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How to connect window sensors?

When we purchased our home it did not have a security system. I installed one myself, really not knowing anything about the proper ways of wiring one up. For each window, I drilled up through the header and ran the sensor wires along the edge of the window. It really is not noticable. I had sensors with very long leads and I was able to make all my connections in the attic using butt connectors.

But since I lost many sensors due to a lightning strike, the replacement ones I bought have much shorter leads. These are the small sensors that do NOT have the screw terminals. I can't make the connections in the attic, so have been soldering the new sensors (staggering the solder joint for each wire) and using shrink tube to insulate. This makes for a very small profile connection compared to butt connectors. Is this a good idea? How do you pro's do it for a repair job?

Another question... I have learned from this newsgroup that my normally closed contact sensors failed since they were basically welded together. Would I have been better off using normally open contacts? I assume those are wired in parallel, and since NC ones are wired in series, I can't just change, but I was just curious if they fail due to lightning.

Thanks in advance.

Reply to
borne
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Some folks like to use open circuit contacts and wire them like a typical fire circuit. That is not what the majority of the industry does. Old Radionics dealers used to do it that way the most. I don't know how to compare and contrast which method is better for lightning since one method is used so seldom. I don't know if balanced or biased contact do better either for the same reason, hardly ever gets installed that way.

Reply to
Just Looking

I can tell you that a biased contact on a chain link fence is like a lightning rod in one of my installations. Went though three Sentrol biased contacts before the client finally had me give it up. We put up cameras with motion detection in the storage yard instead.

Reply to
Jim

A contact can go bad in the open condition as well as closed.

Reply to
Jim

As long as the connections are soldered and staggered so there's no way for the wires to short, that will work fine. There's another option which you could have chosen. There are miniature, wide-gap magnetic contacts with screw connections you could have used. Those would have allowed you to use the existing wires. However, since you already bought the contacts stay with what you have.

You assume correctly regarding the wiring method but no, that would not make the system more lightning resistant. The most significant thing you can do to protect against future strikes is a bonded ground. This was discussed earlier so I won't repeat it unless you ask.

Reply to
Robert L Bass

troubleshooting open circuit switches is a nightmare - use what you are using.

solder and heat shrink tubing is fine...probably the best way if you have time to do it that way - you will seldom find it in production work though.

Reply to
Crash Gordon

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