‎Entry Sensor Open or Not Responding | SimpliSafe Support Home
 
Philoctetes's profile

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023 6:59 PM

Entry Sensor Open or Not Responding

Even w fresh batteries, TWO entry sensors report as "Not Responding." These are garage window sensors set to "Instant Trigger," since they are NEVER OPENED. But, if I DO open then close the windows, the sensors begin responding again. Annoying. Separately, and differently, a Garage Door Entry Sensor is often reported as OPEN when it is NOT. Fresh battery. Opening the garage door and closing it "fixes" the problem until it recurs. Sensor and magnet are properly spaced and securely mounted. It seems,  like the window sensors, to require a "toggle" to get it to report an accurate state.

Accepted Solution

7 Messages

1 year ago

Thank you for the reply. The "false open" appears to have resolved by re-mounting both the sensor and magnet on thick double-back foam mounting tape. This moved the magnet slightly away from the metal garage door and the magnet and sensor are now slightly closer to each other. Seems to have worked so far.

The "Not Responding" sensor tested fine, so seems to be within range of the base unit, but later gave the same "Not Responding" error. I did then swap it out w another entry sensor (which also registered w/o difficulty). Both have new batteries. For nearly 24° the replacement sensor has not lost communication w the base unit and no "Not Responding" message so far. If the NEW entry sensor continues w/o problem, I'll be inclined to think the 1st is defective.

Community Admin

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3.3K Messages

@Philoctetes​ Yes, if the new Entry Sensor that you swapped with your old one continues to work without a problem, there might have been an issue with your older one. If so, our Support team will be able to help with some live, in depth troubleshooting to get to the bottom of that. 

Community Admin

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3.3K Messages

1 year ago

Hi @Philoctetes, 

An Entry Sensor Not Responding message could be due to a few different things. A new battery could be needed, but it could also be that the Entry Sensor and Base Station are too far away. Putting your system into Test Mode and testing the Entry Sensors that give you this error will help to determine if the Base Station needs to be moved closer. This Help Center article lists out the steps to take when testing an Entry Sensor that shows a Not Responding message.

Regarding the Entry Sensor that is shown as "open" when it is not, is it placed on a metal surface? If either piece of the Entry Sensor is on metal, it can impact the sensor's magnetism and it can read as "open" when it really isn't. You can get around that by placing a buffer between the sensor and the door, like a piece of wood, plastic, or an extra layer of adhesive strips.

7 Messages

@emily_s​ Entry sensors do NOT suddenly become too far away from the base station, nor do the suddenly become improperly installed. One of my entry sensors began operating erratically and now is no longer functional. I spent about a half hour of my time today going through a extended sequence of tests and a reinstallation, ending up with a still non-functional sensor. The outcome? Take a picture of the sensor to see if it is installed properly! I want a simple answer from SS. Will you replace my sensor or should I buy another one?! Please let me know, so I can go on with my life. 

Community Admin

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3.3K Messages

@bobsundahl​ If you reach out to our Support team, they will be able to provide additional assistance. And if there is an issue with the Entry Sensor they can send out a replacement.

38 Messages

1 year ago

I have also had this issue....BUT what I found is that even if the system says they are not responding, if you open the sensor, it seems to still work. In other words, when SS told me the sensor on a door was not responding, when the alarm was off, I opened the door and got the "chime" to go off which means it was still working and would detect an intruder if the alarm was on.

4 Messages

2 months ago

@emily_s I am also having similar issues. After over 4 years of the sensor working faultlessly (same as bobsubdahl). Follow all the steps above (battery change, remove sensor from system etc.). Tried working with SimpliSafe 'Help' who were their usual useless selves. The more contact with them I have, the more I realize I need an alternative system.

Community Admin

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3.3K Messages

@spcoop​ If the Entry Sensor isn't responding even after replacing its battery, there may be an issue with interference at play, or an issue with the device itself. I see that you have already gotten in touch with our Support team and they are replacing that Entry Sensor for you. If you continue to experience this issue with the new sensor, please let me know and we can continue to troubleshoot here.

4 Messages

@emily_s What was surprising is the suggesting from the chat 'help' that the sensor and magnet need to be more than two inches apart. I was asked to move them and take a picture showing their new location. I saved a copy of the transcript because I was so shocked by this but it does amply demonstrate the level of support SimpliSafe provide - you can see why so many get frustrated.

1 Message

9 days ago

I’ve tried all of the above and have the same issue. I’ve given up and just let the exit’ warning’ go. If I set the alarm, and it doesn’t alert Simply Safe, it’s on them. I’ve used four different mounting pad heights to try to remedy the problem. The pieces are accurately placed. Just like they had been since initial install. 

2 Messages

1 day ago

Is this problem similar to this forum? See if delete/add the sensor clears the problem.

If it is, it is related to this old forum:

https://support.simplisafe.com/conversations/alarm-sensors/entry-sensor-says-it-is-offline-after-replacing-the-battery/6190c67f8ea41ebb0623df51?page=1

I was hoping that after two years, they would have fixed the clearing of this user interface "error".

I think the unit isn’t coded to clear the "not responding error" and I consider the delete/add is only a workaround, not a solution. Also, I didn’t get any low battery warnings prior.

It is becoming annoying, since all my sensors' batteries are expiring nearing the same time.

I am at a dilemma, do I change them as needed, or all at once only to repeat the exercise several years from now.

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