Window Contact Problems

Slates

Active Member
Was hoping to get some insight on a problem I seem to have every time the seasons change... my home is fairly new, about 2 years old now, and it came with a full alarm system installed. It has contacts on all windows, of the magnetic plunger type. The contact is wired to the bottom of the window (horizontal baseboard) and the magnet is fixed onto the window via a silicon gel (looks like silicon anyways). The contacts are fine for most of the year, but when temperatures start to change a bit, a couple of them start acting up and losing connection randomly. It results in false alarms and ultimately in us not setting our alarm at night.

Does anyone know a good way to definitively fix this issue? I can move the magnet around in the silicon until it seems to line up good, and it seems to be a solution, however, not one I am confident enough to risk a false alarm with. Is there a better way I can wire these windows? Or is there some other solution, like possibly a stronger magnet?

I would appreciate your input!


please let me know if I left any pertinent info out.
 
I am not 100% sure I understand what type of device you have as ones with magents typically don't have plungers. I believe you have the magnet type where once the magnet gets close enough it closes a contact that is enclosed in the wired portion of the device without actually pushing or touching anything.

I think you already hit the nail on the head. If the magnet is not properly aligned (almost but not quite) it can be flaky. Solutions include properly aligning the magnet or purchasing some of the extra strong magnets and properly aligning them. The stonger magents are cheap and will allow for less precise placement. Some of these magnets are designed for 1/4 inch gap and others more like a 1/2 inch.

Worst case scenario, you have a flaky contact. In this case, you need to slip a screwdriver under its lip and slide it out. Replace it of course with a new one.
 
Sorry.. I knew plunger wasn't the right word when I was typing it! You are correct, it's just magnetic contacts. So it sounds like a good first attempt would be to try the stronger magnets, with the 2nd option to replace the wired contact itself. Thanks for the advice, now to hunt down some parts!
 
Was hoping to get some insight on a problem I seem to have every time the seasons change... my home is fairly new, about 2 years old now, and it came with a full alarm system installed. It has contacts on all windows, of the magnetic plunger type. The contact is wired to the bottom of the window (horizontal baseboard) and the magnet is fixed onto the window via a silicon gel (looks like silicon anyways). The contacts are fine for most of the year, but when temperatures start to change a bit, a couple of them start acting up and losing connection randomly. It results in false alarms and ultimately in us not setting our alarm at night.

Does anyone know a good way to definitively fix this issue? I can move the magnet around in the silicon until it seems to line up good, and it seems to be a solution, however, not one I am confident enough to risk a false alarm with. Is there a better way I can wire these windows? Or is there some other solution, like possibly a stronger magnet?

I would appreciate your input!


please let me know if I left any pertinent info out.
It sounds like the magnets may not be lined up properly, but it could also be cheap contacts. Can you get a brand name off of the contacts? Also, a picture of the installation would help. I can definitely make a recommendation to fix this if I knew a little more. Also, how many window contacts do you have like this?

I understand the situation. Having false alarms is much worse than have no alarms at all. We can fix this.
 
I will take some pics when I get home today. All of my windows utilize this setup(20-25), but only 2-3 have begun showcasing this fun behavior. I would assume they are indeed cheap contacts as they were installed by the builder. The system itself is a Vista-20P, but I know that doesn't help you much!

Thanks for the help, I will gather more info tonight.


As an FYI - this is what my contacts look like, but I cannot confirm the brand yet:

http://www.automatedoutlet.com/Home/Door-W...rs/GRI-2020-12W
 
Ok.. took some photos.. unfortunately I cannot determine the brand of the contacts.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v734/bsl...Alarm%20System/
I understand the problem a little better now. But, unfortunately, I can't help much more without knowing the brand. "Digging" the contacts out is a bit of a chore, but in order to make an assesment, this will be necessary. I suspect that the contacts may be an off-brand, as many contacts look very similar, but GRI and Honeywell are reliable brands. The other thing it might be is the magnet alignment, but I can't tell from the pictures. As previously suggested, more powerful magnets (rare earth) may help.

Without more information, I can't help any more.
 
If a new magnet and repositioning don't fix it, then pulling it may be easy or hard. If it was glued or siliconed, could be tough to do. Since you planning on trashing the contact anyway, just drill a small hole down the middle and put a screw in leaving a half inch or so out. Then you can put a vice grip on the screw and pull it out.
 
Any advice on good magnets to replace this one?

42etus - thanks for the link, should I just go with a similar, cylinder shaped one to replace my current one as a test?


As for repositioning, it does work, but I don't feel comfortable with it as a long term solution. I think I need a really powerful magnet. Since these are 2nd story windows, I am pretty comfortable going with a strong magnet (if there are any concerns that a stronger magnet would allow for tampering).

Thanks for the input!
 
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