Alarm switch on patio doors

[Dave Plowman]

Any tips on the neatest way to do this without, preferably, the switch or cable showing?

[Andy Hall]

Are they sliding or hinged, Dave?

Are you looking to protect against being opened by gemmying or smashing?

If it's to detect opening then how about a fairly potent permanent magnet in the door and a reed switch in the frame? Then run the cable within the framework. .andy

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[Dave Plowman]

Sliding. I thought all patio doors did this - hinged types were called french windows?

Just opening. I have a PIR in the room too.

In other words it's a build something time? I wondered if there was a ready made solution I just hadn't come across.

[Dave Plowman]

The wiring is there from the previous door I've just replaced. I'm good at hiding the sensors and cabling with wood doors, but these sliding PVC things are something else. It should be easy enough to get the cable concealed, but the sensors are more difficult. Perhaps I'll just use a micro switch.

[Grunff]

Encapsulated reeds are difficult, but a micro glass reed, protected in a couple of layers of heatshrink, shouldn't be more than 4mm dia. Pretty easy to conceal.

[Andy Hall]

Reed switch in the frame and chunky magnet in the door?

.andy

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[Dave Plowman]

Well, decided to do things from scratch. I have a few assorted door and window reed switches left over from when I installed the alarm some time ago, and the long surface window type proved excellent. The magnet including casing was an exact fit beneath the lock assembly in the sliding door - so much so you'd not notice it even when looking. There are clip in trim strips below the lock striker on the door jam, so I simply removed the reed switch from its housingand superglued it to the back of this strip. Works perfectly - it triggers with the door only open by an inch or so. Hiding the cable through the various channels was also dead easy.