Hardwired vs wireless sensors for commercial jobs, I finally picked a side

I used to swear by wireless for everything cause it's faster to install, but after a warehouse job in Phoenix last month where we had battery dropouts on 3 different zones within 6 months, I'm switching to hardwired for anything over 10,000 sq ft. Has anyone else dealt with battery life being way shorter than the spec sheets say?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly.nora1mo ago

Did those battery specs come from a lab rather than a real job? I've learned the hard way that heat and humidity kill lithium cells way faster than any datasheet admits. Hardwired is a pain to pull but at least you sleep knowing it'll still work next year.

drew9651mo ago

Three years running a maintenance shop in a humid warehouse taught me that. Datasheets lie more than a used car salesman.

johnflores1mo ago

Tempe warehouse job last summer had me crawling through 130 degree attics running cat6 for 12 zones. The battery specs on those wireless units said 5 years minimum. We got 8 months before the first one started chirping. Lab conditions vs real world is a joke. Hardwired is a pain during the install but you never have to touch it again. I'll take the extra labor upfront over climbing a ladder every few months to swap dead batteries on a commercial roof.