Optima Compact zone error

[jeffcottam]

I have a strange problem I am struggling to resolve. My downstairs zone (timed & final door set) has stopped working on all but one door. In total 8 doors on the downstairs circuit are wired with door sensors but the system will only set on one of them the other 7 being comeptely ignored. It was fine a few weeks ago. If a wire was disconneceted then the system would never set but why does it do so on the one door? I have checked all the connections the best I can but the wiring is burried behind walls, floors and door casings. Behind the main box, if i recall correctly, there are some wires going into chocolate bars which is making me wonder if I have 2 circuits connected into a single zone. There is only one set going into the actual zone connection visible inside the man box. Hope I am making sense!!

 

[sparkymarka]

Nope ...

 

[jeffcottam]

Essentially my downstairs zone has worked with 8 hard wired doors for years but now only one door on the circuit is working. The other 7 are just dead as if they have no sensors connetced. I can set the alarm and leave the property no problem with just a single door on the circuit armed. I am really puzzled by this since it suggests the circuit is intact but why then does it allow me to set it with the other doors open??

 

[sparkymarka]

Ok
Are all the 7 doors on one zone ? E.g. Zone 1 or across different zones ? Do they go from door to door or all go back to the control panel ?

 

[jeffcottam]

Hi
Thanks for coming back to me. They are all on the same zone (zone 2) I have zone 1 for front door and zone 3 for all the upstairs doors.

The downstairs zone is all on a single wire run running in series. No return back to box. They have used telphone cable switching on the blues (both blue/white and white blue togteher) and returning on the orange. A tamper circuit is setup on the greens but i have disarmed that for now in an attempt to find the problem. I thought the fault was one of the door sensors which I have removed now and closwed teh circuit by connecting all eth blues together.

Zone1 1 (front door) and zone 3 (upstairs with 5 doors on one circuit are working fine).

im baffled!! Its a new box by the way replaced because I assumed this was the fault!!

Thanks for trying to help me

Jeff

 

[sparkymarka]

There's a short on the cable
See crude diagram ....lol

 

[jeffcottam]

Guess so but how do i find it? All the wiring is buried behind architraves and plaster! By short I presume you mean the blue is touching the orange between the first and second door at some point (the door which is working is right next to the box so i assume its the first on the run) thereby providing a return to the box. Thats the only logic I can see. If so I am going under the floor boards tomorrow! lol

 

[sparkymarka]

Post picture of door contacts .... are they 20mm concealed ?

 

[jeffcottam]

I took one out from door i thought was to blame. They are an 8mm diameter tube with 4 wires. There is no plate screwed in. The tube is just set flush in the door casing. I guess about 20mm long

 

[sparkymarka]

"Slim jims " have fun getting them out !

 

[jeffcottam]

I damaged the one i removed. Buggers to get out. Are you thinking the fault is with one of the sensors or the wiring between. To take them all out would create a right mess. They have been so well fit you cant tell there is a sensor in there!