I zip-tied a keypad to a broomstick to test a two-story window and the homeowner clapped | Alarm System Installers

Kim Grant · 2026-10-20T22:05:05.902323+00:00

So last week I was doing a panel swap on a split level out in Glendale and the homeowner wanted a keypad by the back door but the wall was full of old plaster and lath, no clean run. I got the bright idea to zip tie a spare keypad to a broomstick, tape the broomstick to a ladder, and walk the zone while my partner watched the panel LEDs from inside. The thing worked, but on the third window the keypad spun around on the stick and I hit the panic button by accident, and the siren scared the homeowner's cat so bad it went up a ladder and onto the roof. Took us 40 minutes and a can of tuna to get that cat down, and the guy just stood there clapping when we finally got it. What I learned is that a broomstick keypad actually beats crawling in an attic when you are checking upstairs contacts, but you have to tape the buttons down first. Cost me a $40 tip and my dignity. Has anyone else rigged up a weird tester that turned into a whole production?

Babble Community

Loading…

I zip-tied a keypad to a broomstick to test a two-story window and the homeowner clapped | Alarm System Installers - Babble Community