My in laws have gone on holiday and I am doing some decorating and looking
after the house. The problem is the burglar alarm goes off every day. I
set the alarm at approx 3PM and I get a call from their neighbour at 8 to
8-30 PM saying "the alarm is going off". The electricity has never been
switched off by me for decorating purposes. When I look at the event log,
it is always a different zone so that discounts a spider etc crawling over a
passive. Two of the activations have been 1 x door contacts (not surface
type) and 1 x panic button! I have now left the alarm off to save the
neighbours any more grief. Why would it go off after 5 hours or so? Any
ideas before I call an engineer?

Cheers

John

In article , John
writes
My in laws have gone on holiday and I am doing some decorating and looking
after the house. The problem is the burglar alarm goes off every day. I
set the alarm at approx 3PM and I get a call from their neighbour at 8 to
8-30 PM saying "the alarm is going off". The electricity has never been
switched off by me for decorating purposes. When I look at the event log,
it is always a different zone so that discounts a spider etc crawling over a
passive. Two of the activations have been 1 x door contacts (not surface
type) and 1 x panic button! I have now left the alarm off to save the
neighbours any more grief. Why would it go off after 5 hours or so? Any
ideas before I call an engineer?

With different zones tripping, supply volts on the panel or knackered
backup battery would be a good place to start.
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

"John" wrote in message
...
My in laws have gone on holiday and I am doing some decorating and looking
after the house. The problem is the burglar alarm goes off every day. I
set the alarm at approx 3PM and I get a call from their neighbour at 8 to
8-30 PM saying "the alarm is going off". The electricity has never been
switched off by me for decorating purposes. When I look at the event log,
it is always a different zone so that discounts a spider etc crawling over
a passive. Two of the activations have been 1 x door contacts (not
surface type) and 1 x panic button! I have now left the alarm off to save
the neighbours any more grief. Why would it go off after 5 hours or so?
Any ideas before I call an engineer?

Cheers

John

It sounds like the alarm panel is knackered. If had been the same detector
I would have said to reduce the sensitivity or amount of movements it needs
before triggering. If it was just PIRs it could have been one of them
getting hit with direct sunlight.
Are you sure the panic button is wired on it's own circuit and not just to
the nearest PIR in a cowboy fashion? The same for the door contacts if they
are looped in to another circuit. Door contacts can go faulty - they
corrode inside afer a while.
You might need to get a load of ferrite cores and clip them over the cables
and mains cable just on the outside of the panel to stop any nearby radio
transmitter interference.
Something must be happening around 8-30pm, any large radio aerials on nearby
houses? Any taxi firms nearby? A passing taxi always used to trigger my
alarm which was annoying as the neighbour arrived home at the same time each
day. When the radio was used, off it went until I use the ferrite rings.
Some alarm panels do not meet any standard in terms of RF shielding as they
are in plastic cases. The same goes for PIRs.

I hope you manage to get it sorted. I would be tempted to go and set it,
but wait outside at 8-30pm to see what is happening or ask the neighbours.

The only other suggestion is a call to LIVING TV to get Yvette Fielding
over!

On Tue, 19 Sep 2006 22:45:49 GMT, fred wrote:

In article , John
writes
My in laws have gone on holiday and I am doing some decorating and looking
after the house. The problem is the burglar alarm goes off every day. I
set the alarm at approx 3PM and I get a call from their neighbour at 8 to
8-30 PM saying "the alarm is going off". The electricity has never been
switched off by me for decorating purposes. When I look at the event log,
it is always a different zone so that discounts a spider etc crawling over a
passive. Two of the activations have been 1 x door contacts (not surface
type) and 1 x panic button! I have now left the alarm off to save the
neighbours any more grief. Why would it go off after 5 hours or so? Any
ideas before I call an engineer?

With different zones tripping, supply volts on the panel or knackered
backup battery would be a good place to start.

Speaking of backup batteries, is there usually just one in a typical
alarm system - located in the main panel box? Or could there be one
outside where the alarm bell is too? I need to replace mine and I'd
like to do it with the minimum of noise.

And a second question - are these batteries mostly of the 12V 6.0 Ah
"Yuasa" motorcycle type, as I've been told?

In article ,
Art Deco writes:

Speaking of backup batteries, is there usually just one in a typical
alarm system - located in the main panel box? Or could there be one
outside where the alarm bell is too? I need to replace mine and I'd
like to do it with the minimum of noise.

There's usually one in the external sounder too.

And a second question - are these batteries mostly of the 12V 6.0 Ah
"Yuasa" motorcycle type, as I've been told?

The ones in panels are usually 12V 7Ah (same size as older 6Ah) sealed
lead acid. However, they are designed for float/standby operation.
Some panels will have smaller versions. Smaller ones can be more
expensive, because the 7Ah type is often cheaper due to the high
numbers of then used. External sounder usually use small nicads.

--
Andrew Gabriel

John wrote:
The problem is the burglar alarm goes off
every day. I set the alarm at approx 3PM and I get a call from their
neighbour at 8 to 8-30 PM saying "the alarm is going off".

Paranoia
Maybe Mr crook is setting off the alarm everyday so that you will switch
it off, then they have a long time with no alarm going off and them
inside the house.
/Paranoia

Does the alarm company not have some sort of maintenance agreement? Get
an alarm engineer to look at it, sounds like the panel is on its way
south.
--
This space intentionally left blank.

On 20 Sep 2006 07:09:20 GMT, (Andrew
Gabriel) wrote:

In article ,
Art Deco writes:

Speaking of backup batteries, is there usually just one in a typical
alarm system - located in the main panel box? Or could there be one
outside where the alarm bell is too? I need to replace mine and I'd
like to do it with the minimum of noise.

There's usually one in the external sounder too.

Thanks. I was wondering about that.
Presumably opening up the external sounder box will set off the
"tamper" mode?

And a second question - are these batteries mostly of the 12V 6.0 Ah
"Yuasa" motorcycle type, as I've been told?

The ones in panels are usually 12V 7Ah (same size as older 6Ah) sealed
lead acid. However, they are designed for float/standby operation.

I've seen that stated on some, yes.

Some panels will have smaller versions. Smaller ones can be more
expensive, because the 7Ah type is often cheaper due to the high
numbers of then used. External sounder usually use small nicads.

Presumably easily available ones.

"malc" wrote in message
...

"John" wrote in message
...
My in laws have gone on holiday and I am doing some decorating and
looking after the house. The problem is the burglar alarm goes off every
day. I set the alarm at approx 3PM and I get a call from their neighbour
at 8 to 8-30 PM saying "the alarm is going off". The electricity has
never been switched off by me for decorating purposes. When I look at
the event log, it is always a different zone so that discounts a spider
etc crawling over a passive. Two of the activations have been 1 x door
contacts (not surface type) and 1 x panic button! I have now left the
alarm off to save the neighbours any more grief. Why would it go off
after 5 hours or so? Any ideas before I call an engineer?

Cheers

John

It sounds like the alarm panel is knackered. If had been the same
detector I would have said to reduce the sensitivity or amount of
movements it needs before triggering. If it was just PIRs it could have
been one of them getting hit with direct sunlight.

Not at 8PM at night surely?

Are you sure the panic button is wired on it's own circuit and not just to
the nearest PIR in a cowboy fashion? The same for the door contacts if
they are looped in to another circuit.

All on their own circuits

Door contacts can go faulty - they corrode inside afer a while.

Maybe but what about the other zones?


You might need to get a load of ferrite cores and clip them over the
cables and mains cable just on the outside of the panel to stop any nearby
radio transmitter interference.

It's been OK for the last 12 years nothing new electrically fitted recently.

Something must be happening around 8-30pm, any large radio aerials on
nearby houses?

No.

Any taxi firms nearby?

No.

I got my alarm engineer out today (mine is on a contract). He checked the
batteries (All OK), checked the electricity supply (OK) and checked the
wiring with some implement at the panel end (OK). He the went through the
activation log and decided the panel was on it's way out. There was even an
activation on a fire detection circuit and there are no fire detectors
present.

So I will wait for the outlaws to return and give them the good news!

Thanks all

John

"soup" wrote in message
. uk...
John wrote:
The problem is the burglar alarm goes off
every day. I set the alarm at approx 3PM and I get a call from their
neighbour at 8 to 8-30 PM saying "the alarm is going off".

Paranoia
Maybe Mr crook is setting off the alarm everyday so that you will switch
it off, then they have a long time with no alarm going off and them
inside the house.

Thanks but highly unlikely otherwise he would have to 'break in' set off the
alarm via one of the mentioned zones and then make good his entry point
before I got there in under 10 mins.

Does the alarm company not have some sort of maintenance agreement?

My Father In Law is too tight to pay for one.


Get an alarm engineer to look at it, sounds like the panel is on its way
south.

Got my alarm engineer (contract) out today, see my reply to Malc

Cheers

John

In article , Art Deco
writes
On 20 Sep 2006 07:09:20 GMT, (Andrew
Gabriel) wrote:

In article ,
Art Deco writes:

Speaking of backup batteries, is there usually just one in a typical
alarm system - located in the main panel box? Or could there be one
outside where the alarm bell is too? I need to replace mine and I'd
like to do it with the minimum of noise.

There's usually one in the external sounder too.

Thanks. I was wondering about that.
Presumably opening up the external sounder box will set off the
"tamper" mode?

If you have the installer code, enter installer mode & the tamper should not
result in a system trip but the box sounder should sound. I'd then be happy
to swap out the panel battery 'live'. It's not normal to change the bell box
battery (well, not here anyway).

And a second question - are these batteries mostly of the 12V 6.0 Ah
"Yuasa" motorcycle type, as I've been told?

The ones in panels are usually 12V 7Ah (same size as older 6Ah) sealed
lead acid. However, they are designed for float/standby operation.

I've seen that stated on some, yes.

Some panels will have smaller versions. Smaller ones can be more
expensive, because the 7Ah type is often cheaper due to the high
numbers of then used. External sounder usually use small nicads.

Presumably easily available ones.

I would take a look before you buy, I've seen a variety of batts in panels.
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

some older (over 10 years) panels were very sensitive to electrical
interference and radio transmissions (taxi, police, amateur). If it is
that sort of age or older I would change panels (Texicom recommended).
And the panel back-up battery.
John wrote:
My in laws have gone on holiday and I am doing some decorating and looking
after the house. The problem is the burglar alarm goes off every day. I
set the alarm at approx 3PM and I get a call from their neighbour at 8 to
8-30 PM saying "the alarm is going off". The electricity has never been
switched off by me for decorating purposes. When I look at the event log,
it is always a different zone so that discounts a spider etc crawling over a
passive. Two of the activations have been 1 x door contacts (not surface
type) and 1 x panic button! I have now left the alarm off to save the
neighbours any more grief. Why would it go off after 5 hours or so? Any
ideas before I call an engineer?

Cheers

John

John wrote:
My in laws have gone on holiday and I am doing some decorating and
looking after the house. The problem is the burglar alarm goes off
every day. I set the alarm at approx 3PM and I get a call from their
neighbour at 8 to 8-30 PM saying "the alarm is going off". The
electricity has never been switched off by me for decorating
purposes. When I look at the event log, it is always a different
zone so that discounts a spider etc crawling over a passive. Two of
the activations have been 1 x door contacts (not surface type) and 1
x panic button! I have now left the alarm off to save the neighbours
any more grief. Why would it go off after 5 hours or so? Any ideas
before I call an engineer?
Cheers

John

The neighbour fancies you. If it's a bloke, get your stockings on next time
you go over.

HTH

Vj

some older (over 10 years) panels were very sensitive to electrical
interference and radio transmissions (taxi, police, amateur). If it is
that sort of age or older I would change panels (Texicom recommended).

The PIR's themselves can be susceptible to this.

--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:31:55 GMT, fred wrote:

In article , Art Deco
writes
On 20 Sep 2006 07:09:20 GMT, (Andrew
Gabriel) wrote:

In article ,
Art Deco writes:

Speaking of backup batteries, is there usually just one in a typical
alarm system - located in the main panel box? Or could there be one
outside where the alarm bell is too? I need to replace mine and I'd
like to do it with the minimum of noise.

There's usually one in the external sounder too.

Thanks. I was wondering about that.
Presumably opening up the external sounder box will set off the
"tamper" mode?

If you have the installer code, enter installer mode & the tamper should not
result in a system trip but the box sounder should sound.

Mine is an oldish "Spacetec" panel, which is key operated rather than
code operated.

I'd then be happy
to swap out the panel battery 'live'. It's not normal to change the bell box
battery (well, not here anyway).

Do they not deteriorate like panel batteries then?

And a second question - are these batteries mostly of the 12V 6.0 Ah
"Yuasa" motorcycle type, as I've been told?

The ones in panels are usually 12V 7Ah (same size as older 6Ah) sealed
lead acid. However, they are designed for float/standby operation.

I've seen that stated on some, yes.

Some panels will have smaller versions. Smaller ones can be more
expensive, because the 7Ah type is often cheaper due to the high
numbers of then used. External sounder usually use small nicads.

Presumably easily available ones.

I would take a look before you buy, I've seen a variety of batts in panels.

I certainly will.

I have now left the alarm off to save the
neighbours any more grief.


What's the address :-))

Hi,
To save any hassle, you would need to put the panel into engineer mode.
What tamper warnings are you getting?If you let me know what panel you have
I will send you the engineers code.
My thinking is that low batts would not put your system into alarm.

Kind Regards,

Mick Savage. Modern Security Systems.

Leeds. 01132 601629. 07984073882.

Hi Again,

Door contacts and panic buttons are a pain in the ass, they are very simple
devices that go faulty very easily, you may have to replace them.


Regards.


Mick. M.S.S. LEEDS

"Micky Savage" wrote in message
...
Hi,
To save any hassle, you would need to put the panel into engineer mode.
What tamper warnings are you getting?If you let me know what panel you
have I will send you the engineers code.
My thinking is that low batts would not put your system into alarm.

Kind Regards,

Mick Savage. Modern Security Systems.

Leeds. 01132 601629. 07984073882.


Hi Mick. If you are replying to me (OP) thealarm panel is a Pyronix Paragon
Plus. What good would putting it into Engineer mode do? Have you seen my
reply to Malc on 20/09 at 16.02 PM?

Cheers

John

P.S. Where in Leeds are you I am also in Leeds LS26 area.

In article ,
John wrote:
Does the alarm company not have some sort of maintenance agreement?

My Father In Law is too tight to pay for one.

Rightly so. A properly installed alarm doesn't need a 'maintenance
agreement' anymore than any other piece of electronics. Of course many are
simply thrown in rather than installed.

--
*A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Micky Savage wrote:
Door contacts and panic buttons are a pain in the ass, they are very
simple devices that go faulty very easily, you may have to replace them.

Usually because they get physically damaged through poor installation. A
reed switch has a near infinite life if not abused.

--
*Aim Low, Reach Your Goals, Avoid Disappointment *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 09:30:41 GMT, "Micky Savage"
wrote:

Hi,
To save any hassle, you would need to put the panel into engineer mode.
What tamper warnings are you getting?If you let me know what panel you have
I will send you the engineers code.
My thinking is that low batts would not put your system into alarm.

Kind Regards,

Mick Savage. Modern Security Systems.

Leeds. 01132 601629. 07984073882.

Are you familiar at all with the "Spacetec Security Alarm" panel?
Mine started misbehaving during a power cut so I suspect the battery
or batteries.

Hi John,
when a panel is put into engineer mode, it allows you to work on it without
driving everyone mad with it going off.
Your sounder may have a hold off to alllow you to test it then it resets.


Mick

Hi John,
Sorry I did not read the reply.A panel is not that expensive unless you go
cordless.
I use Texecom and a panel from my wholesaler is £46.00 + vat.

Kind Regards.


Mick