Battery wiring harness supervison problem found.

I use the Honeywell Vista 32 ,128 and 250 FB and FBP product line  for Combination Commercial  Burglar and Fire Alarm Controls there a very dependable line of product. But recently I had a problem where the back up battery's did not last as long as they should have during a power failure.
The panels utilize a dual fused harness to allow 2- 12 volt  7 amp  battery's to be used in parallel to allow proper back up of 14 amps of power when needed which depending on how system is configured allows 24 or more hours of back up plus 5 minutes of sounder time. Only problem power was off 12 hours and panel went dead . Something it should not have done as battery's where new 6 months ago.
So I start my investigation by checking batteries and found one  depleted down to 7 volts and the other sitting at 12 volts. OK whats going on. more careful examination showed that only one battery was charging not 2 as should be. after careful examination of the fuses I found one of them blown which means the second battery was not charging properly and just sitting there with its original factory charge of 12 volts. I put in a new dual fused harness which corrected the situation. But then finding this problem I started looking at other panels as well and even with 24 volt systems you can still have the same problem when the packs are paralleled  particularly in aux battery charging boxes and controllers.
It appears none of the panels or auxiliary chargers fully supervise all of the battery's and the only way you will find this out is during a  long power failure or during annual test and checking each lead set to make sure it is working properly. Well we know that does not happen how many times have I written about bad alarm services . this is something UL and NFPA have totally missed when it comes to panel design and something they need to take a look at. Because many systems which need up to 72 hours of battery back up for a long weekend where the facility is unoccupied depend on this . Imagine closing the plant and going home on Friday at 5 PM  and power goes out at 10pm and stays out you have no idea its done so and battery's which are suppose to last 72 hours only go 12 hours and Saturday evening a fire breaks out. You have no fire protection. With more and more panels using IP based phone lines with no back up and no signals going out when power fails . You have a real mess on your hands . This is why it is imperative that it be known if battery's are operating properly. Because the only way some one will be alerted to a fire is a passing motorist who sees or hears the alarm and hopefully alerts 911  before a fire is so bad by time it is discovered it is a total loss.

Home Security– Your Ultimate 10 Step Guide

Burglary is big business – according to the British Crime Survey around 750,000 homes are broken into in the UK every year.  It’s also worrying to learn that a surprising number of burglaries occur during daylight, when the owners are home or even without the need for forced entry.

Whilst the majority of us are not careless enough to leave doors and windows open or unlocked, seasoned burglars know all the tricks and are getting better and better at finding new ways to break into unsuspecting homes.

If you want to keep them out, you’ll need the same cunning and intelligence to make sure your home is as safe and secure as it could possibly be. Here are ten must-follow tips if you want to protect your home from a break-in...

Image via Grongar

1.       Lock Up

Despite the statistics, a worrying number of people are lax about locking their doors and windows. Even if you’re nipping to the shops for five minutes, never leave your property unlocked or you’re asking for trouble.

2.       Reinforce Windows

The quickest and simplest way to break into a house is to smash a window, so don’t skimp on quality when having new windows installed. Use reinforced burglar-proof glass everywhere you can – if you have decorative glass panels on the door, make sure these are reinforced or it’s easy to smash one and reach through for the handle inside.

3.       Deadbolt Doors

A common spring lock is easy to open from the outside by slipping a credit card into the tiny gap between the door and frame. A deadbolt lock is a much safer option – choose one that goes at least an inch into the frame when closed.

4.       Make Some Noise

Every home should have high quality burglar alarms. Go wireless if possible, or make sure that wires are well concealed as most burglars know to look out for wiring and can disable alarm systems in seconds.

Image via El Hombre de Negro

5.       Keep It Quiet

Safety isn’t all about deafening alarms and searchlights – in some cases it’s better to keep things on the down low, especially if you’re planning a trip away. Professional burglars stalk social media accounts to find out who’s going to be on holiday, so make sure your privacy settings are set to the maximum and that only real friends that you trust are on your friends lists!

6.       Garden Intelligently

Gardening is just a hobby... or is it? A well thought-out garden can add to your home security, from avoiding planting trees too close to windows to growing prickly hedges and plants around your garden border and underneath ground floor windows.

7.       Be Creative

Most of us keep a spare key outside to avoid those hefty locksmith fees should we ever forget our keys at home. Burglars are well aware of this, so popping it under the doormat or in a plant pot just won’t cut it. Think up somewhere truly hidden, such as wrapping it in foil and burying it completely.

8.       Light the Way

Although many burglaries occur during daylight, no intruder wants to get caught in the act so the risk of being seen is a big deterrent. Install motion sensor lighting at the front and back of your home that will light up the perimeter around your home as soon as someone gets close.

9.       Signs of Life

Going away for a while? Criminals are on the lookout for tell-tale signs a home is empty, so get the post office to hold your mail and ask neighbors to use your wheelie bins whilst you’re away. Put lights and the radio on timers too so that they come on and off in the evenings as they normally would.

10.   Keep Watch

Unfortunately the sad truth is that if a burglar wants to get in, he will – you can only make it harder and riskier for him to do so. Ensure that you prepare for the worst by installing home CCTV or hidden spy cameras at home, so that if you are ever the victim of crime you will have a clear image of the perpetrator’s face to show to police, and increase the chance of getting your goods back.

Do you have any other useful home security tips?

Trade Marks some times they cause big headaches for little operators

If you travel along US 422 in Cambria County Pa.  you will run across
Krispy Kream  ice cream its been there since 1968 and they have an excellent ice cream product. Unfortunately they got embroiled in a fight with Krispy Kreme the southern Doughnut maker . who in late 1990's started franchising there doughnut stores thru Western Pa.
 

http://www.wjactv.com/news/news/krispy-kreme-vs-krispy-kream/nKG69/

Well after locals and many other thru out the area started protesting and shunning Krispy Kreme products it appears the little Ice cream stand is the winner as there are no Krispy Kreme stores left in Western Pa. they are gone as is the name .Most of the stores where converted to Chick Fila
stores.
But the Krispy Kreme franchises where doomed from the start. To begin with there doughnuts where way over priced compared to everyone else. and many complained the doughnuts had to much sugar in and on them. The result with in 5 years of opening there gone and nothing more than a memory as Dunkin Donuts now is filling there spot. Sheetz and other stores which once carried the donuts are not carrying them as well.

Yes it is important you enforce your trademark right so people do not confuse your product with some one else but in this case you had to be down right stupid to even think there was even any kind of connection between the two krispy's .
Currently ADT is trying to get the courts to enforce any one using a blue octagon security sign is violating there trade mark I say bull shit on the whole thing. Once again ADT has a very specific blue color or Panatella number as it is known.  The vast majority of people are not going to mistake ADT signs but apparently ADT thinks you all are that stupid just like Krispy Kreme thinks your stupid as well  and any blue colored octagon should be exclusive to them I hope the courts strike  this down as well. What ever happened to common sense well it appears the legal eagles think everyone is so stupid you can not tell the difference. I take that as an insult so needless to say I have nothing to ever do with either outfit. I will not eat Krispy Kreme donuts even if I am traveling down south  and I will never become an authorized ADT dealer.

Link to another Good Blog on Home Monitoring

http://www.homealarmmonitoring.org/year/10-reasons-to-have-multiple-locks-on-your-front-door/

Please keep in mind if your going to do multiple locks you may well have to escape out that same door if there's a fire . So all locks must be easy to operate and in excellent working condition.

Collection of my Earlier Articles

 Back when the internet was first starting out in early 90's Al Colombo and myself started safety and Security Magazine it was a monthly newsletter which was sent compressed and you unzipped  via PK-ZIP which you downloaded  to read some of these articles which where later incorporated in the  TPromo site started by Al  Below is the link to the articles. By the way that's me in the firefighter gear when I was a member back in 90s at Penn Hills station 224 and served as Driver/ Engineer

http://tpromo2.com/ssmag/fire/index.htm

It has only taken a dozen deaths and 80 years for officials to get off there ass and fix a deadly roadway

Ever since the 1930's when  Washington Boulevard  also known as Pa. Route 8 was built in the city of Pittsburgh's
East Liberty section it has been a deadly trap any time there is a very strong rain storm of an inch or more of rain . The road built over an existing creek  and which was at one time even feed by a Lake called Silver Lake has had a history of suddenly and violently filling up whats known as the fish bowl part of the road near the city Fire Academy where it dips as much as 12 feet and it has killed over a dozen people 5 last year and at times in 30's, 50's and in the early 60's I almost became a victim  as a young child when my mom was driving home from the market to our apartment on Paulsen street in East Liberty and a sudden storm came up trapping us temporarily till my mom could get here car free we where lucky that day because an elderly driver drowned that same day who could not escape the fast moving waters . Pittsburgh has several areas like this where water accumulates very fast when rains are heavy but none like Washington Blvd. Even in the 30's it was proposed that automatic barriers be  installed  and operate  when rain accumulates or elevating the road etc but known of it was ever done. They did increase the size of the pipes under the road but that did not help either. It showed just how ineffective it was when 5 people died last year a mother her 3 children and an elderly woman when a fast and furious storm came thru on a summer day. Well as you can see they now have warning signs and automatic gates installed I just hope they have battery back up because this area loses its power all the time. While this helps it is not the solution they need to elevate the road up out of the flood plain in the low spot area.
I guess we will see if this latest limited attempt by officials actually makes a difference.
Oh you can forget about filing suit against any of the the state and city are only liable up to $500,000 per incident so there is no incentive  to actually give a damn. Every administration since the 1930's has had blood on there hands for not doing anything about this but do they care? Not at all.

Track Lighting Install it wrong and Fire or Electrocution is possible

Go into any home center and you will find a isle with track lighting in it.
There are hundreds of styles and brands all designed as task lighting to light up objects. Neat stuff but it can all be deadly when not installed properly.
several years back I told a home re-modeler to pound salt and never call me again to do work for him when he asked me to cut a track lights 8 foot metal track to 6 foot instead of buying a 2 ft and 4 ft track and using a proper splicer. Why ? because unless a track is specifically designed to be cut to length you can in fact put your home in danger of a fire or getting electrocuted 
because when the end fitting is installed it is designed to fit secure and smooth
if the track is cut it can leave a bur which can damage the end feed and allow the hot metal contact to make contact with the metal track resulting in shock and or fire. You should always use proper end or mid feed fittings designed for the specific track and use a proper connectors and box when connecting the
feed wires and make sure it is grounded.
 the other problem from fire can result if  improper wire size to amount of fixtures being used overloads the wiring and heats the track and a fire is a result. check the charts use only the amount of recommended fixtures and proper wattage bulbs. Or disaster will be the end result.this also goes for the fixtures only use fixtures which are designed for the specific track and if damaged replace them. follow manufacturers and electrical code rules or end up losing your home or your life the choice is yours.

Water and Oil do not mix and that goes for Industrial Equipment as well

The old saying Oil and Water do not mix is very true and that comes with some
Expensive lessons for one of my industrial customers when they recently tried to run water thru a pump and preheat-er unit at there plant. The equipment is normally used to heat up and transport oil  thru the plant but they had a large amount of water they needed to preheat and they figured well if the unit heats oil it should also heat water. Wrong the end result is a damaged pump and heating coils which you can see in picture is cracked in half and since this operates at 480 volts Ac 3 phase it could have been deadly decision as well.
If the operator had not properly grounded the portable unit before running it.
Good thing for him he did ground it and fuses blew before he was electrocuted or unit exploded.
Now no where on this heating unit or pump does it say do not run with water in it . Which I fault the manufacturer for it should be clearly stated on both pieces oil transfer only.
Plant personnel are not trained engineers who design equipment  and they never gave it a second thought to contact the manufacturer to see if it was OK . common thinking of most people it should do both. So this hazard needs to be marked.
The problem of running water thru units made for oil only is that with the pump the oil as it runs thru the pump keeps the pump lubricated. there are no external bearings etc you would normally lube like you do on big water pumps. same way for the fin heater the fins are designed to operate at a certain temperature and certain volume of oil passing them  water does not pass heat efficiently as oil there by the units failed early.
Do they make such units that can do both? absolutely but they have to be specifically designed to do both. Which these units where not.