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Cake day: February 25th, 2024

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  • Is the landline just for having a company monitor stuff? Should it still work locally just to like set off an alarm if the door open or motion is detected when the system is active?

    Yeah, it’s just for remote monitoring. But if it’s not connected, it will probably always show communication errors on the panel above. Sometimes you can get away with using a telephone line emulator like a Magic Jack (sometimes not, it’s hit or miss).

    I rented a place that had a slightly newer honeywell/ademco system (that was no longer in use) and was able to get it running locally with a Magic Jack. I programmed my cell as the monitoring company. So if it went off, I would get a call from that # and know it was an alarm. The downside to that was it keep calling over, and over, and over. Making it difficult for you to call the police (found that out the hard way).


  • That looks like an old Ademco system. There will be a main panel somewhere, probably in a closet in a metal box that may or may not be locked. Typically near an outlet with a wall wart power supply.

    Get the model numbers from the main panel and the keypad and you should be able to find manuals that will do into detail about all the possible features. These old units required a wired land line for reporting to work, so you might have to get creative for that.














  • seathru@lemmy.sdf.orgtoNo Stupid Questions@lemmy.world*Permanently Deleted*
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    4 months ago

    Hence my question: compared to its heating capabilities, does a heat pump use much more electricity for cooling?

    In my experience, they use slightly more electricity heating than cooling. I retrofitted my 120 year old home with inverter style heat pumps about a year ago and have been watching the energy use during temperature extremes.

    They do seem a lot more susceptible to drafts than traditional central heat and air units; So making sure your doors and windows are sealed, and the attic (if you have one) is properly ventalated, will go a long ways towards helping their efficiency.