Spqr105 Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 (edited) Hey guys, So the geniuses who built my home decided that the perfect spot for a security panel would be directly benwath a water softener drain. As luck would have it, the drain overflowed and saturated the panel with water. After several days of letting it dry and replacing an existing envisalink board, it appears that the panel forgot all of the some numbers. The display panels will alert me when the system is ready/not ready but will no longer display the Zone number of the faulted zone. Furthermore, it will no longer take commands from the envisalink even though the system status is available for viewing. The system also remembers my code for arming and disarming the system but that's about it. I'm looking for some advice on how I should proceed. Is it possible that the water just made the panel forget the zones but is still functional? Does it make sense to try to reprogram it? If so, why wouldn't it accept commands from the envisalink. Or should I purchase a brand new vista 20p panel and start from scratch? Or is there a more modern day solution/opportunity to upgrade the panel to something else? I will say that I only have the keypads that display numbers and not letters. Should I be replacing the keypads as well? Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Edited January 21, 2021 by Spqr105
Goose66 Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 (edited) It is possible that the panel may still be functional (i.e. capable of working) but that water damage caused problems with the memory/configuration. Before abandoning the panel altogether, I would try factory resetting and reprogramming the panel. You should be able to do this if you know the installer code. The installer code may stay the same after the reset, or may go back to factory default installer code. If the panel turns out to be bad, I would favor a different system over the Honeywell if interfacing with the ISY is desired. The EnvisaLink interface to the DSC Powerseries is far more functional than the EnvisaLink interface to the Honeywell Vista. Of course, then you are replacing keypads too, which makes it more expensive. You could also look at going to something completely different with built in Ethernet connectivity and home automation integration, like Elk M1 or Ring w/ Retrofit kit. Edited January 22, 2021 by Goose66
Spqr105 Posted January 22, 2021 Author Posted January 22, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, Goose66 said: It is possible that the panel may still be functional (i.e. capable of working) but that water damage caused problems with the memory/configuration. Before abandoning the panel altogether, I would try factory resetting and reprogramming the panel. You should be able to do this if you know the installer code. The installer code may stay the same after the reset, or may go back to factory default installer code. If the panel turns out to be bad, I would favor a different system over the Honeywell if interfacing with the ISY is desired. The EnvisaLink interface to the DSC Powerseries is far more functional than the EnvisaLink interface to the Honeywell Vista. Of course, then you are replacing keypads too, which makes it more expensive. You could also look at going to something completely different with built in Ethernet connectivity and home automation integration, like Elk M1 or Ring w/ Retrofit kit. I understand. I was considering buying a new Vista 20P panel since it's cheap enough and I won't have to risk a malfunction down the line. That way I could keep the envisalink and then maybe just get a tuxedo touch keypad so that I have some Z-Wave capability. Is this a poor investment? at the end of the day I need to monitor it service so that I can keep the discount on my homeowner's policy. Also are all of these keypads interchangeable? In other words am I able to take off my existing 6150 keypad and swap out with a tuxedo touch with the same wiring? Thank you very much for the input. Edited January 22, 2021 by Spqr105
Goose66 Posted January 22, 2021 Posted January 22, 2021 I really don't know much about tuxedo touch keypad. I imagine the 4-wire bus for the connection of keypads to Honeywell/Ademco systems is pretty universal, and is the same four wires as needed for keypad connections to other systems (GEM, Elk, DSC, etc.). As long as the keypad says it supports the panel then it speaks the right language. The main point I wanted to make was try factory reset before abandoning your current Vista board.
Spqr105 Posted January 22, 2021 Author Posted January 22, 2021 3 hours ago, Goose66 said: I really don't know much about tuxedo touch keypad. I imagine the 4-wire bus for the connection of keypads to Honeywell/Ademco systems is pretty universal, and is the same four wires as needed for keypad connections to other systems (GEM, Elk, DSC, etc.). As long as the keypad says it supports the panel then it speaks the right language. The main point I wanted to make was try factory reset before abandoning your current Vista board. Thanks for the input. I just bought a new panel since it was cheap enough. I also got a 6160rf to program from. Is it difficult to program the system from scratch with 26 sensors, 10 smoke detectors and 3 keypads?
Goose66 Posted January 22, 2021 Posted January 22, 2021 4 hours ago, Spqr105 said: Thanks for the input. I just bought a new panel since it was cheap enough. I also got a 6160rf to program from. Is it difficult to program the system from scratch with 26 sensors, 10 smoke detectors and 3 keypads? Never done it on a Vista. I factory reset my DSC PowerSeries 1832 with 16 zones, 5 smokes, 3 heats, and 4 keypads and reprogrammed it from the worksheets in an evening. The worksheets were key!
Spqr105 Posted January 22, 2021 Author Posted January 22, 2021 Just now, Goose66 said: Never done it on a Vista. I factory reset my DSC PowerSeries 1832 with 16 zones, 5 smokes, 3 heats, and 4 keypads and reprogrammed it from the worksheets in an evening. The worksheets were key! Do you happen to know where I can find a worksheet for the honeywell vista 20p?
Goose66 Posted January 22, 2021 Posted January 22, 2021 The are in the Installation and Programming Manual available online.
MrBill Posted January 23, 2021 Posted January 23, 2021 15 hours ago, Spqr105 said: Do you happen to know where I can find a worksheet for the honeywell vista 20p? your new panel should come with an installation manual. the manual should have pages with the programming worksheet. Watch out for errata sheets too, I haven't done a Vista in 20 years, and it was a different series so they may have gotten better, but they used to be famous for "this is the updated step 12 on page 30".....
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