I had a window sensor go out in my home security system. When I pulled up the magnet from the window sill, the sensor wires pulled out of the wiring. I went through the wall to get to the wiring, and boy am I confused. I have two, two wire cables coming into the bottom of the window. The magnetic sensor has two wires. Can anyone help me with the correct way to reconnect the sensor? The house is wired in zones; I don't think each individual sensor is wired to the box, in other words I think each zone is wired in series. I would appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks.
The most likely way to wire it would be to connect one conductor from each wire together and then the connect one conductor from each wire to the sensor. The above assumes that the sensors are closed loop sensors and that one wire comes from the preceeding door/window or control panel and the other wire goes to the next window or door. You should test every opening on that zone after replacing the contact.
You can determine which wires to use fairly easily. Short one pair at a time while someone is watching the touchpad. When the ready light comes on, that's the pair leading back to the panel.
Leave that pair shorted and check all other windows to make sure they are functional. If not, connect the other pair in series with the first and recheck.
Don't mean to be a nitpicker, but if you connect only one pair of wires together at a time you will never get a closed circuit because the other disconnected pair will keep the circuit open (assuming it's a normally closed circuit).
Strip 1/2" or so of insulation from the ends of all the wires, Then, connect one wire from one pair of wires and one wire from the other pair of wires together. If the wiring is OK when you touch the remaining two loose wires together you should get a ready light on the keypad (if everything else is closed).
By the way, it is not the magnet in the window sill, but the switch. If you don't see some sort of button coming out of this switch (the closed window holds it down, completing the circuit), then it is a magnetic switch, and the magnet is drilled into the window itself, directly over the switch location. I've seen some cases where the magnet falls out of the window, making the window seem OPEN, even when it's closed. If that's the case, simply replace the magnet.
Also, before you put everything together and jam that switch back into its hole, connect it temporarily to the wiring and hold it next to the magnet in the window (or hold its button down if it has one) and see if you get a ready light. If not, replace the switch.
If there are two pairs of wires at the window there's a good chance one is from the panel and the other goes to the next sensor. By shorting one, then the other you can find out which pair is from the panel.
This assumes the zone is a closed loop (opens on alarm) which is the most common type of burg circuit.
If everything else is closed and if it's a closed loop, that is correct. If something else is open connecting the two pairs of cables will not change the panel status. Moreover, you still won't know which end goes to the panel. You could determine that with a voltmeter, again assuming that nothing between the test point and the panel is open.
Yep. I've seen that on occasion, too, mostly on older systems with rather large magnets. Have you seen the ones (ancient) where a mechanical switch and magnet are enclosed in the frame and a metal armature plate is installed in the door / window? I came across one of those many years ago where the client had replaced a door and then discovered his alarm wouldn't set up. I've run across them occasionally over the years when doing takeovers.
I think the contacts you're talking about are the Ademco 56's. I still have a box of them down in my parent's basement. Boy, I hope they're not the contacts that this fellow has.
By the way, none of us has mentioned that if the loop in question has an end of line resistor at the last contact in the loop, then touching the wires together in any combination isn't going to give a ready light at the keypad.
And, if it's any comfort to the fellow who pulled out the contact and the wires didn't come out with it, I think we've all done that at least once. It's not your fault, the installer didn't leave enough slack for you. Welcome to the club.
"By the way, none of us has mentioned that if the loop in question has an end of line resistor at the last contact in the loop, then touching the wires together in any combination isn't going to give a ready light
at the keypad."
I just reread my post and want to clarify that statement (hey, give me a break, it's 1:30am!). With an end of line resistor at the last contact, then shorting either of the pairs of wires together will not give a ready light.
I'm going to bed. There is a raging snowstorm going on right now.
Agreed, but it's an old, residential system. Knowing how few installers even used EOLs on commercial installations, let along residential jobs, I doubt he'll find EOLs anywhere except in the panel box.
Yep. It's one of the reasons I constantly teach DIYers to leave a service loop of extra cable for every switch, motion, glass break or keypad.
"Robert L Bass" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...
Bad or incomplete info as always...
First shorting the pair will not closed the loop if EOL resistor is in used in the circuit and the EOL is properly installed at the last device in the loop
the best comment would be
close all the windows/door of the said loop,then connect the 2 pair to each other (one wire of one cable goes to one wire of the other cable,and the same for the remaining wire of the pair,make sure the now spliced wire is not shorting all the wire together
now check for status of the zone at the keypad,of the zone is ok,all you need to do is connect the remaining 2 wire from the contact to the wiring,you do it so by opening one side of the splice (where one wire of one cable is connected to another wire from the other cable) and connect the 2 wire from the contact to those now free 2 wire end..
secure the connection with a soldering iron if you have one,and tape it all (use electrical tape,not masking tape or duck tape) so that nothing short against any of the splice,if no soldering iron make good joint by removing at least an inch of the wiring insulation and twisting the wires together very tight on the whole length of the metal not insulated..then tape very securely..
now test operation of the zone by pushing the pin of the contact or holding the magnet close to the switch ,you should see an open and a close...at a minimum
now to be sure that every thing is good ,test all device in that loop to be sure all is ok...
now I do wonder how long you were on service call.................surely not for 27 years
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