Honeywell 5816 vs 5820L

The most distinct difference between the Honeywell 5816 and the 5820L wireless door and window sensors is the physical dimensions of the the units. Although the 5820L is similar in height at 3 inches to the 5816, this sensor is best known for its extremely slim 0.5 inch width and 0.8 inch depth. These dimensions offer a great solution for surface mount window protection. Most window casings do not leave much space to mount a window sensor. Since it is recommended to mount the sensor on the door jam or window casing and the magnet on the door or window, the 5820L is a great device for tight installations especially on windows and has an excellent battery life of up to 10 years.

The5816 is 1 9/16 inches wide by 3 1/16 inches tall by 1 3/16 inches deep. This is the bigger, boxier sensor but this larger size does offer some unique features. For example, you can connect a wired security sensor to the pair of internal screw terminals found inside the tamper cover. Simply allocate this wired zone to loop 1 and transmit any normally closed wired security contact up to 200 ft. You can still use the included magnet to transmit status of a secondary zone by assigning it the same serial number with loop 2 in panel programming. The battery life for the 5816 is not as good as the 5820L but at 3 to 5 years you are still better off than most other wireless devices.

The 5816 has the longest RF range of any Honeywell wireless sensor at 200 nominal feet. Similar to most other Honeywell 5800 series wireless sensors, the 5820L can transmit signals up to 150 nominal feet. RF range varies based on the type of infrastructure the secured premises consists of and any potential wireless interference.

All in all, both the 5816 and 5820L are great devices that serve unique purposes. The 5816 is a great dual purpose sensor that will transmit both a wired and wireless zone back to the panel. This is especially useful for a garage door or metal door that does not cooperate well with a wireless sensor. The 5820L is often times the only solution for thinly trimmed windows that require a slim surface mount window sensor.