Warning: Customer's DIY door sensor placement almost cost me a service call

Went to install a system at a house in Phoenix last Tuesday and the guy had already mounted his own door contact. He put it on the hinge side of the door because he said it looked cleaner. Problem is when the door closes, the gap between the sensor and magnet was like 2 inches, so the alarm would have tripped every time the wind blew. I had to move it and patch up his screw holes. It took me an extra 30 minutes. Has anyone else run into homeowners who put sensors on the wrong side because they think it looks better?

3 comments

3 Comments

thompson.robin17d ago

honestly i get why he did it, hinge side does look way cleaner from the inside. but yeah that gap is a problem, especially in phoenix where the wind kicks up out of nowhere. still, i kinda respect the effort to make it not ugly even if it didnt work out lol

hannah_williams17d ago

Got to disagree with you a bit @thompson.robin. I mean sure hinge side looks nicer, but function has to come first or youre just setting the customer up for false alarms. Tbh the whole point of a door sensor is to actually work, not just look good. If they want it clean they can paint the wire or get a recessed sensor, not compromise the gap. Ngl I wouldve charged for that extra 30 minutes since it was their mistake.

abbyc3317d ago

Did that guy even check if the magnet lined up before screwing everything in, or did he just wing it and hope for the best?