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Tried using outdoor-rated sensors for an indoor job in a humid basement and got weird results
I had a job in Austin last summer for a finished basement that had a dehumidifier running 24/7. The client wanted motion sensors down there, so I figured I'd grab some outdoor-rated ones since they're supposed to handle moisture better. After 3 weeks I got a call saying the sensors were false alarming every time the dehumidifier kicked on. Turns out the outdoor ones were too sensitive to the warm air blowing from the unit, even though they're sealed up tight. I swapped them back to standard indoor sensors with the sensitivity dialed way down and it fixed everything. Now I just use normal stuff for basements unless it's actually getting wet. Has anyone else run into a situation where the heavy duty gear caused more problems than it solved?
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piperr5820d ago
Oh man, that's such a classic overthinking move and I've totally done the same thing! I bought a "heavy duty" weatherproof sensor for my garage once thinking it would be bulletproof, but it ended up false alarming every time the garage door opened because it was just too darn sensitive. Guess I thought more expensive meant smarter, but nope, just more annoying. It's like buying a monster truck for your daily commute when a regular sedan would do the trick. Sometimes the simple stuff really is the right call, even if it feels like you're taking the easy way out. At least now I know better than to overcomplicate a basement job, but I still cringe thinking about that overengineered sensor sitting in my garage.
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spencer_hayes7120d ago
Respectfully, I'm still picking the heavy duty version every time.
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paulw6318d ago
piperr58 your sensor story hits close to home, I did the same with a "pro grade" thermostat that was way too complicated for what I needed. Simple mechanical switch has been running my basement for years with zero issues.
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