I have a greenhouse (similar to pic below) and would need a way to get an up/down roll-up door status. I guess it would involve some kind of active IR sensor pointing from the inside out combined with some range limiter somehow? (as there’s a fence like 3" across the door)
any ideas? I’m quite new here… so far dealing with WI-FI devices connected to my network via HA running on Synology NAS. So if there’s an out-of-the box WI-FI sensor solution for this the better.
Thanks!
Have you tried a normal door sensor installed in the floor with the stud in the “net door”? Definitely will be more reliable than an IR sensor pointing to a fence outside the greenhouse.
that would not be consistent as when rolled down the door won’t reach the bottom or a pre-set level, it’s more a random position when closed.
What about when it is open? I mean, having the sensor in the top?
lot of wind here, afraid sensor contact will not be firm and will get quick-changing up/down status… any way to lower the time it should last the sensor reading to minimise random readings or similar?
You can always have a trigger in your automations to wait for the door to be opened for more than a number of seconds, so you can prevent triggering the automation when the door is closed for just a couple of seconds (caused by wind).
Also, you can add a few more magnet studs to your net in order to increase the chances to have your door sensor detecting the door (reduce wind interference). Most of the door sensors will support any magnet as a trigger stud.
That’s great input, thanks a lot! any battery powered wifi HA-friendly door sensor to recommend? (only wifi coverage in the garden. not keen on a bluetooth proxy setup just for this sensor)
(outdoor/weatherproof is a must in the case)
Unfortunately I’m not the best one to help with a Wi-Fi sensor recommendation, as all my door/windows sensors are Zigbee, but let’s wait for some collaboration from the community.
About the possibility to use outdoors, I believe you can do yourself some protection, maybe a plastic bag, as there’s no wires outside the sensor and the stud is just a magnetic piece, with no need to a physical contact (just have to be close enough to trigger the sensor).
In terms of ‘outdoors/weatherproof’ I would open and spray the door sensor with something like this:
Amazon.com: CorrosionX Corrosion Technologies 91002 (16 fl oz trigger spray) – Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Penetrant, Rust and Corrosion Preventative | Industrial Strength | Marine Grade | Cleans Lubricates Protects : Tools & Home Improvement
Ive had my Zigbee door sensors outside for almost 2 years now and they’ve held up fine even in the Arizona monsoon while the sun killed plastic bags in weeks.
And for magnets, maybe something like this might for you:
Amazon.com: Flexible Magnetic Tape - 1/2 Inch x 10 Feet Magnetic Strip with Strong Self Adhesive - Ideal Magnetic Roll Tape for DIY and Craft Projects - Sticky Magnets for Refrigerator and Dry Erase Board : Office Products
That would provide weight and broad ‘magnetic coverage’.
Sorry, I sound like an Amazon Sales Person now - I promise I’m not 
Hola Luis. Por tu nombre asumo que hablas español.
Se me ocurren varias opciones. Si buscas una solucion comercial, lo mas viable es usar sensores de puerta a bateria.
Usé los que son RF 433kHz, con resultado aceptable. Me parecen mucho mejores los Zigbee.
Compraría un HUB Zigbee WiFi de Sonoff, cambiando el firmware a tasmota unos cuantos sensores de puerta de Sonoff instalados a distinta altura, asi podes saber si la puerta está al 25%, 50%, etc.
As I understood the Wi-Fi network is available at the greenhouse…
Hi Edward, I understood the same, but I’ve tried WiFi door sensors, and they use too much battery and at least, in my experience, they are not reliable enough.
He asked for a commercial solution… If I were to design the system, I would use an ESP, a few reed switches, some magnets (assuming there is power in the greenhouse), or maybe a small battery with a solar panel…
