Door switch going open in the night
#1
11-07-22, 11:25 PM
Door switch going open in the night
Third time tonight in past month or so, the front door circuit detects open, and the alarm goes into countdown. I managed to wake up and reset it. The first couple times I was not on a monitoring service, so it was just some noise, but now I am. Don't want to deal with them in the night.
I replaced a wire that the mice had chewed on, but now I'm thinking it may be the reed switch opening due to the cold. (or getting old?)
Any ideas on what to troubleshoot? Suggestions on replacement switch suppliers?
DSC PC1832 panel.
I replaced a wire that the mice had chewed on, but now I'm thinking it may be the reed switch opening due to the cold. (or getting old?)
Any ideas on what to troubleshoot? Suggestions on replacement switch suppliers?
DSC PC1832 panel.
#4
11-08-22, 09:24 AM
Group Moderator
Alarm contacts are closed when the door is closed to maintain a closed supervised loop.
When the switch opens the alarm goes off.
Most door switches are reed type and they can go bad.
A more common problem is capture range. How well the magnet is aligned with the switch.
When the switch opens the alarm goes off.
Most door switches are reed type and they can go bad.
A more common problem is capture range. How well the magnet is aligned with the switch.
#5
11-08-22, 01:07 PM
Yes, I understand magnetic reed switches. I replaced all of the ones on my windows when I replaced them a number of years ago.
This door has been in service as long as I owned the house. So 30 years. So it's possibly the only original reed switch still in the system. The other doors use plunger or roller switches.
It's possible that the weather is making a marginal switch fail, possibly by shrinkage. This is my front exterior door and it's now getting cold at night.
This door has been in service as long as I owned the house. So 30 years. So it's possibly the only original reed switch still in the system. The other doors use plunger or roller switches.
It's possible that the weather is making a marginal switch fail, possibly by shrinkage. This is my front exterior door and it's now getting cold at night.
#6
11-09-22, 04:02 AM
Member
If mice have chewed one place, they have likely likely chewed another. Suggest you replace the entire cable.
#7
11-09-22, 09:45 AM
Group Moderator
The other doors use plunger or roller switches.
#8
11-09-22, 07:46 PM
Is the door warped? You might try replacing the magnet with a rare earth magnet. I think that the magnets do get weaker over time [esp. on a metal door].
Reed switch sensors tend to fail in the closed position [possibly from being in the proximity of the magnet for so long].
Most monitoring companies program in a delay after the alarm starts to reduce false alarms so you may not need to deal with them much.
Reed switch sensors tend to fail in the closed position [possibly from being in the proximity of the magnet for so long].
Most monitoring companies program in a delay after the alarm starts to reduce false alarms so you may not need to deal with them much.
#9
11-13-22, 12:51 PM
Mice: most of the cable is visible most of it's length, and I could not see a problem by inspection. I replaced the last bit that wasn't new, and that's where I found the chewing. A spot on the foundation rim that ran through a notch in the joist and you couldn't see in there. The mice like to move around on the top of the foundation, I have multiple traps there.
The door swells with the humidity, which tends to make it tighter not looser. But I also repaired and sealed some exterior rot near there recently. I may be shrinking a little.
So the replacement switch arrived. I dug out the existing one. A little rusted in spots, but no obvious problems.
I had to pry up the interior trim to get at the wire connections and connect the new pig tails.
Hope it doesn't wake me up again.
Thanks.
The door swells with the humidity, which tends to make it tighter not looser. But I also repaired and sealed some exterior rot near there recently. I may be shrinking a little.
So the replacement switch arrived. I dug out the existing one. A little rusted in spots, but no obvious problems.
I had to pry up the interior trim to get at the wire connections and connect the new pig tails.
Hope it doesn't wake me up again.
Thanks.
#11
01-24-23, 08:04 PM
Group Moderator
Put your alarm in chime mode so that you can hear it chime when the alarm is in the off state. This way you can hear if it's happening during the day. You can also use that mode to check capture range of the switch. How far will the door open before the switches changes.
Did you change the switch and the magnet ?
Did you verify that the magnet is in front of the switch when the door is closed ?
It's not easy to do but I do it several times a week.
Did you change the switch and the magnet ?
Did you verify that the magnet is in front of the switch when the door is closed ?
It's not easy to do but I do it several times a week.
#12
01-25-23, 06:31 AM
Member
Reed switches fail by either getting welded closed from voltage induced by a lightning strike or develop high resistance after the glass envelope cracks. Check the magnet; I've seen them drop down in the door. You can add a second magnet to create a stronger field by making sure the end of both magnets repel each other.
I've also seen doors move or even warp just enough to create the problem you describe.
I've also seen doors move or even warp just enough to create the problem you describe.
#13
02-02-23, 07:05 PM
Thanks for the suggestions. I did replace the magnetic switch and the magnet.
I've bypassed the zone, so I can arm the rest. I'll try some more things.
I've bypassed the zone, so I can arm the rest. I'll try some more things.
