Re: Installing alarm system on a 'prewired' house

[Frank Olson <Use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Zen wrote:
> Hello,
>
> My house had the alarm 'prewire' option and most windows and doors have
> a magnetic contact in them. Also, in one of the closets near the
> entrance, there is a bunch of wires and 2 power outlets.
>
> In the closet, there are 7 white wires, 7 slight thicker gray wires and
> 1 green and 1 blue wire. I'm trying to figure out what these wires are.
> My guess is that there are 7 white and 7 gray wires because the house
> has 7 hardwired zones and the green wire is for the keypad and blue
> wire is phone line. Can anyone tell me what these wires are? Also, I
> couldn't find wires for a keypad anywhere else in the house. Does that
> mean I'll have to install the keypad inside the closet next to the
> panel or should I extend the cable for the keypad so it can be
> installed elsewhere?
>
> I'm considering buying a Ademco Vista-20PS with the 6270 graphic keypad
> and installing it myself, hopefully it won't be that hard.
>
> Any information would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>


Do you know the name of the installing company responsible for the
pre-wire?  Wire jacket colors don't tell you much.  The easiest way to
determine what the wires are are to "tone them out", but since it's
likely you don't have a tone set, you're going to have to rely on the
old multi-meter (you'll need access to *both* ends of the wire though).

You should have a keypad wire somewhere (it's probably four or six
conductor and more than likely located above a light switch).  If it's
actually buried (and it sounds like it is), the only way to find it will
be with the aforementioned tone set.  If you don't know the name of the
installing company, call around and find a friendly local alarmco.  Pay
the guy two hours to label all the wires.  It'll be well worth the $100
or so dollars it's going to cost you.  Chances are he'll give you a deal
on the complete system too, but that's jumping the gun so to speak...  :-)