Why do my smart window sensors keep disconnecting?

I stuck some foam spacers behind mine last winter when the window paint started peeling and the sensors wouldn’t sit flush. Honestly, I didn’t notice a huge battery drain, but I did have one sensor that kept bugging out and dropping offline every couple weeks. Could be coincidence or maybe it was just a bad spot for signal—my 1950s house has walls like a bunker. I do think the signal has to work harder if there’s more material in the way, though. The batteries on my kitchen window definitely don’t last as long as the ones in the living room, but that could just be because we’re always opening it for the cat.

That’s interesting about the foam spacers not causing much battery drain for you. I had a similar situation with one of my sensors in the basement—kept disconnecting every few days, and I started suspecting it was the combination of thick plaster walls and maybe some interference from the old wiring down there. I’ve read that certain building materials, especially concrete or metal lath in older homes, can really mess with wireless signals.

I’m also wondering if things like humidity or temperature swings near windows play a role in battery life or connectivity? My kitchen window gets a lot of condensation in winter, and that’s where I see more issues too. Maybe it’s just coincidence, but I haven’t figured out a perfect solution yet. Have you ever tried relocating your hub or bridge to see if that helps with the sensors dropping offline, or is that not practical in your setup?

I’ve run into similar issues in my 1950s house—those thick plaster walls are brutal for wireless signals. I tried moving my hub a few feet closer to the problem sensors, but honestly, it only helped a little. As for humidity, I’ve noticed my window sensors by the bathroom tend to burn through batteries faster in winter when there’s more condensation. Not sure if it’s the cold or the moisture, but it does seem to have an effect. Sometimes I wonder if these sensors just don’t like older homes much...

Totally get where you’re coming from—my place was built in the ‘40s and those walls just eat up any kind of signal. I’ve had a similar thing with my kitchen window sensor;

“they tend to burn through batteries faster in winter when there’s more condensation”

- Funny, I’ve always blamed the cold too, but honestly, moisture might be a bigger culprit than we think.
- Tried lithium batteries? They’re pricier but seem to handle temp swings better in my experience.
- Agree on the weatherstripping—sometimes just redirecting airflow helps a bit, but yeah, not a perfect fix.
- These old houses... nothing’s ever simple, is it?

Moisture’s a sneaky one—I’ve noticed condensation inside the window frames can mess with sensor contacts. Lithium batteries do help, but even then, if the sensor housing isn’t sealed well, humidity creeps in. I had to reseal a couple of mine with silicone just to keep things stable. Old houses really do throw curveballs… sometimes I wonder if the wood swelling in winter shifts things just enough to cause disconnects.

I had to reseal a couple of mine with silicone just to keep things stable.

Yeah, moisture’s a pain. I’ve seen sensors in old wood frames get flaky just from the tiniest bit of condensation. Resealing with silicone helps, but sometimes you gotta check the mounting too—if the frame swells even a hair in winter, like you said, it can throw off alignment. I’ve had jobs where we had to shim the magnet side just to keep things lined up after a cold snap. Old houses definitely keep you on your toes…

sometimes you gotta check the mounting too—if the frame swells even a hair in winter, like you said, it can throw off alignment.

Funny thing, I’ve had the opposite issue where the sensor connection drops even after I’ve sealed and shimmed everything. In my case, I think it was more about interference from the old wiring in the walls than the frame swelling. Anyone else run into random disconnects that weren’t moisture or alignment? Sometimes I wonder if the wifi signal just hates old plaster...

I actually had a similar headache last fall, but I’m not totally convinced it’s always interference from old wiring or plaster. When mine kept dropping offline, I assumed the 1950s walls were to blame (lathe and plaster everywhere), but after a bunch of trial and error, it turned out my router was just too far away and the signal strength at the window was terrible.

Here’s what worked for me:
1. I used a WiFi analyzer app on my phone to check signal strength right next to the sensor spot—turns out there were some serious dead zones.
2. Moved my router about 10 feet closer, which helped, but didn’t totally fix it.
3. Ended up adding a cheap WiFi extender in the hallway, and suddenly the sensor connection stabilized.

I get why you’d suspect the wiring or wall material, but sometimes it’s just plain old signal range or too many devices crowding the network. Maybe worth checking before blaming interference? Old houses are tricky, though... nothing’s ever straightforward.

That lines up with what I’ve seen in my place, too. My house is from the 40s and I was convinced the thick plaster was killing my signal, but once I actually checked with a WiFi analyzer, it was mostly just weak coverage in the corners. I did have to move a bookshelf that was blocking the router—never realized how much random stuff can mess with WiFi. Also noticed that when my kids are all streaming at once, sensors start flaking out. Sometimes it’s less about the walls and more about network traffic than we think.