Storm last night

[Mike P]

Hi, I have a small issue with my M1. Around 0400 we had a very close lightning hit. I have a second area for a small safe. I get notified via phone call for Elk if the area ia disarmed and when the door is opened. I also have the F6 button on all keypads light when the door is open. Well, as soon as the lightning hit, my cell starting ringing, as I got up to get it, the F6 button on the bedroom keypad was illuminated. The area was armed, but there was no alarm condition. The voice message I got was safe door open, the keypads F6 button showed the door was open. I can't figure it out, any input? I have had a few hits before, lost my second relay on my first relay board due to lightning last week. It seems like the panel is starting be affected by these lightning hits. Anybody have any this happen to them? I think I should get a new panel and send this one to Elk for repair, any thoughts?

Thanks,


Mike

 

[tmbrown97]

Sounds like you have some testing to do first. Can you use a volt-meter to ensure that the contact is working as expected when the door opens/closes? And can you remove it from the equation and test that a short across the zone at the panel also performs as expected?

It also sounds like you may need to check for good grounding where applicable, some surge protection on any wires that might be affected by lightning, and if you have anything running outdoors, you may need to optoisolate some of the contacts.

 

[Teken]

I second Work2Play's comments about proper grounding, surge protection, and opto-isolating. The transformer for the ELK should have protected the system.

Also, does this zone have a EOL resistor in place for this zone?

Teken . . .

 

[Del91574]

Transformers have zero protective value...in Elk's case, it has a PTC that protects from a short, that's it.

The more recent Elk's come with a single pair surge for the telco lines, but nothing for AC power. I typically install Elk 950's for the M1, but have also used Ditek and Edco units (the Elk units are transorb based, I have a location that seems to get surges as the norm and the 950's stay latched to ground over time, the Diteks seem to work better at that site).

Further testing is needed to determine the level of damage that might have occurred.

Even though grounding and surge protecting may help, if a hit is that close, some damage is expected.

 

[Mike P]

Del,

You are 100% right, I have found damage. Lost a second relay on my first output board. Lost comm with one of my HAI stats. So far that is all I have noticed, out of town for a while. The thing I am still trying to figure out is, how the zone on my armed portion of the system showed open, M1 called me becuase it saw it open, @ my F6 button(programmed to light when this zone is open)was on. But the partition never went into alarm(it was armed). Guess i'll a get new M1 and send this in for repair and use in my second home, wife may noy yell that much.

Mike

 

[Del91574]

With a lightning hit, anything is possible and all can't be accounted for what may or may not happen with the boards and how they react, unfortunately.