Retrofit Alarm Kit 1
Welcome to the Ring Retfofit Alarm Kit Thank you for choosing the Ring Retrofit Alarm Kit. Please read all of these instructions before you begin the installation. This is an advanced DIY project. We recommend that you consult a professional before installing the Retrofit Alarm Kit. Professional alarm installers and licensed electricians are experienced with wiring projects, are familiar with using tools such as multimeters to test electrical wiring, and can read and interpret electrical schematics.
Understand your wired alarm panel Common wired alarm components 1 3 2 4 1. Alarm box or alarm cabinet. The metal box that holds your wired alarm equipment. 2. Alarm panel. The circuit board that functions as the brains of your wired security system. All device and zone wires, along with electrical and battery backup wires connect to the panel. 3. Battery backup. The extra battery located inside your alarm panel which supplies power temporarily if the electricity goes out. 4.
Sensor Zone Zone Common 7 6 5 5. Contact sensor zones. A zone is a closed wired loop that contains one or more devices. Zones are used as a way of grouping several sensors or devices together for efficiency. Contact sensor zones are two-wire zones with one or more contact sensors. 6. End of line resistors. Small wires with resistors on them used to reduce the flow of electricity, indicating the end of a zone. 7. Terminal. A connection point that secures the wires to the alarm panel.
Optional wired alarm components These items may be connected to your wired alarm panel, depending on your specific configuration. All of these items require an external power source to work properly: • Motion detectors • Carbon monoxide detectors • Smoke detectors • Glass break sensors • Indoor or outdoor sirens • Keypads Supported sensor types We suggest using the Ring Retrofit Alarm Kit with wired door and window contact sensor zones.
You should also know Ring Alarm Required. You need to have a Ring Alarm Base Station set up at your location before you begin to add the Retrofit Alarm Kit and connect it to your wired contact sensor zones. Your Ring Alarm Base Station will need to be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or ethernet, and cannot be on cellular backup during installation. Compatibility.
Tools and supplies you may need for installation Required supplies: • Ring Retrofit Alarm Kit, with the included #1 Phillips head screwdriver • A screwdriver that fits your existing wired alarm panel terminals • A continuity tester or multimeter Additional supplies you may need: • A wire stripping tool • Extra 20 or 22 gauge wire • Twist on wire nuts or wire connectors • Cleaning cloth or alcohol to clean the wall before using the included mounting tape • If you prefer to mount this device using screws, tw
Preparing for installation Locate your wired alarm panel inside your home, and familiarize yourself with the components. It may be located in a basement or inside a closet. 1. Open your wired alarm panel. If it’s locked, the key is often located right on top of the panel box or somewhere nearby. 2. Take photos to document your current setup: • The open alarm panel • Wiring diagrams or schematics • Anything else you can find about your alarm system 3.
4. Label the wires for each zone using labels or masking tape to keep track of them during the wiring process. 5. Visually inspect the wiring and make sure that none of it appears to be damaged or cut. Check for corrosion, frayed wiring, visible cracks in the casing, and any damage to the alarm panel itself. If you find signs of damage or wear, the zones may not work with the Retrofit Alarm Kit. 6.
7. Think about where you want to set up the Retrofit Alarm Kit. Make sure there is space on the wall nearby. It cannot be mounted inside the wired alarm panel box as this could block communication signals to the Ring Alarm. 8. Make sure your wired alarm system is not actively professionally monitored. If your existing wired alarm system is actively monitoring your home, call the monitoring center and ask them to put your system in “Test Mode”.
Setup instructions Add the Retrofit Alarm Kit to the Ring app. You’ll need to have a Ring account with a Ring Alarm system set up at your location first before you can set up and use the Retrofit Alarm Kit. Add the Retrofit Alarm Kit to the Ring app: 1. Open the Ring app. 2. Tap the Menu (three lines in the upper left corner), and select Set Up a Device. 3. Tap Security Devices. 4. Tap Retrofit Alarm Kit. 5. Tap Retrofit Alarm Kit again. 6. Tap Ready. 7.
• Next, pull the battery tab to power on the Retrofit Alarm Kit. It will power on and begin to communicate with your Ring Alarm. • The Ring app will prompt you to configure the device. You can give it a name and add it to a room. 8. Move the Retrofit Alarm Kit to the place where it will be installed near the wired alarm panel. This may be in a basement or closet. Do not mount it on the wall yet. 9.
Wiring up the Retrofit Alarm Kit 1. Disconnect the power to your alarm panel. Unplug the AC power supply. The transformer may have a safety screw that will need to be unscrewed before you can unplug it. Disconnect the battery backup for safety. Remove both the red and black wires from the battery terminals. If you can’t unplug the AC power, we recommend that you switch off the breaker at the fuse box.
4. Test your wired zones. Checking the integrity of your wired contact sensor zones will ensure that the zones can be connected to the Retrofit Alarm Kit. Wired contact sensor zones must create a complete closed loop in order to work properly with Retrofit Alarm Kit. Before you begin this step, check that all doors and windows are closed. To test your contact sensor zone using a continuity tester or multimeter: A. Identify which zones are contact sensor zones using the alarm diagram. B.
If the zone test shows the letters OL or Open Loop, the zone is open. Check that all doors and windows in your home are closed. If everything is closed, there is no visible damage to the wiring or sensors, and the tester still reads OL, then there is an issue within that zone that needs to be diagnosed and repaired. If not repaired, this zone can’t be added to the Retrofit Alarm Kit.
Use this chart and illustration below to match the zone with the correct terminals. Each Terminal C may have multiple wires.
Note: Sometimes zones are incorrectly labeled. If the Zone Setup Test does not successfully complete, follow the directions in the next step. If your zones are not labeled or mislabeled, you will need to identify them using trial and error. Look at the Ring app while you open and close each door and window around your property to identify which contact sensors are within the zone.
Note: If your zone includes both doors and windows, we recommend that you choose “door” as the placement option to help reduce false alarms. Repeat these steps until all zones have been added to your Retrofit Alarm Kit. When you’re finished, slide the cover back on the Retrofit Alarm Kit.
Using your Retrofit Alarm Kit After you have completed your setup, you can arm and disarm your Ring Alarm as usual. You can adjust your entry and exit delays within the Ring app at any time. Click here to learn more about setting Entry and Exit delays. Your Ring Retrofit Alarm Kit will work similar to your Ring Contact Sensors, but you should remember that any settings you customize will apply to all wired sensors within that zone, and not a single door or window.
Troubleshooting Tips If the zones you succesfully added to the Ring Retrofit Alarm Kit stop working, you can try these steps to get them back online. Check the Retrofit Alarm Kit. Did any wires become loose or fall out of the device? If so, reinstall the wires and ensure that they are securely placed within the device. Inspect the wiring and wired contact sensors. Take your time and visually inspect any visible wiring and the wired contact sensor hardware, looking for damage.
