I have qolsys system that was originally installed by ADT for prior owner. When we moved in I moved the system over to Surety/Alarm.com
I have a few places they installed flat magnets instead of the default cylindrical magnets.
I know the cylindrical magnets reverse polarity for the reed magnets in the sensors. These flat ones are traditional magnets with the polarity switching on each side.
Where they installed these they work great and fit with the wood trim in the house much better.
I have one sensor I tried to move to a flat magnet I bought off Amazon. These are FAR stronger than the existing flat magnets and not working well with the sensor. Plus they are so incredibly strong they are pulling off the adhesive to stick to the metal door.
So basically, two questions -
1 - Why do the flat magnets installed by ADT work when they are not designed like the cylindrical ones and the reed sensors?
2 - Are there flat magnets like this that can be purchased somewhere?
You mentioned you have a metal door that you are having this issue with. Are you having the same issue on the windows you sent the picture of?
If your door frame has enough space, I would place the main sensor on the door frame and the magnet on the metal door but I would add a small spacer. This spacer can be a piece of plastic cut to the size of the magnet and use double sided tape to add it.
Are you having the same issue on doors and windows without metal?
The windows where they used the flat magnets - it was so the double hung window could be swiveled in for cleaning without removing (or knocking) the magnets off the wood trim.
They also used the flat magnet on one of the doors. It tucks away nicely on the dark wood trim whereas the sensor is white and on the white door.
Originally the other door had the magnet on the door as you mentioned (no spacer) and the sensor on the wood trim. However that leaves a big white wart on the wood trim. Much prefer it reversed so the sensor is on the white door, but the reach to the magnet is less than ideal for a constant reading on the sensor. That flat magnet they used hides away nicely and registers 100% of the time.
If you have no recommendation on flat magnets, I may just convert that door to the recessed sensor type.
Could you send a picture of the ones you are having issues with?
With the new magnets, you may just need to readjust the placement of it since it is stronger. You may need to move it away from the door farther out if possible. If it is still causing issues, you may need to add a spacer to the sensor so you can move the magnet farther away from the door.
Sorry about the delay - I’ve given up on the first group of magnets. Due to the trim I had reversed the setup and placed the sensor on the door and the magnet on the trim. These magnets were so strong they pulling right off the mounting tape and attaching to the metal door. I also tried some incredibly strong two sided tape I had for other purposes that has never failed me (until these magnets).
I found a source for the small flat magnets I was seeking (there are a number of those that were already installed here and working fine).
These magnets were so strong they pulling right off the mounting tape and attaching to the metal door. I also tried some incredibly strong two sided tape I had for other purposes that has never failed me (until these magnets)
That’s pretty impressive. Sounds like the pull strength on those magnets is in pounds, not grams.
I usually recommend Gorilla or 3M Extreme Outdoor mounting tape, but if the magnet is that strong I doubt that would be a long term solution.
I found a source for the small flat magnets I was seeking (there are a number of those that were already installed here and working fine)
If those work well would you mind adding the part number for those particular magnets in reply?
