HKC Alarm no longer(?) sees bathroom windows

otron

Hi All,

I have a HKC alarm which doesn't seem to know about my (2) bathroom windows.

They have sensors which look identical to the other windows, and I'm 99% sure they worked in the past. System was installed about 5 years ago.

I tested it today and did a user walk test, and verified that the alarm detected the other upstairs windows, and the landing motion sensor, but opening the bathroom windows did nothing.

Could it be that I've done something (inhibited a zone? that I didn't mean to, on the key pad?

Would be grateful for any advice/troubleshooting steps before looking into cable problems or calling out the professionals.

Also if anyone can point me to info on alarm systems in general and HKC in particular, would be great. I'm a techie with electronic engineering background, so it doesn't need to be totally basic - I just haven't needed to look into this area befor so don't really know where to start.

kub

Ok is there anyway the cable that is going to your bathroom windows has been damaged and perhaps causing a short ?


It is a Normally Closed loop type wiring arrangement.


If you take the cover off the detectors in the bathroom, does the keypad react ?

otron

Ok is there anyway the cable that is going to your bathroom windows has been damaged and perhaps causing a short ?

S**t we've gone straight to looking for cable damage
Bear in mind this is 2 windows, so I'm hoping that the likelihood of damage to both is lower (yes, I know they likely share a significant portion of the route back to the box but I'm hoping...)

I'll take the cover off the detectors tomorrow and see if anything happens, or if there's any damage or whatever.

kub

otron wrote: »

S**t we've gone straight to looking for cable damage
Bear in mind this is 2 windows, so I'm hoping that the likelihood of damage to both is lower (yes, I know they likely share a significant portion of the route back to the box but I'm hoping...)

I'll take the cover off the detectors tomorrow and see if anything happens, or if there's any damage or whatever.

Is it 2 windows in the actual one bathroom or is it 2 bathrooms ?


Chances are they could both be on the one cable, you may have sticky reed switches as well. Meaning that the reed switch within the contact may be stuck in the closed position.
Just my head is going the cable route assuming of course that these windows always functioned.

otron

it's 2 windows in the same bathroom, fairly close to each other.

Looking at the sensors, none of them (in any of the rooms) actually touch when the window is closed, so I assume some sort of electromagnetic rather than contact based detection.

If I open one of these up am I entering a world of pain with tamper detection?

otron

otron wrote: »

it's 2 windows in the same bathroom, fairly close to each other.

Looking at the sensors, none of them (in any of the rooms) actually touch when the window is closed, so I assume some sort of electromagnetic rather than contact based detection.

If I open one of these up am I entering a world of pain with tamper detection?

Ok so I took the plunge and unscrewed the cover on one of the bathroom window sensors.

It immediately DID detect the tamper but I was able to enter my user code and prevent the alarm from going off. This seems to indicate that the cable is ok (?)

I could also see that the tamper alarm refers to Zone 7, which is the same zone as the other upstairs windows.

So maybe there’s something up with the sensor? Pics attached.

In case it's relevant, this bathroom has had issues with steam/moisture/condensation in the past...

kub

First off, they do not need to touch, just be close to one another, it is a reed switch.


Good that the keypad detected the tamper.


How old is this installation ?


It seems to me that you might be as well off to get the installer back, seems like a wiring / connection error to me.

otron

kub wrote: »

First off, they do not need to touch, just be close to one another, it is a reed switch.


Good that the keypad detected the tamper.


How old is this installation ?


It seems to me that you might be as well off to get the installer back, seems like a wiring / connection error to me.

It’s just over 4 years old. I’ll call the installer :-(

Thanks for the advice

kub

otron wrote: »

It’s just over 4 years old. I’ll call the installer :-(

Thanks for the advice

I would be asking questions here by the way, you either have 2 faulty reed switches in those sensors or else there may have always been a wiring issue.

otron

[SOLVED]
Ok so the installer arrived and took a look - turns out that it's fine. The issue was that the window only opens a little bit without a release latch being opened, but when it's opened more the sensors trigger. I could move part of the sensor if I want to make it more sensitive - I'll think about whether I want to do this.

Thanks Kub for your help!

There was no mention of payment as the guy left, so I don't know if I'll receive an invoice for the call-out fee (80eur), and I'm not sure how I'll respond if it does come....