Exact model-family answer directory
ADT Door/Window Sensor troubleshooting
ADT Door/Window Sensor (SSH5R0): specs (from ADT); connection and alerts; which sensor; battery; the tamper alert; the gap between sensor and magnet, and a fix for each symptom below.
- Specs (from ADT)One CR2 battery rated up to 4 years depending on use, indoor use only, operating temperature 32 to 104 degrees F, and the sensor measures 2.65 x 0.95 x 0.79 in (67.5 x 24 x 20 mm).
ADT Door/Window Sensor has power or battery problems
Open record ADT · offlineADT Door/Window Sensor is offline or unavailable
Open record ADT · notificationsADT Door/Window Sensor notifications are late, missing or excessive
Open record ADT · routineADT Door/Window Sensor routine, schedule or automation is not running
Open record ADT · wrong readingADT Door/Window Sensor shows the wrong time, state or sensor reading
Open record ADT · setupADT Door/Window Sensor will not complete setup or pairing
Open record ADT · factory resetADT Door/Window Sensor will not reset or needs to be reset safely
Open recordConfirm the model first
Which units this covers, and how to tell yours is one of them
- Model numbers and patterns
- SSH5R0
- Not applicable to this hardware
- This ADT Door/Window Sensor does not have the hardware for: will not stay connected to Wi-Fi; does not respond to voice control; video is blurry, dark, frozen or delayed; misses motion or records too many events; shared users or family members cannot control it; will not connect through Matter, HomeKit or another platform; firmware update is stuck or failed.
Published specification
What is true of this model and changes how you fix it
- What it isA two-piece magnetic contact sensor (model SSH5R0) — a sensor body and a separate magnet — that reports open/close state for the door or window frame it is mounted on.
- PowerOne CR2 battery, included. ADT instructs owners not to pull the battery tab until prompted during setup in the ADT+ app.
- Placement toleranceADT states the sensor and magnet should be mounted a maximum of 1/2 inch apart when the door or window is closed — a wider gap is a documented cause of a sensor that reads Open when the door is actually shut.
- Connection and alertsIt talks to the ADT Smart Home Hub over DECT/ULE, sets up with the ADT Base out of the box, and gives an alert if it is tampered with.
- Which sensorADT's Premium Door/Window Sensor adds a shock sensor and a bypass button. This standard sensor does not.
- BatteryWireless door and window contacts take a lithium coin or CR-type cell, and installers quote three to five years before a low-battery warning; extreme cold and a door that opens all day shorten it.
- The tamper alertEvery ADT sensor has a small tamper switch that trips when its case is opened or it is pulled off its mounting. A tamper alert that will not clear usually means the cover is not fully closed.
- The gap between sensor and magnetA gap wider than about a quarter inch can trip the alarm. Close the door or window fully and line up the marks on the sensor and magnet.
- Batteries vary by modelDepending on the sensor the battery may be a CR123, a CR2032 or AA or AAA. A solid yellow disarm button points to a sensor that is disconnected or low on battery.
Where these figures were read. help.adt.com/article/blu-adt-door-window-sensor ("ADT Blu- Door Window Sensor SSH5R0")
Manufacturer support for this product line. ADT Support — ADT Blu- Door Window Sensor SSH5R0. ADT's own overview and setup article for the standard Door/Window Sensor, a single CR2-battery magnetic contact sensor.
Also read for this model. ADT — ADT Door/Window Sensor (battery); ADT Help — ADT Premium Door Window Sensor SSHX5R0-29; Trunetto — ADT Sensor Battery Replacement Guide; SafeHome — ADT troubleshooting guide; Trunetto — Why does my ADT sensor show a tamper alert?.
Exact questions
Questions that only have an answer for the ADT Door/Window Sensor
My Door/Window Sensor shows Open when the door is closed.+
ADT's own spacing tolerance for this sensor (SSH5R0) is a maximum of 1/2 inch between the sensor body and its magnet when closed. A door that has settled, warped, or a magnet mounted slightly off-axis can exceed that gap even though the door looks shut — ADT also sells Door/Window Sensor Spacers for exactly this alignment problem.
What battery does this sensor use?+
One CR2 lithium battery, included in the box. ADT's instructions say not to pull the battery's plastic activation tab until the ADT+ app prompts for it during setup.
Why does my ADT door sensor warn about its battery in winter?+
Cold drains lithium cells faster, and a busy door transmits more often. A warning in winter that clears in warmer weather still means the cell is near the end.
How do I reset an ADT door sensor?+
Put the system in test mode, open the cover and press the reset button for 5 to 10 seconds; if there is no reset button, take the battery out for 30 seconds and put it back.