Was dead set against wireless panels until a retrofit in a 1920s house changed my mind

Tried to run wires through plaster and lathe in a historic home in Savannah last month and after 4 hours only got one zone done. The homeowner suggested a Honeywell 5800 series and it passed the walk test clean on the first try. Has anyone else given up on hardwiring for tricky builds?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_taylor8d ago

Did you find the 5800 series gave you any range issues through all that plaster and lathe? I used to be one of those guys who swore by hardwiring no matter what, but a similar job in a 1900s Victorian with horsehair plaster and wire mesh totally flipped my thinking. We spent two days chasing shorts and bad connections before trying a wireless setup, and it worked so clean we finished the whole house in an afternoon. Now I keep a few wireless transmitters in my truck for those old buildings where the walls are basically a nightmare.

wright.leo8d ago

Hard to buy into the hype when hardwiring has never let me down in older homes. @nina_taylor I get that plaster and lathe is a pain, but four hours for one zone sounds like operator error more than a wall problem. Maybe try a different bit or a fish tape next time instead of giving up that fast. Wireless has its place sure, but swapping out batteries every few years and worrying about interference doesn't sound like a win to me. Plaster and lathe isn't some impossible material, it just takes patience and the right tools. People act like it's concrete or something.

young.thomas8d ago

Have you ever had to troubleshoot a wireless transmitter that dropped connection right in the middle of a storm? I'll take running an extra wire any day over chasing dead batteries and RF gremlins at 2 AM.