Home Security Question: Will a glass break detector work with tempered glass windows?
We just installed a new ADT security system with multiple motion detectors etc… We are trying to figure out a way to secure our master bath/closet. The ADT guy suggested a glass break for the bathroom as there is a large tempered glass window in there that doesn’t open. When I questioned if it would work for tempered glass, he was unsure, so we didn’t install it.
1. Does the glass break monitor work with tempered glass?
2. If you don’t know, what would be your suggestion on securing the master bath/closet?
need to be secured and just secure the master bedroom, BUT our home was just broken into and they spent most of the time in our master bedroom/bath/closet. So, we need secure that area to alert us immediately if this happens again.
Thanks
Since the window is in the master bath, by code, it cannot be regular glass. It MUST be tempered glass. So we have to work with what we have.
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Tags: adt security system, bath, break, detector, glass, Home, master, master bedroom bath, question, security, tempered, tempered glass, windows, work
4 Responses to “Home Security Question: Will a glass break detector work with tempered glass windows?”
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Sugar Glider,
Glass break detectors come in different varieties. Acoustic detectors, detect the sound that glass breaking makes, while the vibratory sort detects the vibrations of the glass. Now, tempered glass is also used in car windshields, and cars seem to be able to detect when glass breaks, so it might be a good idea to see what kinds of detectors they use for their glass. If you are going to keep your tempered glass there, then i would strongly recommend getting an acoustic detector because as can be seen in this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8tx3B5YxNQ , porcelain can break tempered glass. (small vibrations). These detectors SHOULD WORK. However, I would recommend changing the glass to standard glass, because tempered glass breaks abnormally. So if possible, change that out and get a standard detector installed.
Hope this helps!
How about a standard motion sensor – is someone comes through the window they will get picked up by the sensor. I believe there is also a security tape/seal that if broken triggers the alarm.
Mace Brand makes a window alarm that will do the job.
Tempered glass is designed to crumble into thousands of little cubes when it shatters. This prevents you from getting injured by a sharp piece of glass when the window breaks.
Many acoustical glassbreakage detectors claim to be able to detect the breaking of tempered glass. Sometimes, there is a specific setting on the detector that can be switched to “tempered” that allows it to work in applications such as yours. You really need to look at the installation instructions for your specific brand and model of detector to see if your detector will work.
To be on the safe side, you may want to install a wide gap magnetic contact switch on the window itself. I would mount the contact switch on the window jamb, and glue the magnet on the glass about an inch or two away from the contact. Please note that this would be different from an ordinary installation in that you are mounting the magnet to the glass rather than to the window frame. When the glass breaks and crumbles, the magnet will fall to the ground, thus setting off the alarm. Be sure to use some waterproof type of adhesive (such as silicon adhesive) because of the moisture present in a bathroom.
Another thing you may want to do is install concealed magnetic contact switches on the interior doors of your bathroom and closet. These would set-off the alarm in the event the intruder made his way in by some other method. I like to use interior magnetic switches rather than motion detectors as they are relatively cheap to install, provide positive protection, and are less prone to false alarms.