Open door indicator?

[Von]

Anyone know of a device that would give us an remote indicator that a door is open? For example, some sort of sensor on the door that communicates wirelessly with a doohickey that has a light turn on if the door is open. I would guess they make something like this for garage doors, so one could tell if they were open from inside the house if one can't see it, but I've failed to find one. In our case, we open a door in the basement for the dog during the day and would benefit from something upstairs to remind us that door is still open (or tell us we've already closed it and don't need to go do so again).

I know this can be done with going the home automation route, but I'm hoping for something simpler w/o a central controlled I have to manage.

TIA, Von

[wtnhighlander]

There are numerous device that do this sort of thing in the industrial realm. Might be a bit pricey for home use, but there are a ton of cheaper options on places like Ali Express. Search for "wireless I/O" and you'll find plenty.

I have used devices from controlbyweb.com with great success. Not the cheapest, but reasonable by business standards, and very reliable.

[JohnG]

Look at door jamb switches. Someone probably makes a wireless one if you want to go that route.

[Coop]

If you have an alarm system, you can add that and it will show when you set your alarm. 

[pkinneb]

On 6/16/2024 at 4:34 PM, Coop said:

If you have an alarm system, you can add that and it will show when you set your alarm. 

Yep we have these with our alarm system.

[Von]

Thanks for all the suggestions, but nothing has panned out. The closest I've found are two sets of devices that warn when a door is left open on a freezer and another for garage doors. The freezer door devices alarm way too quickly (1-5 minutes), and the garage door sensors all seem to use a gravity sensor to detect when the door is in a horizontal position, so they won't work for a standard household door.

I have found various ways to build something out of home/industrial automation gear, but I'm looking for a $20-40 fix and not a new hobby ideally.

[Mark J]

Out of curiosity, what did you find for garage doors, if you remember?

[Beechwood Chip]

I found this sensor, which talks to an app on your phone. 

I like that it helps remind me if I or my kid comes home and didn't close the door. I don't live in the best neighborhood so it's a constant reminder to be vigilant around the house to have these in place. I do like that it's compatible with alexa and google home that can help set reminder if you didn't close the door.

Maybe there's a way in the app to turn off alarms or chimes and you can just check the app to see if the door is open or closed.

[Beechwood Chip]

On 7/6/2024 at 9:02 AM, Mark J said:

Out of curiosity, what did you find for garage doors, if you remember?

I'm pretty happy with the MyQ system for my garage door.  It allows me to open or close or check the garage door from my phone.  It has the option to chime whenever the door opens and/or closes.

I've linked it into my Ring alarm system, and it sends me reminders if the door has been opened for 15, 30, or 60 minutes.  This is nice when I'm working in my garage and leave the door open, but then forget to close it when I'm done.

[Von]

On 7/6/2024 at 9:02 AM, Mark J said:

Out of curiosity, what did you find for garage doors, if you remember?

I don't remember one in particular, but a search for "garage door monitor" seems to be a good way to find them.

[Von]

On 7/6/2024 at 9:05 AM, Beechwood Chip said:

I found this sensor, which talks to an app on your phone. 

Thanks. I've been resisting "smart" devices as I hate to rely on software that may become unsupported, but for $20 I can roll the dice.

[Von]

On 7/6/2024 at 9:05 AM, Beechwood Chip said:

I found this sensor, which talks to an app on your phone. 

I like that it helps remind me if I or my kid comes home and didn't close the door. I don't live in the best neighborhood so it's a constant reminder to be vigilant around the house to have these in place. I do like that it's compatible with alexa and google home that can help set reminder if you didn't close the door.

Maybe there's a way in the app to turn off alarms or chimes and you can just check the app to see if the door is open or closed.

Thank you Chip - I installed this yesterday and it does what I need and more. Specifically, I have a one-click shortcut on my phone that shows if the door is open or closed, and I set up an notification on my phone if it gets to be 10pm and the door is still open. Very nice.

[legenddc]

Just read this thread and was going to suggest a cheap video baby monitor but it's hard to go wrong at $20 for that sensor.

[comp56]

Yeah, you can definitely get a simple solution for that. Check out wireless door sensors. They’re pretty easy to set up, just stick the sensor on the door and have the receiver upstairs. When the door's open, it lights up or makes a noise. Look into brands like YoLink.