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Installation Guide

Pre-release documentation. CeilSense Pro has not been officially released yet. The design, specifications and firmware can still change until release. Check ceilsense.nl for the current planning.

This guide takes you from preparing the ceiling to a CeilSense Pro that shows up in Home Assistant. You can mount CeilSense Pro in two ways: recessed in a cut-out, or on the surface with a mounting plate.

Safety: Have mains connections made by a qualified installer. Switch the circuit off first. CeilSense Pro is for indoor use only.

Read the placement advice at the end of this page before you cut or drill. The Quick Start shows how to test the device on the table before it goes on the ceiling.

Choose Your Mounting

Recessed Surface
What you need A Ø 92 mm cut-out and free space above the ceiling A mounting plate on the ceiling, no large hole
Held by Spring clips The mounting plate
Space above the ceiling 28.6 mm, plus plugs and cables Only the cable has to pass through
Visible part 27.95 mm below the ceiling, outer rim Ø 115 mm Ø 90 mm × 59.15 mm high
Good for Plasterboard, wood or sheet materials with a cavity Solid concrete and ceilings without a cavity

Dimensions to Check

Measurement Value
Cut-out Ø 92 mm
Recessed body Ø 90 mm
Outer rim Ø 115 mm
Total height, recessed 56.55 mm: 28.6 mm above and 27.95 mm below the ceiling surface
Surface-mounted Ø 90 mm × 59.15 mm high
Maximum ceiling thickness Not published yet, it follows at release

The room needed for plugs and cables comes on top of the depth and depends on the connection. For recessed mounting, measure the free space above the ceiling before you start.

Have These Ready

  • For recessed mounting: a hole saw in the exact size for the right material, with a compatible arbor and pilot drill
  • For surface mounting: fixings suitable for your ceiling
  • A suitable drill
  • Tape measure and pencil
  • Cable and pipe detector
  • Stable stepladder
  • Safety glasses, suitable dust extraction, and hearing and respiratory protection as specified
  • CeilSense Pro, plus the power supply and cables you need

Check Before Drilling

  • Locate cables, pipes and structural parts. A detector alone cannot rule out every risk.
  • Switch off the circuit before you remove a spotlight. Leave mains work and verifying that the circuit is dead to a qualified installer.
  • Use dust extraction, especially with concrete.
  • Reusing a spotlight hole? Measure the opening and the space above it. A hole made for CeilSense V1 (68 mm) or V2 (76 mm) is too small for a recessed Pro.

Prepare by Ceiling Type

Plasterboard With a Cavity

Use a hole saw suitable for plasterboard. First check the clearance above the board for the sensor, plugs and cables. Cut through the board only, not its supporting structure. Plastered concrete is not a plasterboard ceiling.

Wooden Ceilings or Sheet Materials

Choose a hole saw suitable for the material. Check the cutting depth and whether the arbor fits your drill. Use rotary drilling without hammer action and follow the manufacturer's speed instructions. Leave beams and other structural parts intact.

Solid Concrete

Choose surface mounting. A surface-mounted CeilSense Pro needs no large recessed opening. Use a suitable concrete drill bit, wall plugs and screws for the fixings.

Want to recess it into concrete anyway? Have a specialist assess the structure, the drilling position and the diamond core drilling. Do not drill through reinforcement or prestressing tendons yourself.

Make the Cut-Out

This section is for recessed mounting. For surface mounting, skip to the next section.

  1. Mark the center of the position with a pencil.
  2. Check the spot with the detector.
  3. Cut a Ø 92 mm hole. Keep the drill straight and use dust extraction.

The maximum ceiling thickness for the Pro is not published yet. It follows at release, so wait for that value if your ceiling is thick.

Choose Your Power

Power Cable to the ceiling Network Best for
PoE (IEEE 802.3af) Ethernet cable from a PoE switch or injector Ethernet One cable for power and data
110 to 240 V Mains cable, connected by a qualified installer WiFi or Ethernet Replacing a spotlight: the wiring is already there
USB-C USB-C cable, 5 V, at least 1 A WiFi or Ethernet An existing USB supply, or testing

A USB-C supply is not included. Ethernet without PoE works too: use the cable for data and power the sensor from mains or USB-C. See Network Configuration.

Route the Cables

  • RJ45, USB-C and mains are on the ceiling side of the sensor, so every cable has to reach that side, for recessed and for surface mounting.
  • Pull the cable through the ceiling before you fit the sensor, and leave enough length to connect it comfortably.
  • Recessed with UTP? Add the length of the plug to the depth.
  • Recessed? Keep the cavity free of drafts for accurate readings.

Fit the Sensor

Recessed With Spring Clips

  1. Make sure the power is off.
  2. Connect the cable to the matching connection on the ceiling side. Leave the mains connection to a qualified installer.
  3. Press the spring clips in.
  4. Push the sensor into the cut-out.
  5. Release the clips. They hold the sensor against the ceiling.
  6. Check that the outer rim sits flat against the ceiling.

Surface on the Mounting Plate

  1. Make sure the power is off.
  2. Mark the position of the mounting plate and the spot where the cable comes through.
  3. Check those marks with the detector.
  4. Drill the holes for the fixings and the passage for the cable. No large hole is needed.
  5. Fix the mounting plate with fixings suitable for your ceiling. On concrete, use a suitable concrete drill bit, wall plugs and screws.
  6. Connect the cable to the matching connection on the ceiling side. Leave the mains connection to a qualified installer.
  7. Fit the sensor on the mounting plate. The exact steps follow at release.

First Start

Switch on the power. The firmware is not written yet, so these points describe the plan.

  • The LED ring is off by default and the buzzer stays silent, so a dark ring does not mean the device has no power.
  • WiFi firmware will open a setup network. Follow the WiFi steps in Network Configuration.
  • Ethernet firmware will connect to your network through the cable.
  • The first SCD41 readings after a start are not meaningful. Give the sensor time to stabilize before you judge temperature.
  • Give the SGP41 several hours of normal operation before you judge VOC and NOx.
  • The optical smoke sensing needs a warm-up of at least three minutes after every start. See Optical Smoke Sensing.

Add to Home Assistant

  1. Open Home Assistant and go to Settings > Devices & services.
  2. ESPHome devices are discovered automatically. Select CeilSense Pro and add it.
  3. If it does not appear, find the IP address in your router and add it through Add integration > ESPHome. The ESPHome connection uses the standard port 6053.

Placement Advice

  • Place the sensor centrally in the room.
  • At a 2.7 m ceiling, count on a ground radius of about 4 m for movement and about 3 m for sitting still with LD2412 or LD2460, and about 3 m all around with LD6002B. See Radar and Sensor Modules.
  • mmWave can notice small moving objects such as pets, fans and moving curtains. Aim for the area where people are.
  • Mirrors, metal furniture and windows can reflect the radar. Keep them in mind when you choose the spot.
  • Radar can see through thin walls. If a wall is close, plan for tighter settings in Calibration.
  • Do not place the sensor directly above a radiator or other heat source.
  • CeilSense Pro is not rated for wet rooms.
  • Keep your certified smoke alarms where they are. CeilSense Pro does not replace one, so do not move or remove one to make room for it.

Next Steps