How Do I Power Cycle My Wireless Alarm System?

You can power cycle your wireless alarm system by powering it down completely and then powering back on by connecting its backup battery first, and then AC power second. This process is formally referred to as a power cycle reset. It is used for troubleshooting and installing new hardware.

If something on your wireless system isn't working properly, then you might try power cycling to see if that fixes the issue. Another situation when you might power cycle is if you are installing new hardware. You need to power down your system, install the hardware, and then power it back on once finished. Trying to install hardware while your system is powered on will likely damage the system.

Please note that many wireless all-in-one (AiO) systems will have a menu option for performing a reboot. In some instances though, a hard reset achieved by completely powering the system down and then back up is required. In addition, the steps outlined below are universal and will work on nearly any wireless alarm system. It involves opening the panel, dropping both AC power and battery backup, restoring power by connecting the battery first and AC power second, and then closing the panel to finish. For more general information on resetting a wireless system, see this FAQ.

Here is the "menu option" process for some wireless panels that support it:

• Lyric - Security > Tools > enter Master Code (default 1234, but usually changed) > Advanced > Reboot > Yes.
• Lynx Touch - Security > More > Tools > enter Master Code (default 1234, but usually changed) > Test > Reboot > Yes.
• IQ Panel 2 Plus - Grey bar at top > Settings > Advanced Settings > Master Code (default 1234) or Installer Code (default 1111) or Dealer Code (default 2222) > Panel Reboot > Ok.

Complete the following steps to power cycle your wireless alarm system:

1. Open the panel. You need to open up the panel so that you have access to its backup battery. The process for opening your wireless alarm panel will vary depending upon the system you are using. If you are unsure of how to open up your system, consult its installation manual.

2. Power down the system. Unplug the system's backup battery from its connector port. Then remove AC power either by unplugging the transformer from the wall outlet or by switching off power to the outlet at the circuit breaker. If your system uses a barrel connection for AC power, then you can also unplug that connection to remove AC power. Make sure that your system's screen is completely blank and that no buttons respond to button presses. A blank screen with no LED lights being lit normally indicates that the system has been fully powered down. If this is just a power cycle for troubleshooting purposes, leave the system without power for about 30 seconds before beginning the power-up process.

3. Restore battery power. For a wireless alarm system, you want to restore battery power first, and AC power second when powering on. Take the battery pack connector that you unplugged earlier, and plug it back into its designated port. Note that most wireless alarm systems will not power back on when battery power is restored. This is normal behavior. Your system won't power back on until you restore AC power.

4. Restore AC power. Now you will restore AC power to your system. How you do this will depend upon how you powered the system down in the first place. Plug the system's transformer back into the wall outlet, restore power at the breaker, or restore the barrel connection to provide AC power to your system. With AC power restored, your system should power back on.

5. Close the panel. You should finish by closing your panel at this time. Refer to your system's installation manual if you are unsure how to properly close the panel.