I recently added some Aqara Door/Window sensors to some of my windows. I’ve been using these on a few doors without any issues. I noticed that the window state was sometimes incorrect. I also noticed that I would get a lot of “bounce”, i.e. when opening or closing the window, I would get three updates: opened, closed, opened all at the same time.
I ultimately tracked this down to sensor orientation. I originally had the sensor installed vertically on the side of the window, so that the magnet would slide past the sensor. After moving the magnet and sensor so that they were horizontal, the problems went away, and I now only get one update when opening or closing the window.
It’s a bit wide for a contact sensor, but better would be to install it inside window frame. It is not noticeable and it works without problem, at least on my side.
But you will need at least smaller sensor.
There might be a different reason: in the first example the reed switch is on the moving window and may shake/bounce when moved.
In the 2nd picture, the magnet is on the (moving) window and this is the correct config. I suspect that if you rotate the reed switch in the 2nd picture, it will still work.
I considered that it might be shaking, but the same problem occurs even with the positions switched. The sensor always “bounces” multiple times when in an orientation where the magnet slides vertically away from a vertically oriented sensor. I can reproduce this just sliding them around on a table. If the sensor is installed on a door, where the magnet is pulled away from the from of the sensor, the reading is quite reliable. It is only for windows where they vertically slide past one another that I have a problem. I have no doubt that other sensors may be better in this scenario, but the Aqara sensors have a problem with that orientation. I have 3 of them on windows, and they all exhibit that issue. They all are fine when oriented this way.
The sensors were $75 for a 10 pack from AliExpress, so I can’t complain since I was able to find an orientation to make them work. I had read a few older threads where people had problems with these sensors bouncing, and worked around it by adding filters to the sensor data, but I wanted to post my experience to let anyone else experiencing this issue know that they may have better luck by changing the sensor’s orientation.
They were a bit expensive. I have some tuya based, yes again them, but they are smaller than yours.
I fitted them in window frame, they are not noticeable, and they work ok I guess.
When I close window it report closed, when I open it even on tilt it reports open.
Fair enough. I have all of mine mounted vertically (pic. 1 but with the magnet on the door or window) with no issues, so perhaps they are somehow loose inside?
Fair enough. I have all of mine mounted vertically (pic. 1 but with the magnet on the door or window) with no issues, so perhaps they are somehow loose inside?
I have them as you described for the doors, and it works fine there. Do your windows open out instead of up? It’s only the windows where I had this problem.
Thanks though for the reminder about installing the sensor on the place that doesn’t move. I installed most of my door sensors with the sensor on the door instead of on the wall/jamb (didn’t consider how it might matter). It hasn’t caused any issues for me installing them that way, although just to be safe I have re-oriented most of the ones that I installed that way (one of them needed to stay with the sensor on the door due to space constraints).
