Another EOL question...

Ok, so I am looking for surface contacts with built in EOL terminals in series with the switch...like something where you could connect the wire leads to screw terminals and the bend the resister and put into an additional two contacts...that way, the wire would never have to be disconnected to change out the resistor.
 
Here is the reason: I am working with wiring that comes from behind trim and will be very short once attached.  Still not sure what panel I will go with yet, so resistance is up in the air.
 
So does such a thing exist?

I don't know the answer to your question in terms of a product that may or may not exist.
 
However, I've done a few alarm installs now and have done EOLs at the contact, EOLs in-wall very close to the contact, and EOLs at the panel. If I were doing my home again today, I'd probably go without EOLs at all - there is just little to no benefit to me in my home environment where the wire is very difficult to be tampered with, easy for me to monitor, and I know where the wire is... so I don't have to worry about shorting it with nails. Note that each of my contacts is home run to the panel. YMMV.

:hesaid: Most residential installations are best done without EOLRs.

Good info...anyone who does prefer EOLs in residential applications? Right now I will probably opt out of them altogether based on this info

EOL's are important, and it really has little to do with tampering.  That is not their main purpose.  They detect wire faults, and over the 12 years I've been in my house, I've had two.  Neither was caused by "tampering."  And this is even MORE likely if you have a contractor install your wiring.  Wires break and they can become pinched by MANY things.  For a window sensor its probably not the end of the world, but for a smoke alarm, it can be.
 
My advice it to become informed on what is required for a UL listed residential install, and follow those requirements to the Tee.  If you buy an HAI or ELK, those are UL Listed panels so they give instructions at ever step how to keep your install UL Listed.  There are requirements on battery sizes, loads, and definitely EOL resistors.  If your installation is UL listed, and your monitoring company is UL Listed, your in good shape.
 
Also, remember to get your advise, especially that which involves your safety, from reliable sources, not just people that happen to be hanging out on a chat board, not that some members are not very knowledgeable.

Thanks ano, good to note... do you have any input on the original question then?

Btw, going with hai panel

surface contacts with built in EOL terminals in series with the switch.

Click to expand...

 
I have neve seen one of those.
 
I just soldered and put a little heat shrink tubing over the solder and resistor.  That and here used EOL's with my HAI OPII panels.  Not really that time consuming with one of those little portable gas soldering torches.  I did have one issue where the door frame pulled on the switch just enough to give me some occasional false positives.  It was my fault for making the wire too tight and the door did expand a bit. I understand that the option not to have EOL's is built into the board; guessing I did it out habit. 

Also, don't be tempted to put EOL resistors in the panel. That defeats the purpose of them. 
 
If you don't understand what an EOL resister does, here is a brief explanation.  When not using EOL resistors, the alarm panel only has two states for every zone, secure or not ready.  A short (zero ohms) may indicate an alarm state, typically this is how smoke alarms work, OR an open circuit may indicate an alarm, typically how a window sensor works, for example.  But lets say that wire running to that window sensors gets squeezed somewhere between the panel and window, and the two wires short together?  Or a rat in the attic eats the wire to a smoke detector?  Many things can and DO happen, caused by sloppy workmen, animals, your house shifting, etc. 
 
With no EOL resistor, your panel can't tell the difference between a wire shorted and the window shut, so basically the senor has been bypassed but you may never know it.
 
So what they do is place a EOL resistor in series with your sensor if its normally closed, or in parallel with your sensor if its normally open, and you set the panel to monitor them.  An HAI EOL is 1000 ohms, so the panel monitors each zone for that 1000 ohm reading.  If your wire now gets shorted, the panel will know immediately and you'll get a "trouble" indication for that zone.  So EOL resistors allow the wires to be monitored. 
 
You will have zone wires all through your house, and this way you can be guaranteed that they are working correctly.  Without EOL resistors, you really don't know that for sure.  You still can have multiple sensors on one zone, just one one EOL resistor for each zone (not each sensor.) 

Ano is absolutely correct on the utility of EOL resistors. And I would definitely use them if I was doing a permanent install. But those who do home automation for a hobby may want to think twice. I am currently switching to my third panel in less than 15 years - and each one has a different resistor requirement. I am so glad I don' t have to open up my woodwork to change them.

BTW: Searching for EOL on this forum provides plenty of reading material.

Honeywell PAL-T contacts have enough space and wire entry points to facilitate EOLR installation underneath the trim covers. I would not get contacts with integral EOLR's. May be cleaner to install, but over time you're painting yourself into a corner.
 
There's pros and cons to EOLR's and installation of them. If you have a single device/zone, yes, but if you have multiple devices in series, the ability of them to truly sense a circuit fault in all circumstances is impossible and their benefit at that point is questionable.
 
If security and supervision were paramount we'd be using DEOLR's and limiting the devices per zone to one, but it's not a practical affair at that point for most.

drvnbysound, I noticed, just no answer to this question, thx, I understand EOLs and their benefits, just looking for a product that would allow for the use of EOLs at the contact with easy change out to prevent what Mark S said...

DELInstallations, the integral contacts were an option, but I would still have to change the whole contact.  How exactly do you wire a DEOLR on a HAI panel?  I do have only one device per zone.  I am trying to attach a photo of what I am talking about

Here is a drawing of something like I mean: