We have a Vista 21ip system in our home. I'm in the process of building a 12'x16' garden shed for the lawn mower, pressure washer, wheelbarrow, garden tools, weed-eater, etc. ...... basically enough stuff that I don't want stolen, if I can help it. I was thinking of running 18/4 wire underground from the house to the future shed, installing a 4219/4229 board and having the shed secured as a second partition on the security system.

What I'm concerned about is, will the electronics (the 4219/4229 board, reed switches and possible motion detector) be okay in a shed with no HVAC? We are in NC and the summers can get up to the 90-100 degree range and the winters down to the 10-20s.

Thanks!

Edit: the shed will be approximately 75 feet away from the house.

 

Welcome to the forums!

My barn/shop is about 40' from my house. I have 2 zones [doors and motion detector] run to the shop from the house panel. Your shed might get hotter than my shop but my sensors still work fine after about 10 yrs. Those that know more than me about security systems should be along shortly.

 

Thank you for the reply! Since you're in TN, which is close to NC's climate, I feel better about my plan.

 

Do I understand that you want to mount the expander board in the shed? If that is correct, why?

An 18/4 cable could give you THREE passive zones (switches or heat/fire sensors) or two zones, either of which could be a powered zone such as a smoke detector or a motion sensor. OR, if you already have power in the shed you could add a wall-wart power supply on the powered sensors and still have a maximum of three separate zones.

My thinking would be to simply wire a heat/fire sensor in series with door or window switches and make it all one zone.

The summer heat should not adversely affect switches or fire sensors but it might be problematic with smoke or motion sensors. I would be especially leery of using the expander board in the shed. Even if the heat wasn't a problem that long a run on the communications bus might very well be a problem, even with #18 conductors.

 

I would incorporate perimeter or non IR sensors. In the summer the IR sensors are almost useless in my non-AC areas. When everything in the room/shed/garage is about 100f after being baked by the sun all day a person blends right in in IR.

 

The previous 2 posters are brought up a couple of excellent points. I would deafly run something like 18/6 or maybe even 18/8 so you never have a problem running out of conductors. I also certainly agreed about not putting the expansion board in the shed. IR motion detectors are definitely not something you want to be using. Use perimeter protection and a non-IR motion detector if you want one. Heat detectors are also something it may be a problem unless you buy one with a higher heat range. I wouldn't want to put a heat detector in with a range less than 150°, you might be able to go as low as 135° but I certainly wouldn't go any lower than that. Many people have problems with heat detectors in attics because they don't install ones with a high enough heat range.

 

The expander board would have few if any issues with the environment. It's a very simple little board, and heat within human tolerance isn't going to be an issue. Don't waste your time with motion detectors, though. They will simply be either a constant false alarm source, or simply not functional. Secure the perimeter doors and windows, and you should be fine.

 

Thanks for the replies!

Originally I was thinking that having the expansion card in the shed would make it easy to add security to any future buildings, later on. I didn't think about simply burying additional lines to the shed and using the extra wires later. DUH!

Per your suggestions, I'll most likely do just the perimeter and a internal heat detector.

Thanks again!

 

The benefit of putting the expansion module in the shed is that he wouldn't need an extra auxiliary power supply as any 4-wire devices would get power from the panel. If he did the aux power supply, he'd have no battery backup. Going back to the panel would give him power and battery backup. Also, there's no issue running 18 gauge ECP wiring out 75' from the panel.

With that said, PIR motions in a non-temperature controlled shed are going to be problematic as everyone said so he may not need 4-wire devices and therefore could just run cabling out for his door/window sensors.