Looking for current recommendations on a humidity sensor that is:
Plug in: Because the locations are a pain to get to, requiring a ladder and a 2nd person. Battery backup would be nice but not a deal breaker. It MUST turn itself back on after a power outage with no intervention at the physical sensor.
Accurate: Because the Zooz Multi Sensors I have now read approx 8% higher RH than the three other sensors I put next to one of them (the one that is a bit easier to access).
ZWave: Because the ZWave network in my house seems far more stable than the Zigbee network. Once I got the Zooz devices connected their connection has remained rock solid
Alternatively, is there a way to calibrate the Zooz devices? Mine are less than a year old. When I first got them I put them next to two other sensors, and they were within 1% for about 2 weeks, but that is no longer the case. They are now >8% difference.
Does it need to be a Swiss army type device? Just get a temp/humidity sensor. Zooz ZSE44 is pretty accurate, but it is battery. If you can work with the seperate temp/ humidity sensor, you may be able to mount it in a more accessble manner for the once a year to 18 months you need to change the battery.
Mine has been in a gun safe for 6 months so far, battery is still at 72%. No issues with it staying connected. Arguably, inside a safe would it would have a hard time staying connected, and could be a heavy battery drain.
@lcw731 :Does not need to be multi type, but must be plug in. I had this Zooz next to an Accurite for 2 months before I installed it - during those 2 months I had the same experience you did - they were always within 1%. But recently I thought the humidity readings were rather high, so I climbed up there and put an Accurite next to it. The Accurite was much closer to what I thought it should be, but I figured the Accurite could be wrong, so I put a third sensor of a different type up there. It matches the Accurite. So I am fairly confident the Zooz is currently wrong and has gotten itself uncalibrated over the last 8 months...
Well, I guess what i'm getting at is that a multi function sensor (particularly with motion in the mix) will probably run through batteries faster than one which only does one thing, in this case temp/humidity. I would imagine as the battery life decreases, the accuracy would also decrease, especially in a high traffic area. I have noticed my zooz motion only sensors (ZSE18) go through batteries faster than the ZSE44 (also the ZSE18 is 500 chip vs 700 in the ZSE44). At any rate, just a suggestion I'll admit i'm still keeping a close eye on this sensor and comparing it to the Accurite. So far, I'm happy with its performance.
I just thought of something. Your Zooz sensor can also be powered by USB cable / adaptor (cell phone charger) to provide power. Have you tried that to see if it improves the accuracy?
My Zooz sensor IS powered by a USB cable. As posted above it is in a very difficult to access location, so plug in power is the only option. So I do not think it's power source has any impact on it's battery.
As an aside, it was set up plugged in (as per the instructions), but I put a battery in it for backup to bridge times the power goes out. That battery lasted only about 2 months before it was reporting less than 1% battery. I will not pursue a battery powered device for this location. I need an accurate plug in device that will communicate by Zwave or Zigbee
@inetjnky : Found that Aeotec. Looks like $70 on sale. Since I need a few, that cost causes me pause...
Hoping someone has recommendation on a more affordable reliable sensor, but perhaps you have to pay for what you get with this issue..
Yeah they’re not cheap but after updating the firmware on them to the latest, I really like them in my home. I have them recessed mounted in my ceilings and have network drops in my attic to their locations that run back to a POE switch so they’re always powered by the home. Never have to change batteries. I use them. Kathy for temp and humidity but the other options are there if I want / need them.
