Wiring Andersen 400 frenchwood doors
- Thread starter tadr
- Start date
fabriziojoe
Active Member
Hello,
Are these interior or exterior doors? Wired or wireless contacts?
I always go on the hinge side of the door is using recessed. Most recessed door contacts require a 3/4" hole. Buy a forstner bit as it makes the cleanest hole.
Hope this helps.
Sorry, I should have given more information. Exterior doors. Wired contacts. I hadn't thought about going on the hinge side rather than the top -- any particular reason?
Good idea on the forstner bit, thanks.
Hmm, I hadn't thought of using a pushbutton. Do you use pushbuttons on all of your exterior doors? What model do you recommend? Any problems with the button getting stuck?
This is for a prewire. The door isn't even in yet, I'm just trying to plan ahead.
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
My buddy, when building his home, installed typical 3/8" magnetic sensors on the top (towards the open edge side) on each door in his living, family, and master bedroom with no problems. He just ran the wire along the top of the door space covered by the trim piece and drilled a hole in the side of the studs for the wiring to the panel.
The only problem he had was when the top slide latch on one door wiggled loose (months of not being open and slight vibration of the door due to wind we are guessing) it caused the contact to trip (even though the door wasn't 'opened').
It was actually a good thing in the end as no telling when he would have found out this one slide latch was loose.
Also, it showed how 'layered' security can help with remote determining problems on notification of an alarm. For instance we could see the door alarm go on and off continually (strong winds that day) but the glass break and motion sensor in that room would never go off. Also, no other doors or windows showed any status changes.
The only problem he had was when the top slide latch on one door wiggled loose (months of not being open and slight vibration of the door due to wind we are guessing) it caused the contact to trip (even though the door wasn't 'opened').
It was actually a good thing in the end as no telling when he would have found out this one slide latch was loose.
Also, it showed how 'layered' security can help with remote determining problems on notification of an alarm. For instance we could see the door alarm go on and off continually (strong winds that day) but the glass break and motion sensor in that room would never go off. Also, no other doors or windows showed any status changes.
Sandpiper
Active Member
As a prefessional installer, I use a 3/4" pushbutton, whenever possible, on the hinge side. Second choice is a 3/8" recessed magnetic switch on the latch side or top. Top is better than the latch side, but on French doors the latch side is not even an option. We usually use the GRI PBF-100T, but these are sold only at professional outlets. You can probably find them on-line.
A good quality pushbutton will last a long time and never give a problem..... as long as you don't paint them.
apostolakisl
Senior Member
I did what Brave Sir Robbin's friend did. I prefer 3/8 magnetic contacts and they don't work well on the hinge side. I also have windows accross the top of my french doors, but they are not a single piece with the door so there was a space there for wires. I just drilled stright up through the frame closer to the latch side and put the contact there. It was not hard, it works pefectly (alarms with the door even cracked) and it is 99.9999% invisible.
