[How-To] Install A Home Security System

Welcome to Cocoontech. Most of the time it will be Normally Closed. Do you have any tools like a multimeter (even a cheap one)? Or do you have access to the 'programming' of your alarm panel? Those would be the most sure ways to confirm but if you don't we can get creative with other possibilities. But I'm pretty confident it will be normally closed.

Thanks for answering. I have a multimeter, but not much experience using it. I looked at the alarm panel programming, but nothing jumped out as an answer. It uses acronyms of both "NO" and "NC" related to the zones, but nothing that clearly said whether it used "closed" or "open" circuitry.
 
NO = Normally Open
NC = Normally Closed
c = common/ground

in the alarm world, a Normally Closed magnetic sensor is a switch that is Closed when the magnet is close to the sensor (as is typically the case when the door/window is closed so the alarm can be armed)

with your meter, a closed switch would read close to 0 ohms when the magnet was close. It would read infinite ohms when the magnet was away
 
After working out using the multimeter, it confirmed what everyone has been suggesting -- that the system is wired "normally closed." Thanks to everyone for your assistance.
 
I have a some questions. I have recently been called back to work after being laid off for quite sometime. I have been put on a burglar alarm system job. Which I have taken a class in but never actually installed. I dont want to mess up so I could use some help. The questions are basic but it would help me alot.

question 1

Zone 1 has 4 door contacts and one EOL . Do I use 2 conductor wire or 4 conductor wire to each door contact? For instance the red lead (HI) is on terminal 8 and the low lead is on terminal 9 of the control Panel.
do I wire the black lead to one screw terminal of the contact and then the red to the other screw terminal of the contact and then where do I insert the resistor.

Or should it be red to both contact terminals and then at the return spice the red to the with the resistor and take it back to the panel terminal 9 .
 
I have a some questions. I have recently been called back to work after being laid off for quite sometime. I have been put on a burglar alarm system job. Which I have taken a class in but never actually installed. I dont want to mess up so I could use some help. The questions are basic but it would help me alot.

question 1

Zone 1 has 4 door contacts and one EOL . Do I use 2 conductor wire or 4 conductor wire to each door contact? For instance the red lead (HI) is on terminal 8 and the low lead is on terminal 9 of the control Panel.
do I wire the black lead to one screw terminal of the contact and then the red to the other screw terminal of the contact and then where do I insert the resistor.

Or should it be red to both contact terminals and then at the return spice the red to the with the resistor and take it back to the panel terminal 9 .
I gotta say it's a little odd that the company that hired you either didn't give you training or that you don't have a peer that can answer your question specific about the equipment you use and the situation. In any event, assuming you have a wire homerun from the panel to the room where the 4 contacts are, you would wire them something like this (see zone 4). The circuit from the panel is just one big loop, with one wire going from 1 common on the panel to 1 terminal of first contact, then loop from 2nd terminal to first of next contact, etc and on the final contact back to zone input on panel.

Ideally, the EOL should go at the last contact in the zone, but some installer put them at the panel (as shown), which defeats the purpose, but is easier to install.
 
The EOL resistor, if used, should go as close to the last contact in the line as possible. usually you place it so the resistor is right at the contact. By using the EOL resistor, the control panel will be able to tell if the wire has been shorted out (either by accident or intentionally). If the wire is shorted out, the panel will not be able to tell when the contact is opened and closed, rendering it useless.

On all the old TV shows where they show the thief clipping a wire to the system and then opening the door/window - this is basically what they were doing. Although it is TV and not that easy to do in real life.

Most of us would recommend NOT using EOL resistors on a home installation. The chances of someone taking the time to short out the wires is very small. Plus they would have to cut into the wall to find the wires in the first place. Not an easy, quick task. Most alarm panels have a setting which allows you to use or not use the EOL resistors. However, if the panel is set up not to use EOL resistors, then a short in the wire will cause the contacts to be rendered useless in that zone. So anyone that does not have EOL resistors should do a walk test of their system regularly (certainly after any work that might have resulted in an unintentional short - like doing construction or demolition around the wires)

However, if the contract for your specific job says you have to install EOL resistors, then obviously you'll need to do it.

The contacts themselves only use two wires. Polarity does not matter. You wire them in parallel series to each other should you need to connect multiple contacts on the same zone.
 
The EOL resistor, if used, should go as close to the last contact in the line as possible. usually you place it so the resistor is right at the contact. By using the EOL resistor, the control panel will be able to tell if the wire has been shorted out (either by accident or intentionally). If the wire is shorted out, the panel will not be able to tell when the contact is opened and closed, rendering it useless.

On all the old TV shows where they show the thief clipping a wire to the system and then opening the door/window - this is basically what they were doing. Although it is TV and not that easy to do in real life.

Most of us would recommend NOT using EOL resistors on a home installation. The chances of someone taking the time to short out the wires is very small. Plus they would have to cut into the wall to find the wires in the first place. Not an easy, quick task. Most alarm panels have a setting which allows you to use or not use the EOL resistors. However, if the panel is set up not to use EOL resistors, then a short in the wire will cause the contacts to be rendered useless in that zone. So anyone that does not have EOL resistors should do a walk test of their system regularly (certainly after any work that might have resulted in an unintentional short - like doing construction or demolition around the wires)

However, if the contract for your specific job says you have to install EOL resistors, then obviously you'll need to do it.

The contacts themselves only use two wires. Polarity does not matter. You wire them in parallel to each other should you need to connect multiple contacts on the same zone.

ok thank you. I am sure I will have some more questions. This is a burglar alarm system for a business. I just took a short seminar in it and now I have to install one on my own. So some of my questions may sound kind of silly. but it will help me alot
 
I have a some questions. I have recently been called back to work after being laid off for quite sometime. I have been put on a burglar alarm system job. Which I have taken a class in but never actually installed. I dont want to mess up so I could use some help. The questions are basic but it would help me alot.

question 1

Zone 1 has 4 door contacts and one EOL . Do I use 2 conductor wire or 4 conductor wire to each door contact? For instance the red lead (HI) is on terminal 8 and the low lead is on terminal 9 of the control Panel.
do I wire the black lead to one screw terminal of the contact and then the red to the other screw terminal of the contact and then where do I insert the resistor.

Or should it be red to both contact terminals and then at the return spice the red to the with the resistor and take it back to the panel terminal 9 .
I gotta say it's a little odd that the company that hired you either didn't give you training or that you don't have a peer that can answer your question specific about the equipment you use and the situation. In any event, assuming you have a wire homerun from the panel to the room where the 4 contacts are, you would wire them something like this (see zone 4). The circuit from the panel is just one big loop, with one wire going from 1 common on the panel to 1 terminal of first contact, then loop from 2nd terminal to first of next contact, etc and on the final contact back to zone input on panel.

Ideally, the EOL should go at the last contact in the zone, but some installer put them at the panel (as shown), which defeats the purpose, but is easier to install.
 
The contacts themselves only use two wires. Polarity does not matter. You wire them in parallel to each other should you need to connect multiple contacts on the same zone.
For a typical normally-closed loop circuit, the sensors should be in series with each other. That way the zone is secure/complete only when all switches are closed/secure.

Are you doing a normally-closed circuit or a normally-open circuit?
 
Some Of My Works on Alarm Intrusion and Access Control,
 
Old Panel Was Bosch Solution 16 with Safecom which i replaced with Hills Reliance R-128 with Permaconn
 
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Old Panel Was Bosch Solution 16 with Safecom which i replaced with Hills Reliance R-128 with Permaconn
 
3.png

 
 
Keri System for Access Control - Re-Termination
 
5.jpeg

 
TECOM Challenger - Re-Termination
 
4-1.jpeg

 
Old Panel Was Bosch Solution 16 with Safecom which i replaced with Hills Reliance R-128 with Permaconn
 
1-2.jpeg
 
I have found this post very helpful in my research on how to install a hard wired alarm.  I am a newbie to alarms and will be replacing an Interlogix NX-8E with a newer version of the same board.  I hope I can get some questions answered from the more knowledgeable on the board.
 
Is the suggested installation method to first attach all the wiring from sensors, keypads, detectors, etc. to the board before powering it up?
 
Is there are suggested method to adding a garage door sensor to such a system?  I don't necessarily want to the doors to trigger the alarm, thus requiring a long delay if the doors are opened.  Is there a way to set the system up so that the garage door sensors are only 'informational' in nature? That is, using the keypad to let me know a garage door was left open?  Different partition perhaps?
 
Thank you.
 
Thanks for the information. I recently bought a Simon XT Security Alarm System from canadian security professionals. I firstly made a rough sketch of my house to determine where exactly I wanted to install the alarm and then I bought the security cameras and set up a recording device and a monitor in my study.
 
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