Alarming on power loss?

[steve.lawrence]

Howdy folks,

I stumbled across this product (EnvisaLink 3) while looking for a method to alert a phone to an alarm (bypassing Total Connect).

I'm wondering though, if you're able to alert on 'power loss'. I understand it sounds odd, but my house has battery backup - my internet [mostly] stays up when the neighbourhood is down, but often I never know about it.

I'd like to know when it happens... Is that something you can alarm on?

Steve.

[Hashtag]

Hi Steve.

The module transmits emails ( or text messages ) in response to system troubles as well as alarms. The power in my area is pretty solid, but I seem to remember being alerted when we experienced a temporary power loss a few months ago. A second alert was transmitted when the AC was restored to the house.

[GrandWizard]

The module reports ALL troubles including AC fail but if I understand you correctly that isn't what you want. Am I right in saying that when the actual power goes out to your house, your house is still powered? If this is the case then you won't receive an AC fail because the panel doesn't sense this.

In that scenario I would see if there is some sort of output on your power inverter to indicate that it is running on battery. If there is, then you can wire this into a zone on your panel and then you can monitor/alert on it.

[Bill D]

Steve,

There's simple way to do it (which I use). Your alarm panel has its own battery backup, so just power your alarm panel from your raw incoming AC but leave your router on your UPS. Whenever your incoming AC goes off, you'll get an "AC power fail" alert.

I've also put tamper switches on my underground utility entry access boxes. If they are tampered with, I get "zone follower" alerts before the AC and/or network failure alert. Power goes off occasionally in my area and the Internet also occasionally goes off so any pre-alerts let me know whether an AC and/or network failure is tamper-related or not.

[pounder]

Hehe - I guess I am not the only one with tamper switches in my utility junction boxes.


If you want to leave your panel on ups and battery just get a 12 wall power supply, plug in raw power, get a 12v automotive relay and wire the coil across the wall supply and use the contacts of the relay for a zone. Keeps 120v out of your panel, and uses low cost easily available parts.

[steve.lawrence]

Thanks guys,

I actually didn't realise my mistake until I was explaining it to the wife the other night, at which point I understood that if I have it on my battery backup.... it will never know.

So - yes. I figure I can put it on the raw AC, with its own internal battery (which you'd normally order). If I'm out for longer than that battery is going to last, I can simply switch it over to a house powered socket and continue from there...

Thanks for all the help - looks like this will fulfill my needs

Steve.

[Bill D]

If you use EnvisAlarm, a benefit of the "AC power fail" alert (instead of a zone) is that the monitoring company pays attention to it. I was surprised when they called me to warn me that my AC had been off for an extended period after my power company had it off for 8 hours while replacing a transformer.