Prewire a single hung window?

[Gus]

Looks like my builder will use single hung, insulated ,high-E aluminun
windows on my house.

Brand -- Fisher

I have looked at them and don't see how to mount the magnet on the
window - if you can even use a hidden switch.

Hidden switches would be nice but I don't see how to mount a magnet
for a hidden switch.

Surface mounted switches and magnets will be easy with glueing the
magnest to the slider frame. I want to wire the window so I can keep
it open partially.
Check me out - If I do this I would mount the switch at the center
(where the slider and the fixed panes meet) of the window as well as
one magnet. Then mount another magnet 6-9-12" lower on the lower
sliding window.

Is this how it is don?????

thanks,

Gus

 

[Frank Olson]

Looks like my builder will use single hung, insulated ,high-E aluminun
windows on my house.

Brand -- Fisher

I have looked at them and don't see how to mount the magnet on the
window - if you can even use a hidden switch.

Hidden switches would be nice but I don't see how to mount a magnet
for a hidden switch.

Surface mounted switches and magnets will be easy with glueing the
magnest to the slider frame. I want to wire the window so I can keep
it open partially.
Check me out - If I do this I would mount the switch at the center
(where the slider and the fixed panes meet) of the window as well as
one magnet. Then mount another magnet 6-9-12" lower on the lower
sliding window.

Is this how it is don?????

thanks,

Gus

Hi Gus:

I'm not familiar with your particular brand of window, but on most sliders, what
you describe as a fresh air opening is the way most of us would do it. The one
drawback with using surface contacts is that they're both visible and accessible
to anyone who wants to take advantage.

The way I see it is you have two options. You can wire a concealed contact in
the track and then use a rare earth magnet in the window frame. Most sliders
(even vertical ones) can be removed quite easily. The only thing I would be
concerned with is the "mechanics" involved. Some vertical sliders I've seen use
a sleeve to hold the window frame that "travels" with it as you open it. In
this instance a concealed contact/magnet would be difficult to properly mount.
If you can point us to a website that provides some more details on your windows
that would be helpful. You can also take a couple of digital pictures and post
them on a free web page (yahoo, geocities, or excite) for us to review.

The second option is to go with security screens. These are units that replace
the existing window screen with one that has a very thin sensor wire embedded in
it as well as a magnet in the frame. If someone removes the screen or cuts his
way through it to gain entry, the alarm will be triggered. There are several
screen manufacturers in the US and Canada.

Good luck with your project.

 

[George Patton]

I recently dealt with a similar problem in a house that I own. I
"deglazed" one of the sliders so that I could check out the amount of
free space between the double glass units and the window frame. It
turned out that the free space was just barely ample for little 1/2"
magnets. On the window that I had deglazed I went ahead and drilled the
borehole for the magnet before reattaching the glazing strip. This way
I could literally see the drill bit as it penetrated the frame -- before
it bumped into the seal separating the panes -- and could get a better
"feel" for the whole operation. On the rest of the windows I used tape
on the drill bit to mark the depth of the bore and took care to prevent
the drill from cutting too deep.

It's worth mentioning that I didn't embark on this method without
pre-assurance that I could readily find replacement glass in the event
that I managed to accidentally drill into the silicone seal separating
the two panes. If this happens, ie you perforate the seal between the
panes, the world won't come to an end immediately but the window will
eventually fog up, develop an oily film on the inside, etc, etc, and
you'll need to replace the glass.

Deglazing is easy. The learning curve for this particular task is only
one or two windows on any given window type, but it helps to have
someone around who's done it previously on your particular type of
window. One of my friends is a window manufacturer and I've suggested
that she introduce a line of windows with pre-installed switches. If
the switches were installed at the factory, it would add next to nothing
to the window cost, but so far she hasn't pursued the idea.

Frank's suggestion about rare earth methods is probably the safer way to go.

And no, I'm not a licensed alarm installer and no, it's not necessary in
my state to install switches on your own windows.

 

[Gus]

Thanks guys for the responces....... Fisher is the only name they gave
me and I can not find this company on the internet.

This looks like a cheap contractor's grade insulated double paned
window. The frame looked thin to me.

I needed recomendations for a prewire on this window. I guess I could
wait until they install the windows and find a company I can fax the
specs to before I wire it.

My problem is that this town is tight for supplies for alarms so I
will have to mail order everything and a buiilder may not like to
wait for that. I may have to go with just drilling a hole in the
window frame at the top of the slider and hope to find not too ugle
switches later to complete the job.

On the demo window the outer part of the frame is flat without any
type of ballast. It looks like I could drill a hole in the frame
through the framing stud and install a hidden switch if I did not want
to be able to partially leave it open. There was a convex plastic cap
on top of the sliding window which would require modification to
accept a magnet.

This is why I was considering surface mount switches & mags. On
someone's web site I saw miniture surface switches and mags that did
not look too bad.

By the way this house will have a concrete slab foundation...no
basement.
Also the second I drill the window, all warrantees are gone.

I did see a method of just recessing a surface mount switch and
painting over it to conceal it. I don't know the range of the magnets
but it would have to be at least 1" to reach from the sliding window.

********* I guess the best question is where to drill a hole and run
the wire and get out of the way of the builder.

I will post piicture of the window or supply other information if or
when I get it fro the builder....

Thanks again.

For a quick & dirty security system I think I will hook up a small and
old Honneywell unit I have to my two future PIRs and work on the
premeter.

Gus

 

[Frank Olson]

Someone mentioned alarm screens (mistakenly calling them "security screens")
in an earlier post.

"Mistaken" in whose lexicon?? The "Great Alarm Guru Bassnaks'"??

Oh Great Guru!! Forgive this lowly peon... This poor silly-but-sincere
installer person who has (gasp!) failed to heed Your Wonderful Flabby
Gawdliness... Your most Magnificent Beastly Bassness... Your High and
Undeniably Odiferous (Ass)Holiness...

I will immediately set myself to writing 100,000 times: "I will read the Great
Guru's FAQ's in their awesome entirety" !! You want me to email them to you one
at a time?? )

 

[rory]

I used to use screens where i could, so much easier, and better
protection, but yes costs more.

Rory

 

[Gus]

http://photos.yahoo.com/kramont

Someone suggested I post pictures of the windows I will prewire..Here
they are, they are Fisher Alinco.

Probably a regional small company. They seem to be light weight
frames.

The black cap on top of the bottom slider is plastic and almost flat.

If you remember I was thinking I was going to have to use surface
switches in order to keep the windows open for ventilation. If I
don't Is this just a drill a hole for the recesed switch and glue the
magnet on top of the black plastic cap.

If I use surface switches I assume the placement is at the
intersection of the two glasses. Can you buy extra magnets?

Thanks for auy suggestions,

Gus

 

[Gus]

Thanks Robert, I just wanted to hear it from an expert.

Since this is a prewire and I will have access all areas I can drill
the holes for he wiresnest to the frame.

I did not know if the recomendation would be to screw the switch to
the wall frame and if the magnet would be strong enough to span this
distance.

Thanks again for the effort,
Gus