Building alarm help

Hi everyone,
I found this site in search of help with security alarm systems. I am a HVAC / controls tech for a school dist. I took on a new responsibility to respond to any alarm calls after hours at 13 buildings.The current systems we have gives false alarms on single and multiple zones. I’m sure you guys will forget more than I’ll ever know about building alarms, but if anyone can recommend any sites or books to trouble shoot these I would appreciate it.
I don’t have any info on the brands yet but these systems are mainly 2 key pads, zone expanders, motion detectors and magnets(I think there called reed switches)
Some issues are multiple zones going off at 1 time.
The detectors we use indoors are used outdoors under covered areas, not sure if that could be a problem in the future.

Thanks for any help or comments

Huck01, my apologies if the previous post has caused doubts or concerns about the credibility of this website. There are many professionals and people with great knowledge of these systems available to help you. As mentioned, Andrew, this site’s administrator, has a wealth of knowledge he may be able to share with you. We try to keep a level of professionalism in the help sections, but unfortunately with every professional there are those who are inexperienced. I’m confident a technician or other experienced member will be able to help your with your issue soon.

To start, is this a fire alarm or security system at its core? The mention of motion detectors and similar devices leads me to believe that there is a security system involved somewhere, either in conjunction with an alarm panel or the two integrated together. I know you mentioned you did not have model numbers yet, so we can’t do much to help you until we receive this information.

I don’t know of any DIY books that provide for a good reference for troubleshooting burglar alarm systems. But I can offer you a couple of suggestions and things to look out for that may be of help.

First, the door contacts (reed switches and magnets) - most of the heavy duty types have a pretty good gap on them before they activate, some of them up to 3". You want switches that look like this:

[attachment=1]alarmswitches.jpg[/attachment]

Avoid switches that look like this:

[attachment=0]switch3.jpg[/attachment]

But you are probably stuck with whatever the alarm company installed. Make sure the switch and magnet are securely attached to the door frame and door and alignment is critical. Some switches, if the magnet is 1/2" off, it will cause the switch to work improperly. Also check to make sure they installed a spacer on any of the magnet part if it’s attached to a steel door (switch doesn’t matter as much). The spacer helps to keep the magnet from being attracted to the steel on the door. You can also pull down the switch part and check for corrosion or metal filings on the electrical screw terminals - anything like that may cause a false alarm.

Second, the motion detectors. A little education first, infrared motion detectors actually detect body heat, not really motion. I know they have “outdoor” motion detectors, but in my opinion, motion detectors outdoors are good for the porch light and that’s about it! If you need outdoor protection, get rid of the infrared motion detectors and go with a photoelectric beam system. More involved to wire but reduces false alarms dramatically. For the indoor motion detectors, make sure they are installed correctly. They should NOT look at any windows/doors and avoid being close to any heating vents. You also need to keep the spider webs from collecting around them. Spiders love to make them home and will create a false alarm. Open them up, clean them out, and make sure any penetrations into the detectors are sealed. You know that 1" grey sticky putty you guys use to seal up seams in duct work, comes in a roll separated by kraft paper? Use a little piece of that to seal up the holes! Works great.

Third, not much you can do about this but take a look at the wiring going to the door switches, motion detectors, keypads, etc. Some alarm guys get really sloppy with this - the lazy techs run it all willy nilly and splice the heck out of it! Look for any spice points and just make sure they are up and out of the way. Some guys over crimp the B-connectors and end up breaking the strands in the wire which causes false alarms.

In summary, if you are have a bunch of false alarms on all of the 13 buildings you have to cover, you may be way in over your head to troubleshoot the systems by yourself and your limited knowledge on alarms. The wiring principals are the same with the low voltage stuff you work on in the HVAC field, but as far as properly installing door switches, motion detectors, and programming, you may just need to get a professional alarm guy in there to help you out.

Find the brands/models yet? If you can find the installation manuals for the motions, generic door position switches, etc. online they normally have a good troubleshooting section in them. If you know the brands and it’s a system I’ve dealt with, I can probably help get you what you need.

It sounds like you have a solid background in low voltage wiring, so reading the documentation on the parts and pieces will take you a long ways.

My apologies for the post that was made, my little brother who was using my computer got on here. I just found out he was on here. Sorry for any trouble he may have caused.