Smoke detector problem

[DavidJ]

Firstly I am not an installer - I am a tinkerer. My system was installed professionally some time ago but the installers are no longer keen on Comfort and given current circumstances I thought I would have had a tinker. 

I have had problems over the year with smoke detectors they are temperamentally go off and to resolve I have  removed them, via zonetype (setting to an empty entry). 
In the past despite replacing the unit the problem has reoccurred after a few months.  All but one (the most important, the landing) has over the years been removed through the GUI.  That one went off in the middle of the night a few weeks ago so again I removed via GUI. 

I them managed to source a number of identical replacement units and thought I would try the process of reinstalling through the GUI again.  I reinstalled the landing unit and uploaded the changes however the alarm went off reporting fire - I entered the security pad code and it went off, I had no idea what the process of changing these are so assumed that must be normal.  

A few days later all is fine so I decided to replace another (Garage), this time when uploading the config changes the alarm went off again (as I expected) but only reported the original replacement Landing as an alert.I then removed Landing from config (leaving just garage) and after upload it behaved with no alarm.  What could be the problem with landing smoke please?

[slychiu]

Perhaps the smoke detectors are Normally Open, but your zone type is Normally Close,or vice versa
That could be why you immediately get an alarm when you reset.

Do a Security Check F 3 2. This will announce all zones that are active. If the smokes are announced then that one type could be a problem

[Swiss-Toni]

How are the smoke detectors powered? have you done a continuity check on the cables?

[DavidJ]

F32 Is programmed to something else - Do I have to use an engineer code first? Not sure this will help anyway. Presumably if added and it goes off after upload then there is a fault with it? I would assume this a feature of the panel.Smokes were set to NC, I replaced like for like in both cases with identical programming one worked one didn\'t. I could try as Normally open? But the wiring is wired to N/C and it was originally programmed as NC.

[DavidJ]

They are powered through Comfort I would expect - There\'s nowhere else the installer would have got the low voltage from. I haven\'t done a continuity check as I could mess up so much more by doing that. Just thinking this through and your suggestion of continuity may be relevant....The wiring is an absolute shambles in the panel - ideally all needs pulling out and rewiring.
I had major problems with the phone through the system, bad feedback through handset or alarm regularly reporting \"phone trouble\". Perhaps all could be linked.I really need to find someone with the knowledge set and patience to overhaul the whole thing. 

[Swiss-Toni]

Continuity test is a resistance test and does not put any voltage through the cable although you should disconnect from comfort panel. Also it could be that the zone it is wired into may have gone down, try using a different zone or test the zone to see if their is a fault on it.
Depending on how many items you have wired into your panel their not be enough power from comfort to run the smoke detector. Unfortunatly due to the nature of home automation and the ammount of cables that are used it is almost impossible to keep it 100% neat and tidy (in the same breath I am actually tidying up my own)There are a few intergrators around that could sort it out that should be more local to you than me who should be able to sort it out for you.
If you are concerned about doing a continuity test you can always do a buzz test on it with a multimeter once again you would have to disconnect both ends and join alternatly, this however will not tell you if there is another cable interfeering with it ect.

[slychiu]

[user=1738]DavidJ[/user] wrote:

F32 Is programmed to something else - Do I have to use an engineer code first? Not sure this will help anyway. Presumably if added and it goes off after upload then there is a fault with it? I would assume this a feature of the panel.Smokes were set to NC, I replaced like for like in both cases with identical programming one worked one didn\'t. I could try as Normally open? But the wiring is wired to N/C and it was originally programmed as NC.

go to test mode in the menu.

see http://www.comfortforums.com/forum127/4054.html

Press 3 for security, 4 for test, 2 for security check, ie press 3,4,2
The purpose is to find out if the detector is already activated.
Or it is not activated and activates itself

[DavidJ]

Is Nebu menu? If I go into Security check (via engineer code) it only comes up with areas where someone is physically moving in. Am I in correct menu?

[slychiu]

Is Nebu menu?

Sorry yes it should be Menu
See Information about the Security Check Menu here
http://www.comfortforums.com/forum127/4054.html

The security Check Menu announces all open zones
The purpose of my suggestion is to determine if the smoke detectors are already active. That tells you if you need to change the Normaly Open or Normally Close property of the Zone Type