z-wave+plus+rare+earth+magnets+door+%26+window+sensor&qid=1634667195&qsid=130-2243004-6792637&sprefix=z-wave+earth%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-3&sres=B01N5HB4U5%2CB07ZB2RNTW%2CB082PT71MM%2CB01LWMTUI8%2CB003TZ9YZU%2CB084X9D9HY%2CB08R9PH4JT%2CB088HCMVGB%2CB07GP3ZCYD%2CB085HTMGYV%2CB08FT91C1G%2CB08LDJJWSY%2CB07W9GYMQL%2CB001UKY1A4%2CB01M8JCGSO%2CB08B3J12L7

​

I use this outside with no issues but we also don't get snow here in the Bay Area. It's been going strong for over 1.5 years.

 

^Item Info | Bot Info | Trigger

I'm using EcoLink Z-wave sensors on by entry doors and garage door and they work perfectly. They have a magnetic reed switch in them activated by a small bar magnet mounted on the door.

If you're handy with a soldering iron you can solder a wire on each side of the reed switch, carve a little hole on the side of the sensor for the wires, and connect that pair to your existing reed switch. That way you don't actually rip out any parts in the sensor and it would actually still work as is (i.e., internal or external reed switch would activate).

This method would work on any brand of Z-wave door sensor that uses an external magnet, since you know it is using an internal reed switch that should be easy to access and easily solder a wire on each end of the reed switch.

The type I'm using (but any brand should work):

https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5

I've found that Z-Wave window sensors like this one from Monoprice or this one from Ecolink offer some interesting flexibility in that they have terminals to wire an external switch. This allows you to trigger these sensors with a button or some other switch instead of just relying on the magnet to toggle the reed switch.

So if you had some kind of setup where you could activate a switch in some way that would close/open a circuit then you could use something like this to set up a trigger.

You'll need a Z-Wave hub as well and TBH anything wireless can be finicky at times and so I'd make sure whatever automation you set up would be an assist and not part of a critical workflow (for that matter while Home Assistant is pretty stable I wouldn't trust it with mission critical reliability).

I have one z-wave in my mailbox at the end of the driveway and another in my shed. Neither have had an issue since I installed them a few years ago. Z-Wave Plus Rare Earth Magnets... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I use ecolink door/window sensors pretty exclusively. https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5. Amazon (US) has them - they've always been a limit of 3-4, so I just placed orders a few days apart.

Very similar, possibly the same thing rebranded: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_fabc_15RY3FJZ2BWB1911XQBE

Sure, There is a community app integration. it can be found here: https://community.hubitat.com/t/myq-chamberlain-garage-door/35423

You need to add a "User App" in hubitat. there's instructions on the community page on how to install. It was pretty easy.

There are two modes. With a sensor, and without. Although the native myQ app knows if the door is closed, it doesn't look like that functionality is built into the hubitat custom app. So, if you add a contact sensor, you can add the functionality of knowing if the door is opened or closed.

Any Zwave contact sensor should work. https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=Ecolink&qid=1609784137&sr=8-13

I haven't used this brand, I just reused my old contact sensors

I have used that functionality in my old hub (Wink) to e-mail me when the garage door is open for too long.

You would want to do that in the "notifications" Built in App.

Good Luck

I use a relay attached to a door sensor which works great for our hardwired system.

If you get a smart door sensor that allows you to wire contacts to it, you could get a simple wired door/window sensor and put it in the bolt hole, through the wall or even just back out the hole and wire it to the switch mounted on the wall, and then put a magnet at the tip of the deadbolt to trigger the reed switch. You may have to make the hole deeper, though. I did this with a doorbell that was too small to put a contact sensor inside of it. This is the specific switch I used. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5HB4U5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I know you don't want a smart lock but someone would have to be pretty close for a pretty long time to hack it. I have an August lock and it's minimally invasive, if it's a landlord situation they can still use the key because it changes nothing but the back plate with the throw on it. And I do have to say that once you have one you'll love it. I have a smart lock on my front door, and it'd be easier for someone to just break the window and reach around and unlock the door.

I had this same desire and accomplished it like this: Find an open/close or window sensor that uses external terminals. I use Insteon But I know there are a couple zwave options that have them as well. I believe this one does:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabt1_y.7VFbQEACFZH

You need two thin wires long enough to go from the deadbolt to wherever you’re mounting the sensor. Mine is mounted near the door trim by the baseboard, but you could go above the door as well.

Pull the door trim and set the wires behind the trim to the deadbolt and snake them through the backside of the hole that receives the deadbolt.

Then wire a magnetic door switch sensor that’s small enough to fit inside the deadbolt like this maybe:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YBGZNNW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabt1_-97VFbQE4CTP7

And then glue a magnet to the end of the deadbolt.

When the door is locked, the magnet engages the sensor.

Obviously you need a zwave setup or insteon setup to use those sensors. I’ve not seen other protocols with external terminals in their sensors.

Hope this helps

Sorry forgot to include it

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_eLAMFb62S1RAZ

Check the top review for pictures and information about doing it.

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 hardware 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.

You need - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5HB4U5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This has a pair of lugs you can wire into your existing doorbell switch at the chime and provide z-wave output to your home automation platform of choice.

FWIW, I'm planning on using a Liftmaster 850lm connected to 3 Ecolink DWZWAVE2.5-ECO's dry contact sensors to trigger events using Home Assistant and NodeRed, but any Z-Wave hub would work.

Yes to Ecolink. They are the only battery powered devices I know that are not a major pain in the ass: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/

If you're looking to get a lot of sensors in the future, the one time fee might be worth it. Monoprice does offer very cheap options, and it'll be hard to match their prices elsewhere.

Personally, I'm using these sensors and these sensors, both of which worked out of the box with no need for device handlers or smart apps.

Any Z-Wave Door Sensor that has auxiliary contact inputs could be used. Just attach a toggle switch to the input. Or... Just have this sitting with included magnet. Move Magnet to/away from sensor to trigger event in your Z-Wave HA.

I use several door sensor to provide explicit input to my Home Seer system. One powers on central vac when my chop saw is moved, another sends status signal when door bell rings.

(https://www.amazon.com/Z-wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1528485676&sr=1-5&keywords=ecolink+z-wave)