EnvisAlarm: New Install: Walk Test Recommended?

[Crikey]

New (Honeywell Vista 20P) panel. All zones, incl. smoke/fire (w/real smoke), tested as they were connected. Finished the last magnetic switch on the last zone last night. EnvisAlarm activation was completed earlier in the day.

I have not tested actual alarm conditions (e.g.: arm & trip) since the connecting to EnvisaLink. Nor has text message delivery (used only for alarm conditions) been tested.

Question: Is it recommended to contact the monitoring facility and arrange for a walk test? Or is simply contacting them and telling them I'm going to be testing the system sufficient or recommended?

If we do a walk test: Will they want to include the smoke/fire zone in the test? (I'm picking up a can of test "smoke" at lunchtime, in any event.)

[Flyct]

You should do 2 tests.

1- Walk test
2- Test each zone by setting of alarm for each zone and then verify that the Central Station received each alarm.

Important. If you test the smoke detectors ABSOLUTELY Call the central station and ask them to put you on test. If you don't and you haven't properly entered walk test mode the the central station will get a smoke alarm. Most CS protocol is to notify fire department BEFORE they call the house. This is done so that there is no delay to get the fire department to respond.

So,,, to fully test--- Call the CS and tell them to put you on test for 2 hours which gives you plenty of time to test everything. Then do a walk test on every zone. To enter Walk test, enter your user code + 5 TEST then [0] (walk).. Then test every motion detector, window, door, smoke etc. Confirm that the external sounder sounds for 1 second and then turns off for every zone tripped.

Once you have verified that every zone passes walk test, then arm the system and set off each zone. AGAIN Make sure you have called the CS and they put your system on test mode. You may also want to disconnect the siren wire so that you don't drive the neighbors crazy.

Set the alarm in AWAY mode, open and close an entry door and wait a minute for the exit delay to time out. If you don't open and close an exit door the alarm will revert to STAY mode.

Once the alarm is set then go and trip every zone. No need to disarm after the first zone is tripped. just keep opening windows, doors, motion sensors and trip smoke detectors

After you have done this, then disarm and call the central station and ask them to tell you every zone that reported to them and ask them to cancel your test mode.

You're done.

[Crikey]

Thanks for the reply and the detailed testing protocol, Flyct!

I think I'll alter it, slightly, though. I have already tested the smoke, with real smoke, and know it works. So I think I'll forego testing it again in the walk test. I will however, trigger it for the CS reporting test.

How often do you retest with the CS and, particularly, your smoke detector(s)? I'm thinking maybe do a walk test every year (say: on the change either to or from DST) and maybe a CS test, and smoke, on even years?

One of the warnings on the can of test "smoke" warns you can degrade your smoke detector by "overdosing" it. Don't want to do that.

[Flyct]

Thanks for the reply and the detailed testing protocol, Flyct!

I think I'll alter it, slightly, though. I have already tested the smoke, with real smoke, and know it works. So I think I'll forego testing it again in the walk test. I will however, trigger it for the CS reporting test.

How often do you retest with the CS and, particularly, your smoke detector(s)? I'm thinking maybe do a walk test every year (say: on the change either to or from DST) and maybe a CS test, and smoke, on even years?

One of the warnings on the can of test "smoke" warns you can degrade your smoke detector by "overdosing" it. Don't want to do that.

I have my CS set to text me for every event, including ARM and DISARM, ALARM etc. That verifies communication from the panel to the CS every day.

The Walk test just confirms that you have wired sensors correctly but doesn't confirm that you have programmed report codes correctly or that the zones will report correctly to the CS. That is why you should confirm every zone by tripping it when armed and verifying that the CS received the alarm. Once that is done you have confirmed proper reporting format and report code.

I assume that you have set up as Ademco Contact ID format . With that you must set a report code for every zone to something other than 00. You need to set the first digit to something other than "0" and it doesn't matter what you set the second digit to. I set mine all to 11. I also set all my Status report codes (*59 thru *68, *70 thru *76 and *89) AND report codes in each Zone programming (*56) all to 11 . If you have a "0" in the first digit the zone your alarm will sound locally but it will not report to central station.

I have my keypads set to chime when ever a zone is faulted (door or window opened) About 1/yr I will do a walk test on the motion detectors, smoke detectors and a couple of windows and doors. Once a year I will also call CS, put it in test and trip alarm to verify communication unless my wife has recently tripped the alarm by mistake and we received a call from CS.

[Crikey]

I assume that you have set up as Ademco Contact ID format .

I believe so. (I pretty much let everything default if either the default seemed reasonable or I did not 100% understand the implications of changing it.)

With that you must set a report code for every zone to something other than 00. You need to set the first digit to something other than "0" and it doesn't matter what you set the second digit to. I set mine all to 11.

I think mine all defaulted to "10". I believe I already double-checked that. I'll check again.

I also set all my Status report codes (*59 thru *68, *70 thru *76 and *89)

ISTR, during programming, the instruction to "just keep hitting "1", repeatedly, until the panel *beeps* several time, or the like, during at least one sequence. I'll check.

AND report codes in each Zone programming (*56) all to 11.

That's a repeat of "I set mine all to 11," above, right?

If you have a "0" in the first digit the zone your alarm will sound locally but it will not report to central station.

Hmmm... I've been wondering how I might test the tilt sensor I'll be installing on the garage door without tweaking the CS. Now I know

I have my keypads set to chime when ever a zone is faulted (door or window opened)...

So do I, but, it's becoming kind of annoying for the doors that are directly adjacent to where we spend most of our time. I think I'm going to remove those zones from the chime list.

Thanks for the additional pointers!

[Flyct]

I also set all my Status report codes (*59 thru *68, *70 thru *76 and *89)

ISTR, during programming, the instruction to "just keep hitting "1", repeatedly, until the panel *beeps* several time, or the like, during at least one sequence. I'll check.

AND report codes in each Zone programming (*56) all to 11.

That's a repeat of "I set mine all to 11," above, right?

NO, Not necessarily. *59 thru *68, *70 thru *76 and *89 report codes are for
*59 Exit Error Alarm
∗60 Trouble Report Code
∗61 Bypass Report Code
∗62 AC Loss Report Code
∗63 Low Bat Report Code
∗64 Test Report Code
∗71 Trouble Restore Rpt Code
∗72 Bypass Restore Rpt Code
∗73 AC Restore Rpt Code
∗74 Low Bat Restore Rpt Code
∗75 RF Trans. Lo Bat Rst Rpt Code
∗76 Test Restore Rpt Code
∗89 Event Log Full Report Code

None are for individual zone fault reporting to central station.

I missed programming a sliding glass door zone report code when programming my first 20P board at my daughter's house. When she tripped the alarm exiting via that door the siren went off but it never reported to the Central station. It seems that on some versions of 20P the panel default report code for *56 on individual zones was 00.

Simply check each zone in *56 and confirm that the report code first digit is NOT 0. I set all mine to 11.

[HattyDamp]

Hi...i am a new user here. I subscribed to Envisalarm central station monitoring for about a year and was satisfied with alarm response. They provided alarm certificate for Homeowners Insurance discount. They are ULC certified and monitor US states also.I was not comfortable with IP monitoring as sole communicator because reliability and loss of power would kill IP. I decided to go cellular. II cancelled Envisalarm but kept the EVL3 connected with free Envisalink service as backup. I went with Alarm Relay with a cellular communicator. GSM signal is horrible at our home so Honeywell communicators did not work. I purchased a CDMA IpDatatel CBAT directly from Alarm Relay for I think $169. Alarm Relay's Cellular and IP monitoring with interactive is $15.95/mo plus one time $35 programming charge.

[Crikey]

Kind of off-topic, but...

I was not comfortable with IP monitoring as sole communicator because reliability and loss of power would kill IP.

My cable Internet connection has, so far, been at least as reliable as our mobile phones or landline.

As for loss of power: That's what UPS' are for. Wondering: What will you do on loss of power to keep your alarm system and that wireless reporting system running?

I decided to go cellular. ... I purchased a CDMA IpDatatel CBAT directly from Alarm Relay for I think $169.

That's nearly as much as I spent on our alarm panel, keyboard, two wireless sensors I added, and EVL4, combined, I think.

Alarm Relay's Cellular and IP monitoring with interactive is $15.95/mo plus one time $35 programming charge.

EnvisAlarm: $9/mo. and no sign-up charge. Hmmm.... decisions, decisions...

As for relying on the cable Internet connection: I'll add a 4G LTE modem to my border router's third interface and configure the router to fail over to it. My cellular provider gave me the third wireless line for free. Cost: ~$70 for the 4G LTE modem.