Re: Veritas R8 PIR problem

[Frank Olson <use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

diy-newby wrote:
>  Hi guys
>
> We have a Veritas R8 alarm system. This morning we noticed that walking into
> the kitchen did not activate the part alarm unset procedure. I performed a
> walk test and both the kitchen and the living room PIR are not working.
>
> The red light in the PIR still works, it is just not activating the walk
> test procedure. Are PIR's self powered with an internal battery or do they
> take power from the main alarm panel? The reason I ask is I have put quite a
> few chipboard screws in the upstairs chipboard floor to cure loose /
> squeaking boards, and am now thinking worst case scenario that some how a
> screw has pierced a cable. But if the PIR takes power from the panel this
> hopefully cannot be the case as the red light in the PIR still comes on upon
> detection.
>
> Can PIR's fail but the red light still activate?
> Could this be a problem with the main alarm panel? Is there any other tests
> which I could carry out to narrow down the problem?
>
> TIA
>
>


If your PIR's are blinking "red" when you're walking in front of them,
chances are they are in fact hard-wired to the control panel.  That
having been said, there are many reasons why your panel won't register
the PIR's.  If they are programmed as "auto home/away", some panels
(like the DSC products sold in Canada) won't change state (show an
"open") when you walk in front of them.  The best way to "walk test"
your PIR's is to ARM the system in the "away" mode (your panel may
require you to open the delay or exit door to do this).  Wait for the
exit delay to expire and then walk in front of the sensor.  If the siren
sounds, your PIR's are OK.

Worse case scenario could mean that one of your screws has penetrated
the four conductor wire to the PIR and shorted the two zone wires out.
Hopefully that hasn't happened.