Alarm won't activate as it thinks a zone is open

gebbel

I have a securewatch HKC wired alarm system in a 2 bed apartment. The alarm system divides the house into 3 zones. Since yesterday I can't activate the alarm because it is telling me that zone 3, which includes 2 kitchen windows and a patio door, is open....but all windows and door is most definitely shut.

The only clue I can give is that I had a few mice scratching about in the cavity above one of the windows exactly where alarm wires enter up into the plasterboard. Could this rodent activity have severed a cable and the system thinks a window is open?

If this is case then do I need both a carpenter (to cut through the plasterboard) and then an electrician to fix the severed cable?

Many thanks.

KoolKid

Before you go cutting up the plaster board disconnect & close of the sensors/contacts one by one to eliminate a faulty unit. (This is more likely to be the problem)
When you iopen the unit the alarm will activate. You code will turn it off.
Post up a picture (or a description) of the connections & I can advise you how to procede.

gebbel

Thanks Koolkid, photo attached.

Just discovered that I can inhibit zone 3 and activate the alarm with the other 2 zones. However I can't tell which of the 3 possibilities in zone 3 is causing the system to think it's open.

KoolKid

It could be a sensor of a contact thats faulty.
If you open up the sensor disconnect the 2 wires connected to the sensor head (Thats the part at the bottom of the sensor in the picture) and join them together. Do the same in the contact with the 2 silver connectors.
Do this one by one & try to set the system each time.

gebbel

Thanks again,

Failing that, I presume a wire severed by a rodent would also make the system think a zone is open? There was some serious scratching and gnawing going on up there for a while until the poison did it's job.

KoolKid

Try this first then we can try from window to window if that fails.
There is a good chance its just a faulty device.

altor

gebbel wrote: »

Thanks again,

Failing that, I presume a wire severed by a rodent would also make the system think a zone is open? There was some serious scratching and gnawing going on up there for a while until the poison did it's job.

That is correct, if the wire was cut then this would show as an open zone. Since the alarm is not showing a tamper on the zone you may have a few cores to play with if that is the case. Cant see from the picture if you are at the end of the loop. What I mean by this is you have 3 windows then there will be an end at the control panel two loops then the other end at the final sensor. I would start at the end and work back to the control panel. Is there any resistors fitted in the last device also. Can you check how zone 3 is connected in the control panel. To do this turn off the mains to the alarm, open the control panel lid, alarm will activate. Simply putting in your user code will turn the alarm off.

Jnealon

Just short out each device until the zone closes.
More than likely that's all it is