Troubleshooting a Low Battery Condition on a VISTA Panel

In this video, Joe teaches users how to troubleshoot a low-battery issue on a VISTA Panel. Every VISTA Panel should have a backup battery. But after a few years, the battery will lose its ability to store a charge, and it will need to be replaced. But before replacing, you will want to troubleshoot.

A Resideo VISTA System uses its backup battery so that it can remain operational when the power is out. Normally, the system will use power from a wall outlet to remain continuously running. But during an electrical outage, this power source will become unavailable. The system will automatically switch over to its battery backup to remain running. The battery will be slowly storing power while the system is running on AC power so that it is ready whenever an outage may occur. But every battery has a finite lifespan, and it will eventually need to be replaced with a new one.

If you get a low battery trouble condition on your Resideo VISTA Alarm Panel, then it doesn't necessarily mean that the battery needs to be replaced. The battery may simply be drained, and you might just have to give it some time to recharge. Usually, about 24 hours of the system running on continuous AC power is enough to charge the battery. But you may also want to do some real troubleshooting to see if the battery is truly at the end of its life. To do this, you will need a voltmeter.

You should start by checking the AC voltage. For a 16.5 VAC transformer that is commonly used with VISTA Panels, you should expect to see roughly 18 to 19 volts. Any reading lower than 16.5 will cause the panel to display an AC loss condition. If the transformer is not providing enough power, then there is no way you can expect the battery to be receiving enough charge. You may need to replace the transformer. You will also want to check wiring and check the auxiliary power. Lastly, check the charging voltage. If the charging voltage is too low, then it means not enough power is being supplied to the battery. Unfortunately, this may mean that you have to replace the panel. But always run through the steps appropriately before you determine the panel is bad. In most cases, a bad panel is not the cause.

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