Adding A Switch To A Door Sensor

Questions

I have a double window or door; do I need to use two Door/Window Sensors?

How can I add an extra magnet switch to a Door/Window Sensor?

Can I use another sensor with the Protector Plus like a water level sensor?

Answer

It is pretty simple to add another magnet switch to a Door/Window Sensor. The magnet switch has two screw terminals on it. Normally, one magnet switch is wired to the terminals. Whenever the switch opens up or a wire is cut, the sensor sounds the alarm because power is not flowing between the terminals.

To add a switch to a sensor, unscrew one of the two terminals and take the sensor wire out. Get a length of wire; attach it to the free screw terminal, then attach the other end to a screw terminal on the new magnet switch. Connect the free wire from the sensor module to the other screw terminal on the new magnet switch. You now have a loop of wire with two switches in it. If either switch is tripped, the alarm will go off.

You can substitute any normally-closed sensor (NC) made for a wired security system.

Newer DS12A Door/Window Sensor

The newer DS12A sensor can also be expanded. It has a pair of contacts that allow you to wire in some other normally-closed (NC) sensor just like with the DS10A. Please note that any switches connected to the contacts will install as a different zone into the console. To install, you will need to trip the add-on switches or open and close the contacts.

Customer Suggestions

I have 6 sets of twin doublehung windows and found the best way to install on both windows is to use a light gauge speaker wire. That way you have one wire marked with a blackline (usually) and the other wire is unmarked. To start, if the existing windows are wood doublehungs, I remove the window stop on both sides of the window I will install the sensor next too. I use a 5/8" paddle bit/spade bit and drill a hole in both sides of the jamb at 7 1/8" off the window stool. The side that I want to mount the sensor on the wall I drill a small hole (3/16") right next to the casing on an angle. The other side of the jamb where the two windows are mulled together I drill the 5/8" hole until the tip starts to come through the window stop on the other window. I then drill a 3/16" hole where the tip of the paddle/spade bit has poked through. Then I feed the speaker wire through the small hole I drilled in the second window. I run that wire to the first 5/8" hole (you may have to do some additional wire "fishing".) I mount the sensor on the wall and fish the wires through the first small hole until it comes out in the 5/8" hole. At this point I will strip the wire ends and solder the unmarked speaker wire to one of the sensor wires, use a small wirecap and tape it. Stuff that connection back into the 5/8" hole. At this point there will be one white wire from the sensor and one speaker wire with a black stripe on it, now I feed the two wires through another small hole I drilled at 7 1/8" in the window stop. I reinstall the stop and connect the magnet sensor to the white wire and the wire with the black stripe on it. I make sure not to pinch the wires when reinstalling the stops, you may need to "rabbit out" the back of the stop for the wire. Now the speaker wire can be cut off with about two inches sticking out of the second small hole drilled where the paddle/spade bit poked through. Attach the speaker wires to the magnet and mount it accordingly. This method is a very clean install and all the wires are hidden.