DSC alarm not arming (false zone open)

That is not a battery issue.
These systems are very basic, you have either a 1)broken wire, 2) broken contact/sensor 3) dead board (never happens).

coffeeguy wrote: ↑ That is not a battery issue.
These systems are very basic, you have either a 1)broken wire, 2) broken contact/sensor 3) dead board (never happens).

Thx. I don't want to replace the battery if the system is dead (or until it is fixed). I just opened the panel and the battery does need to be replaced. Acid spillage at the positive terminal. I will hold off though until I check the wire/contact as you suggest.

All the other zones are working properly.

I'm technically stupid (a noob). What would I be looking for? The wires are intact, nothing has split the wire or anything. Windows were closed at the time when the kids heard the system chime. So possibly failed contact?

I believe you would need to disconnect the zone's circuit from the main board and check the resistance to see if the circuit is actually open.
Then, if it's open, check the resistance of each contact (in closed position - door/window closed) to see if any are stuck open.

If you don't have a meter, you could try bypassing contacts on the zone, one at a time until it doesn't show open any more.
You can also bypass the entire zone circuit to rule out the board, keeping the resistor in place.

chimaican wrote: ↑ I'm wondering if someone can help me troubleshoot. I have a DSC Power632 (PC1555) system? Last night I tried to set the system but it says that one of my zones is open. All the windows for that zone are closed. I checked the contacts and nothing is damaged, the wires are intact.

My family said that yesterday they heard the alarm chime go off as if someone opened a window or door when in fact no one did.

Is it possible that it's the backup battery that has failed? I last changed it 8 years ago and its likely due now for replacement. Could this be the cause?

TIA

Are you windows using magnetic sensors ? (a magnetic contact on the frame/ a magnet on the window pane)
The magnet might have fallen off of a window in that zone. Some are attached with just two sided tape

l69norm wrote: ↑ Are you windows using magnetic sensors ? (a magnetic contact on the frame/ a magnet on the window pane)
The magnet might have fallen off of a window in that zone. Some are attached with just two sided tape

Yes, it uses the magnetic contacts, but no, the contacts are still there. It has to do with the wiring I'm sure.

Looks like I will have to watch some YouTube videos.

There are many ways to locate the problem. Without knowing if you own a multimeter, or if your panel is configured to uses EOL resistors. this procedure is probably the simplest.

If you look at the main board inside your DSC cabinet, you will see 2 wires coming from each of your zones into the panel. These wires will attach to screws located along one edge of the main board. One of the 2 wires will be attached to a Zx screw (i.e. a zone screw) while the 2nd wire in the pair will be attached to a COM (or common screw)

First step
Check the wire attached to the Zone giving you the problem for a good connection, Also heck that the 2nd wire associated with this zone is firmly attached to a COM terminal.

Second Step
Remove the wire from the screw of your problem zone, and swap this wire with the wire attached to another zone that is working properly. Note that you only need to swap the wires under the Zx screws. The second wire of the zone can remain attached to the COM screw.

Let's say zone #2 is giving you a problem. Remove the wire from Z2 screw and swap it with the wire from Z3 screw. Now check if zone #2 still shows a problem, or does zone #3 now show the problem.?

If zone #2 still shows a problem, the your main board if defective or setup improperly. If zone #3 now shows open, then then one of the sensors in that zone is defective, or the wire which runs from the panel to each of the sensors is broken at one point.

Let us know if you discover the problem in the wiring and sensors, or if the problem is in the main circuit board. We can provide further guidance from there.

I believe you can bypass the problematic zone with the keybad in the meantime so it will arm.

Rick007 wrote: ↑ Let us know if you discover the problem in the wiring and sensors, or if the problem is in the main circuit board. We can provide further guidance from there.

Thanks. I will look into this later and swap the wires and see what happens.

Unlike other OPs who never follow-up, I will update the thread. Thx

chimaican wrote: ↑ Unlike other OPs who never follow-up, I will update the thread. Thx

Thanks, I appreciate that.

When replying to a question, it takes some time to type up an answer, and even more time performing some research and looking for an image that may be helpful. I know that all my replies may not the be the proper solution to a problem, but it is satisfying to know if my reply helped, or didn't help, and what the final solution was.

Because so many people fail to acknowledge replies that are posted in response to their questions, I find that I will often delay a suggestion until it appears that nobody else has been able to provide an answer.

I'm looking forward to your test results.

Rick007 wrote: ↑ Let us know if you discover the problem in the wiring and sensors, or if the problem is in the main circuit board. We can provide further guidance from there.
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I'm looking forward to your test results.

Okay, just finished playing with the wires in the panel. The wires/sensor for Z4 are faulty somewhere. Circuit board is fine.

Swapped Z5 wire to z4 CB & it still worked, whereas Z4 wire swapped to z5 CB, zone 4 windows are still dead.

Wires into the window sensors are still firmly attached, and all sensors are still firmly attached to the window frame.

I guess the next step is to use a multimeter? I don't own one, so I guess I would need to borrow one.

Could the magnetic sensor (reed) break? Maybe I should pull it off and check the connection next? Rust/corrosion?

chimaican wrote: ↑ Okay, just finished playing with the wires in the panel. The wires/sensor for Z4 are faulty somewhere. Circuit board is fine.

Swapped Z5 wire to z4 CB & it still worked, whereas Z4 wire swapped to z5 CB, zone 4 windows are still dead.

Wires into the window sensors are still firmly attached, and all sensors are still firmly attached to the window frame.

I guess the next step is to use a multimeter? I don't own one, so I guess I would need to borrow one.

Could the magnetic sensor (reed) break? Maybe I should pull it off and check the connection next? Rust/corrosion?

Your sensors in each zone are most likely in series.

So you can bypass each sensor on the zone one by one until panel stops seeing it as open. This method should work as long as your switches open the circuit when a door/window is opened.

The majority of alarm systems use normally open switches (NO switches). That means when the magnet is nearby the switch will be closed and complete the circuit. The 2 wires from the terminals of your DSC panel are wired in series with evey contact in the zone. When the panel detects a completed circuit it shows the zone is normal, but if the circuit is interrupted in any way, either by an open window sensor, or a broken wire, it will show that an alarm exists.

To verify that your panel is using NO switches, and not one of the rare cases using NC switches, simply remove the wire from the Z screw of a working zone. If that zone shows an alarm, then your panel is wired for NO switches.

How many sensors are on the zone with the problem?

Some installers run the 2 wires from each sensor all the way back to the panel. At that point they wire all the sensors in the zone in series to form a continuous loop. Finally the beginning and end of the loop are attached to the 2 screws of the panel.

Other installers will run 2 wires from the panel to the first sensor, and then 2 wires to the next sensor, and so on, This is known as daisy chaining.

The first method makes troubleshooting very easy because you can access each sensor at a single location within the panel. Do you know what method is used in your home?

#1
Has any work been done on the house that may have damaged a wire in the walls or ceiling. For example have any holes been drilled, or screws inserted.

#2
Perhaps the gap between the reed switch and the magnet has increased at one of your sensors. Find a fairly strong magnet and hold it near each switch. Listen for the alert chime to let you know if you have found the proper sensor. Of course make sure all the windows on the zone are closed before beginning the test.

Let's answer these questions and perform the magnet test, and we can go from there.

Two windows exist on the current zone (4). Not sure which of the two could be malfunctioning.

As per my post above, the zone 5 sensors works fine after placing its wire into the zone 4 circuit board. Zone 4 still remains in an OPEN state when placing its wire into the zone 5 circuit board.

No work has been done on the home, and I have no rodents. . The windows were both closed on the day my kids heard the alarm chime (time/day of malfunction), so nothing could have snagged and cut the line. This was the same day when I realized I couldn't arm the system.

this happened to me. one day i could not arm my house alarm cus a zone was open, it turns out you can still arm the alarm but you would have to buypass the faulty zone, some have a screen with instructions on how to bypass, some older ones have a older keypad with no screen you have to remember some long codes to do the same thing.

once you buypass it, you can then investigate and fix it. some one visited my house and hit the magnetic sensor on the sliding door and it came loose and fell down and got lost. so you need both peaces for it to work, however when you go to the alarm stores they dont sell you just the magnet, they sell you both the magnet and the part with wires, i had to remove the caulking and pull up the sensor and wires, cut off the old one, sodder on the new one i had to use my lighter, then i had to go in the basement and find the wire and pull on it so the slack is gone, and peel the tape and re-attach the magnet and sensors back to the sliding door and frame.

there is no easy way to do this.

Update:
More bizarre things happening. Just got home and now zone 4 is intermittently chiming on/off (OPEN/CLOSED) for no apparent reason. I haven't touched any of the wires, and the system has remained inactive & untouched since I last looked at it two days ago on Sunday. Both windows have remained shut as I'm running the AC.

chimaican wrote: ↑ Update:
More bizarre things happening. Just got home and now zone 4 is intermittently chiming on/off (OPEN/CLOSED) for no apparent reason. I haven't touched any of the wires, and the system has remained inactive & untouched since I last looked at it two days ago on Sunday. Both windows have remained shut as I'm running the AC.

Maybe you have a poor connection. Electronics can be very sensitive.

Still, assuming that they're normally open type, physically bypassing each contact on this zone would rule out the wiring.
The zone should stay closed, all the time this way.

One F problem after another.

So I had mentioned earlier about maybe the battery being old and that one of the terminals (+ve) had blew and crusted over with dried acid. Now I can't get the clip off as it seems to be seized. Any suggestions. I just now tried to use a pair of needle nose pliers to manually force it off, but oops, caused sparks. Anything I can use on it safely?

insertname2020 wrote: ↑ Maybe you have a poor connection. Electronics can be very sensitive.

Still, assuming that they're normally open type, physically bypassing each contact on this zone would rule out the wiring.
The zone should stay closed, all the time this way.

As to @GoodFellaz, I just looked at the manual and I can indeed program it to bypass zone 4 so that I can put it back into a 'ready' state so I can turn on the system at night and when I go out. THANKS. But of course zone 4 windows would be useless.

chimaican wrote: ↑ One F problem after another.

So I had mentioned earlier about maybe the battery being old and that one of the terminals (+ve) had blew and crusted over with dried acid. Now I can't get the clip off as it seems to be seized. Any suggestions. I just now tried to use a pair of needle nose pliers to manually force it off, but oops, caused sparks. Anything I can use on it safely?

Once the connector has been exposed to acid and starts corroding, it can not be re-used anyhow, won't make good contact.

So just snip the wire and replace the connector when you change the battery. (do not let end or unaffected terminal to touch cabinet or you'll create a short and blow the battery charging circuit, or if you;re lucky a fuse)
It's very easy to replace - cut old one off, re-strip the wire, put new one on and crimp.
Pliers should be "good enough" for one time use if you don't want to buy the proper tool.

Yes, bypassing is a temporary measure - until you fix the problem.