Long shot Door Switch question for DIY retrofitters

3rd-Party Sensors & Devices
1

Not a Konnected question per se… I’m just fishing for answers with a crowd of alarm DIYers.

I have a question for all you who have retrofitted a house with door sensors, to try and understand what I’m facing before crawling around my dusty sub-freezing attic tracing wires… :slight_smile:

I successfully put in a Konnected panel. Replaced a 1990’s era Radionics. And it’s all installed and hunky dory for 7 exterior perimeter doors with magnetic switch sensors in the door frames.

One zone/door is problematic. It didn’t “just start working.” Instead of a magnetic switch, it has a plunger type switch in the door frame. And behind the switch in the door frame the switch is connected with romex, like AC power wire. At the panel, there is only ‘normal’ small gauge wiring. The old plunger switch seems to work fine, “open closed” on an ohm meter, with actuation. There is no normal voltage at the romex, 0VDC, 4VAC which I assume is parasitic.

I’m assuming the “unused” small-gauge wire at the panel is for the one “unused” plunger switch on that one remaining door. I can’t figure out why it doesn’t work.

I guess my questions are… Has anyone else encountered romex going to a door switch? Any reason the original installer would have used a plunger switch on one door vs the magnetic switch like the other doors? Any super-duper diagnostic tricks lurking out there to help me trace the wire at the panel and the romex at the door switch. Is there some 1990s thing installers did sometimes that I should know about?

Thanks for reading. :folded_hands:

2

Plunger door switches were often used during my 1960s 70s and 80s. Some door plunger switches actually were 120 volt and powered closet lights, using romex wire. But would not think this would be used on an entrance door. The style of plunger switch should indicate the voltage, by contacts being shielded for 120 volt.

3

Thanks for the reply.

Good point. The way it was wired was “no way it was actually for 120V.” Just bare solid wire hooked through holes in the blade connectors.

Anyway, I’m done thinking about or doing anything about this conundrum. The wires are now disconnected at the plunger switch and at the Konnected panel.

This is will remain a mystery for now. :neutral_face:

One unmonitored door out of 7 isn’t a major problem to me… there still the motion sensor. :slight_smile: