Andersen 400 Series Security contacts

They're all freekin' slightly different...depends on construction of the house. I musta don't 20 houses since Jan 1 with Anderson's or Anderson type windows and every house was different. In fact, due to construction, within the SAME house there where windows I had to do differently than others.

For this reason we charge more for homes with those types of windows. A normal window (out here at least) takes 3-5 minutes to install a contact with Andersons/Pellas/etc...that jumps to 5-20 mins a window sometimes. The last one I did 19 windows in 4 hours and that was with my son on the inside while I worked from the outside which cut the install time considerably.

BTW they are double hungs, tilt wash, wood-vinyl clad if that helps

No doesn't help, makes it harder for you if you want to do tops and bottoms...you'll have to use recessed contacts...run wires to top and bottom...not hit any internal mechanisms...get switch/contact alignments just right so you don't have falses (which you will if the client leaves the window unlatched and the top window slides down.

Anderson Types...moderate nightmare Anderson Types Double Hung...shoot yourself then quadruple your labor charge.

Have fun man...sheesh I hate dem things.

Oh yeah...buy new drill bits, don't use old bits.

| > For this reason we charge more for homes with those types of windows. A | > normal window (out here at least) takes 3-5 minutes to install a contact | > with Andersons/Pellas/etc...that jumps to 5-20 mins a window sometimes. The | > last one I did 19 windows in 4 hours and that was with my son on the inside | > while I worked from the outside which cut the install time considerably. | >

I was the one that posted it. Bass is the one who stole it and put it on his website with his name on it.... as if he thought of it. He never got the complete details right and is probably still telling his cutomers how to do it the wrong way.

I don't have any problem doing these windows. They take a few minutes longer to do but the way I do them on the bottoms you can't see mags or contacts and they're all inside the weather strip.

Tops..... I could conceal there too, but I don't because most people don't care because either the blinds or other accessoris conceal the contacts.

It's not easy to explain but if you E-mail me, I'll give it a try.

I won't post it here because Asshole Bass will steal it again.

Here's a little hint about drilling. I learned it from working on fiberglass, when doing repairs and such on the boat.

When drilling into fiberglass, if you start drilling in the forward direction, the gel coat will splinter and the edges of the drilled hole will chip away, leaving the undercoat exposed. The cure is to start the hole by running the bit in reverse, making an indentation the full diameter of the bit, in the gel coat first.

When drilling into vinyl, put your drill in reverse and press into the vinyl making an indentation with the point of the bit. Stop the drill. Put it in forward and at a slow speed, start drilling the vinyl. Don't press hard.

You'll notice that the bit doesn't grab and pull the vinyl out making that little "pimple" that causes you not to be able mount anything flat against the surface.

Bass has already stolen this, so it doesn't matter.

It's really too bad he's such a f****ng ass hole.

Or you can just use a sharp brad point or spade bit and do it right the first time. js

I know I remember this discussion before and have since used your reverse drill trick and it works great. I also use painters masking tape too.

I do it "right" the first time also.

I've tried your way and that works also.

It's just another way of doing it ..... that works .... too.

I wouldn't ever use a spade bit on an expensive window...infact I've stopped using 3/8" spade bits for press fit contacts altogether...no matter how careful you are the hole is always slightly too big for the switch.

I like the split tip or the split brad point bits the best. I use the spades for rough work and big ship augers for new construction rough-ins.

I didn't look at that closely. Just make sure it's for the 400 series and not the 200 series ( for which I also have a method) and also, I think I may have made a mistake in there somewhere. Continue reading the thread. I think I said to drill the sill at a slight angle towards the outside and I meant towards the inside. But that was a long time ago so it would be better if you continued reading the thread.

I like the brad point bits the best. Spades work ok, haven't had any trouble. js

I sharpen all my bits, including spade bits. I keep one bit that I've ground the sides off, a smidge. It does a good job and the right size hole for recessed contacts. I also counter sink the holes slightly, so the contacts fit flush or a little recessed so I can wipe the silicon off with out leaving any smeared on the sill. .

By the way, with that reverse dilling method because of the larger diameter (like 3/8 inch) the deeper you have to drill the reverse hole so I usually don't use that method on the larger holes. Only up to about 1/4 inch or so.

Hey Crash,

I just remembered you said something early in the thread about problems centering magnets and recessed switches.

How do "you" do that?

Not really problems...just tedious and time consuming.

It depends on where the switch is. If I put the switch on the bottom (this is during framing) I drill the hole, then close the window and latch it. Then I have a special 12" long skinny screwdriver (I call it my mafia screwdriver) which I put up through the hole and mark the bottom of the closed window. I don't drill any of these windows for magnets anymore - I only use the super donut magnets...more expensive but it's quicker and you get a wider more forgiving gap. You know the kids never latch those windows correctly and it takes nothing to pop open enough for a false.

When I can't do it as above I'll use masking tape to line up (tedious).

For door switches I have a screwdriver (same skinny one but shorter) that I bent, ground down a little and use to line up recessed switches and magnets...close the door, stick the screwdriver in to where the switch is and give a little twist..this marks the door for mag placement.

Noobs reading this...you can send me 100 bucks for the tip of the day.

| > I like the split tip or the split brad point bits the best. I use the spades | > for rough work and big ship augers for new construction rough-ins. | >

| | Hey Crash, | | I just remembered you said something early in the thread about | problems centering magnets and recessed switches. | | How do "you" do that? |

Nex time try it this way:

1. Open the window just a crack. Use a sharp #2 pencil to make a tiny tic mark on the sash and the window sill.
2. At the tic mark half the thickness of the sash out from the stool drill down for the sensor.
3. Raise the sash. Even with the mark use a razor knife or Exacto to cut through the insulation strip and spread it out a bit. Insert a GRI MM-25 or MM-45 magnet in the kerf. Touch the edges of the strip with silicone.
4. Use the eraser to remove the tiny pencil marks.

Andersen won't warranty a windo if you drill the sash but we never had an issue doing it this way. Some modern windows have a recess on the bottom large enough to fit one of these tiny "rare earth" magnets without drilling or cutting anything.

I always used a pencil to mark the door and frame. On new construction you can place the sensor anywhere on the knob side or close to it on the top of the door. On existing homes with basements I'd drill a horizontal

3/8" hole in the frame about 2" above the threshold on the knob side. Then I'd slip a 1/4" x 16" feeler bit into the hole and drill down at a compound angle to come out in the basement. Done right the sensor is almost invisible. If the door frame was painted white I'd touch up the hole with silicone. If it's stained wood use matching wood putty (available at HD in assorted shades).

I don't put door switches at the tops of the doors anymore if I can help it.

For one thing they're harder to install & repair up high, but more because wooden doors warp in the sun out here which cause problems with magnet alignment.

I try to put them down on the opening side of the door either a 12 in. above or below the door lock/latch.

"Robert L Bass" wrote in message news:OgEui.5212$zg3.3675@trnddc04... |> Not really problems...just tedious and time consuming. | >

| > It depends on where the switch is. If I put the switch on the bottom (this | > is during framing) I drill the hole, then close the window and latch it. | > Then I have a special 12" long skinny screwdriver (I call it my mafia | > screwdriver) which I put up through the hole and mark the bottom of the | > closed window. I don't drill any of these windows for magnets anymore - I | > only use the super donut magnets...more expensive but it's quicker and you | > get a wider more forgiving gap. You know the kids never latch those windows | > correctly and it takes nothing to pop open enough for a false. | >

| > When I can't do it as above I'll use masking tape to line up (tedious). | | Nex time try it this way: | | 1. Open the window just a crack. Use a sharp #2 pencil | to make a tiny tic mark on the sash and the window sill. | | 2. At the tic mark half the thickness of the sash out | from the stool drill down for the sensor. | | 3. Raise the sash. Even with the mark use a razor | knife or Exacto to cut through the insulation strip and | spread it out a bit. Insert a GRI MM-25 or MM-45 | magnet in the kerf. Touch the edges of the strip | with silicone. | | 4. Use the eraser to remove the tiny pencil marks. | | Andersen won't warranty a windo if you drill the sash | but we never had an issue doing it this way. Some | modern windows have a recess on the bottom large | enough to fit one of these tiny "rare earth" magnets | without drilling or cutting anything. | | > For door switches I have a screwdriver (same skinny | > one but shorter) that I bent, ground down a little and | > use to line up recessed switches and magnets... | | I always used a pencil to mark the door and frame. On | new construction you can place the sensor anywhere | on the knob side or close to it on the top of the door. | On existing homes with basements I'd drill a horizontal | 3/8" hole in the frame about 2" above the threshold | on the knob side. Then I'd slip a 1/4" x 16" feeler bit | into the hole and drill down at a compound angle to | come out in the basement. Done right the sensor is | almost invisible. If the door frame was painted white | I'd touch up the hole with silicone. If it's stained wood | use matching wood putty (available at HD in assorted | shades). | | -- | | Regards, | Robert L Bass | | =============================>

| Bass Home Electronics | 941-925-8650 | 4883 Fallcrest Circle | Sarasota · Florida · 34233 |

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I asked because I have a quick and easy way of doing it.

I'll share it with you via E-mail.

I wouldn't want to give Bass a clue that he's been wasting his time all these years. It takes about 2 seconds to find out where the mag should go on a double hung window.

Anyone else who'd like to have it, just E-mail me.

When doing prewires I found it to be about the same wiring to the top or the side of a door. On retrofits I almost always put the sensor on the side below the knob. We never had the kind of problems you describe. New England isn't exactly known for it's intense heat.

I've also used the threshold in a few rare instances where a top loaded sensor wouldn't work. Sometimes we'd retrofit a home with French doors with side and transom lights. There's no place to run a wire except straight down through the threshold. We would mark the floor near the threshold and then mark and remove the primary door (the one that must open first). If there was an aluminum insulation strip we would remove it and install a wide-gap contact beneath it. If the threshold is wood take it off and do the same. Otherwise we'd recess a 1/4" contact directly in the wood and install two heavy magnets in the bottom of the door. A touch of tinted "Plastic Wood" hides the sensor.