Electronic Alarms and Home Security Devices - DSC PC1555/PC1555RKZ - power surge

Hi there! I have read through the forum and seen many posts concerning this system. I have a few more questions and I am hoping someone here can help me.

Background: We had a power surge, possible nearby lightening strike about a month ago. Our system is not monitored at the moment. It's a DSC PC1555 with 2 PC1555RKZ keypads. The night of the surge, the alarm sounded and we could not get it to turn off. My husband finally just cut the wires (wish I would have known about this forum). Based on what I have read here, most likely the transformer and batter are shot. I called in the company that installed it, Ranger American, and they are telling me I have to replace the transformer, battery, board, at least 1 keypad, and any/all affected contacts.

1. On one keypad, the lights work, but it does not make any beeps when pressing buttons. I did the *2 and got a 1. Hit 1 again and got a 2 which is the loss of AC power. Do you think my keypad is shot in addition to the battery and transformer?

2. Do you think my contacts are really shot or is just because the transformer and battery are bad? I went around to each of my windows and 9 of the 20 did not cause the fully working keypad to chime when opened and closed.

3. If I try to switch out the transformer and battery and the board is shot, will the potentially bad board kill the new transformer and battery? Just wondering if it's worth it to go ahead and replace the board when I am switching out the transformer and battery.

Thanks so much!!
Lisa

As long as the board didn't die in a dead short, the worst that will happen is that the panel simply won't power up.

You will probably have to replace at least the 9 contact switches. The alarm wiring is like a big radio antennae, and a direct or near direct lightning strike acts like a mild Electromagnetic Pulse, and can simply weld the contacts in the switches shut. Sometimes you can unstick them by tapping them sharply with a screwdriver handle, but once they get stuck like that, they are on borrowed time.

The keypad is probably done, but until you have a fully functional motherboard, it's a tossup with the available information.

Put the battery on first, then the tranformer. I doubt it will pop the transformer even if the board is bad, but if it does you know the board is bad.

Lightning will make it do strange things. Was it armed when this happened? Is it still armed or can you / have you disarmed it? It sounds like you have. If not, remove the siren wire before powering up. Sirenssuck a lot of power, and I have seen keypads not work when the siren is sounding, if the battery is weak. The panel will use battery to supplement the power, and the older panels could do this. Newer panels, not so much.

You may have a bad keypad. You definitely have some bad contacts. Ol' mother nature has welded the into a normal position. This is from induced voltage, which happens on a close lightning strike. The voltage in the air is induced into the wiring. I had to replace 26 contacts in a sunroom once, but it didn't hurt the panel.

I'd replace the contacts that are bad, default the panel and hook it up with the good keypad. Reprogram it and TEST EVERYTHING. If it's good, then add the other keypad and see if it works.

Thank you!! I will try all of your suggestions. I really appreciate it. It's definitely worth a shot versus what Ranger American wants to charge me. :)

Lisa