An odd alarm problem

[Niallas]

Hello. I have recently been fitting out a big shed into a workshop.

I have had a motion sensor alarm installed in it for a while. It's not expensive but it's battery operated and armed and disarmed by a key fob.

In the last week I have installed a new rcb consumer unit, a ring main and a lighting circuit with 3 energy saving strip lights operated on a main 1 way switch and also each strip has an isolated switch. 2 located on the ceiling and 1 located above the workbench.

When I turn the lights on. Or have the two ceiling lights on and turn on the third one , it arms the alarm to which I have to either press the key fob or turn the lights of and on again to disarm it.

Totally boggled as the alarm is nothing to do with the electric circuits and the battery is fresh.

Any ideas?

Niall

 

[PaulUszak]

It's probably electrical interference from the lighting circuits toggling the arm signal within the cheap motion sensor. Not unexpected. How close is the sensor relative to any of the lighting wiring /lights?

 

[Niallas]

The alarm is about 3 foot away from the end of the light above the work bench and about 5-6ft away from one of the ceiling lights

 

[PaulUszak]

Don't know how big your garage is, but try moving the sensor to an area furthest away from any mains wiring and toggle the lights. If it's a radio key fob, you might have to go some way from the lights to eliminate the interference. Ultimately you'll be able to confirm the interference by testing the sensor outside away from the garage. You might just need a better sensor. This kind of interference is very common and can be inherent in cheap stuff unfortunately. This being an alarm forum; you see the same but lesser effect when people's alarms go off during a lightning storm

There might also be an issue with one or more of the tube starters. They tend to draw quite a large surge current when starting the tubes. Any chance that they need replacement? Might be worth while removing individual starters systematically, and seeing if that has an effect...

 

[bernardgreen]

Does the key fob use wireless or infra red ( as do TV remotes ) to communicate to the sensor. If the sensor reacts to totally bogus signals then it is not fit for purpose and other than removing the source of interference nothing can be done.