Hot take: Are wireless sensors really saving us time or just creating more service calls?

I just read a report from the Security Industry Association that said 30% of wireless sensor failures in 2023 were due to battery corrosion issues, not the sensors themselves. That got me thinking - are we rushing to install wireless systems because they're faster upfront, but paying for it later with callbacks? I've done both for 5 years now, and my wired panels almost never need a return visit. What's your experience been with reliability versus speed?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_park2mo ago

Wait, 30% of failures are just from battery corrosion? That's wild if true, who designs a wireless sensor that craps out that easily from something so basic. I've pulled apart plenty of crusty battery contacts in my own gear, but never seen a failure rate that high just from corrosion alone.

the_jenny2mo ago

Whoa, hold up, 30%?! That's insane! I've dealt with battery corrosion before but that number is just ridiculous. How does that even pass quality control?

ben_nguyen1mo ago

Thirty percent is actually on the low end for some of those cheap wireless sensors. I've seen units fail from a single drop of moisture that sat on the contact pins for a week. @the_jenny, the real problem is they use bare copper contacts with no coating at all. A little bit of nickel plating or a glob of dielectric grease would stop most of it. But that costs an extra penny per unit, so quality control just lets them out the door as is. It's lazy engineering, plain and simple.