Hardwired vs wireless sensors for older buildings... which side are you on?

Last month I was swapping out a dying panel in a 1920s brick building in Buffalo and the owner insisted on wireless sensors to avoid drilling into the old plaster. I told him wireless would have battery issues in a few years, but he didn't care about the long term. When you're dealing with thick walls and old construction, do you push for hardwired reliability or give the customer what they want upfront?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia6348d ago

You ever have one of those customers who just won't listen to reason? I feel your pain on that one. That old plaster in Buffalo is a nightmare to drill through, sure, but swapping out a dozen wireless batteries every 18 months gets old fast. I had a similar situation last year in a 1908 house where the owner picked wireless to save on labor, and now half the sensors are dead because the plaster blocks the signal. It's frustrating when you know the hardwired option would last longer, but they're set in their ways. Sometimes you gotta let them learn the hard way, I guess.

julia_jones728d ago

Nah, gotta disagree here. I respect your experience but I actually think wireless can be the right call in those old plaster houses. Yeah batteries are annoying but drilling through that lathe and plaster is a whole other headache. You risk cracking walls, messing up old wiring, and the dust alone is brutal for air quality. Plus hardwired means you're locked into one setup forever. With wireless you can move sensors around if the signal dies. I'd rather swap batteries twice a year than deal with patching holes in 100 year old plaster.