H
2

Had a weird voltage drop on a Honeywell Vista 20p install in a 1970s house

I put the main panel in the basement and ran the keypad wire up two floors. The voltage at the keypad was only 8 volts, not the 12 it should be. I learned the old cloth wrapped wire in the walls was causing way more resistance than I figured. Anyone run into this with older buildings and have a good fix besides moving the panel?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
matthew_owens9
My uncle's 1962 ranch had the same cloth wire in the walls. We were trying to add a simple doorbell transformer and the voltage at the chime was a joke, like 5 volts. Ended up fishing a new 18/2 line through the cold air return next to the old stuff.
6
terry_shah17
Ever notice how old houses just fight you on every little upgrade? That cloth wire is basically a built-in resistor. You might have to run a new, dedicated line for the keypad.
2
riverp37
riverp373mo ago
Check the wire gauge first, maybe it's just too thin.
1