New installation - Elk M1

[BB22]

Hi everybody, I just moved in a new place and was looking at installing my M1. My issue is that all the wiring was already done in the house by the previous owner but he never had an alarm system connected. When I get to the enclosure where all the wires are their is only 2 wires. Im realizing some are missing but how can I tell what wire is a zone and if one of them is a keypad wire? Need help please.

Thanks

 

[RAL]

Do you know whether wires run to doors, windows, or possible keypad locations?
 
If there is some indication of what has been wired, such as a recessed window or door contact, or a junction box where a keypad would go, then you can use a tone generator and probe to trace the wiring.  You would connect the tone generator to a wire at the panel end, and then use the probe to go around to each door, window or junction box to see if you can pick up the tone.  When you find the tone, then you know where that cable goes.   Repeat the process with each of the other cables.
 
If your house was really pre-wired, there should be a cable for a least several zones, plus a couple more for keypads.  A zone might be a single door or window.  Or all the windows in a room could be wired together as one zone.   I'd expect there to be at least half a dozen cables or more back at the panel.

 

[BB22]

Their is 2 areas for a keypad, one motion detector, patio door, garage door and I’m assuming the main door but don’t see wires at the main door. I just removed the plate that would cover the wiring for the keypad at the main door and see 2 sets of wires. One wire is the same type of wire I see in the enclosure and the other set has a yellow jacket with other wires inside. Any idea why the keypad area would have 2 sets of wires?

Thanks

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Is the yellow jacketed wire terminated at the closet with the rest of the wiring?

I’m guessing this may be for an intercom, but you can use it for the keypad if it goes to the closet.

Look at the door jam area for your front door and see if there is a small plug, flush with the surface of the wood jam. It may be painted over. The wiring will be behind this plug

 

[BB22]

Hi all, I got a wire finder to start my installation but now I’m confused. I believe I found the wire for my motion detector, my main door goes to the keypad, don’t find a wire that goes from the keypad to the main board area. I don’t seem to find where the wire with the yellow jacket located at the main keypad goes. I don’t find where the patio door wire goes either. The 2nd keypad does go to the board area but their is a second wire at the board I don’t seem to find where it goes. Any ideas what I can do? I’m lost

 

[RAL]

With a good tone generator and probe, you may be able to trace the route of the wires from the one end you can find to wherever it runs to.  The probe will be able to pick up a signal from the cable even if it is buried in the wall. 
 
Connect the tone generator to the wire, and then use the probe to try and follow the path of the wire as it extends away from the starting point. 
 
Often, the cables have twisted pair wiring, which can reduce the strength of the signal.  You may need to experiment a little and connect the red lead of the tone generator to one wire in the cable, and then try the black lead on the other wires in the cable, one at a time.  One combination may give you a better signal than another.   If you still don't pick up a good signal, try connecting the black lead to something other than a wire in the cable, like the ground pin of a nearby outlet.  Be sure you are connecting to the ground wire and NOT the hot or neutral wires!!  Sometimes, just leaving the black wire of the tone generator hanging in the air connected to nothing will work.
 
It possible that the wires for the keypads are run in a daisy chain fashion, from one to another.  But then you should see 2 cables at some of the locations.
 
Can you post pictures of what you see at the door, window, keypad and panel locations?  Is the panel location sheetrocked, or is it open studs?

 

[BB22]

If I connect the wires on the board and test what area shows open and closed, can I damage the board if zones are connected where the keypad goes or vice versa?

 

[RAL]

I wouldn't connect any wires to the panel until you know where each one goes.  You can use a multimeter on the ohms scale to test the cables as to what's open and closed.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I would highly suggest reading my How to Install a Home Security System How-To (search in the main page).

 

[TrojanHorse]

You say all the wires are in the panel but there are only 2?


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