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System Alarms After 10 Minutes


Guest Bramboss

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Guest Bramboss

Last night, went to bed after setting the alrm (downstairs only). After about 10 minutes, it went off. Reset the system and went to bed again, then it went off after about another 10 minutes. So left it unset in order to get some sleep!

Now have to investigate the fault but it's likely to be one of the PIRs. Question is, what causes this sort of 'delayed' fault? Should all PIRs that come under suspicion be replaced as a precaution?

Thanks for any advice.

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I would check that there is nothing in the way of the PIR's and that they are dust and cobweb free, spider and other such things seem to like crawling inside PIR's of course they can cover the sensor enough to make it think there is an intruder..

1st thing i would do is check the alarm log if your alarm panel has one to see what Zone(s) and thus what PIR('s) were going off.

A few questions, is this a panel you've fitted yourself? When did the panel last get serviced & how long ago was the battery replaced..

Maximum recommended time between battery changes in panels is 5 yrs but many do it at 4, 3 if the panel is in a warm environment such as an air cupboard as the battery gets too warm and this reduces the overall life span of the battery.

Sometimes it's the battery needing replaced especially if when you look at the log the zone / pir is "random".

Hope that helps..

Intruder / CCTV / Access Control Technical Support Personal

Subscriber to the "K.I.S.S" principle, that's Keep It Simple Stupid, are you?

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Guest Bramboss
Hi ,

What was showing on the display when you unset the alarm?.(what make / model of alarm?)

Regards.

The entry/exit zone was showing.

Veritas 8 control box.

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Guest Bramboss
I would check that there is nothing in the way of the PIR's and that they are dust and cobweb free, spider and other such things seem to like crawling inside PIR's of course they can cover the sensor enough to make it think there is an intruder..

1st thing i would do is check the alarm log if your alarm panel has one to see what Zone(s) and thus what PIR('s) were going off.

A few questions, is this a panel you've fitted yourself? When did the panel last get serviced & how long ago was the battery replaced..

Maximum recommended time between battery changes in panels is 5 yrs but many do it at 4, 3 if the panel is in a warm environment such as an air cupboard as the battery gets too warm and this reduces the overall life span of the battery.

Sometimes it's the battery needing replaced especially if when you look at the log the zone / pir is "random".

Hope that helps..

Yes I fitted the (Veritas 8 ) panel myself, exactly 3 years ago. It replaced an earlier panel so I left the PIRs in place. They were 'A1' from B&Q (now no longer available).

But 6 months ago I added a second PIR to the entry/exit zone, in series with the existing A1 PIR, to give extended coverage. The one added is a Melcom Micro Plus from Maplin with the pulse count set to 1.

The event log reads, from most recent:

entry/exit zone

entry/exit zone

tamper, tamper, tamper, tamper, tamper (max 7 events)

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Yes I fitted the (Veritas 8 ) panel myself, exactly 3 years ago. It replaced an earlier panel so I left the PIRs in place. They were 'A1' from B&Q (now no longer available).

But 6 months ago I added a second PIR to the entry/exit zone, in series with the existing A1 PIR, to give extended coverage. The one added is a Melcom Micro Plus from Maplin with the pulse count set to 1.

The event log reads, from most recent:

entry/exit zone

entry/exit zone

tamper, tamper, tamper, tamper, tamper (max 7 events)

Pulse count of 1 probably too sensitive for the quality of detector and environment - tamper faults indicate a wiring fault, possibly when you added it?

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Guest Bramboss
I would check that there is nothing in the way of the PIR's and that they are dust and cobweb free, spider and other such things seem to like crawling inside PIR's of course they can cover the sensor enough to make it think there is an intruder..

1st thing i would do is check the alarm log if your alarm panel has one to see what Zone(s) and thus what PIR('s) were going off.

A few questions, is this a panel you've fitted yourself? When did the panel last get serviced & how long ago was the battery replaced..

Maximum recommended time between battery changes in panels is 5 yrs but many do it at 4, 3 if the panel is in a warm environment such as an air cupboard as the battery gets too warm and this reduces the overall life span of the battery.

Sometimes it's the battery needing replaced especially if when you look at the log the zone / pir is "random".

Hope that helps..

I found a very small, live spider very close to each of the PIRs in the entry/exit zone.

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may find this is the problem, on a lighter note can you ask it, if ten minutes is it lap time :)

Kevin Scott. Owner of KK Alarms...... Installation .. Service .. Repair ...... Thoughout.. Northumberland and North Tyneside ..... Tel:01670 361948 (call diverted after 15 seconds) or 07947444114

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Guest Bramboss
may find this is the problem, on a lighter note can you ask it, if ten minutes is it lap time :)

I didn't think to ask that before I 'removed' it.

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Ideally you should have put the extra sensor onto its own zone then programmed in its attributes to react as entry exit in part set.

paul

THE BLACK KNIGHT

"Any comments / opinions posted are my opinion only and do not represent those of my employer or Company."

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hi

as you are getting tampers then you wiring needs a really close look, many engineers let alone DIY installers fail to pay proper respect to good well made connections, whichincludes they can not short due to 'cats whiskers'or be concidered loose in any way.

beleive me when i train a new engineer the very first thing that gets it drummed into him/her for initially over 2 hours is what makes and how to make a good connection, that way i don't get called out for them - if i ever did there would be hell to pay.

check your going out of the panel should be arround 13.6, then check at the detector, may be a few milivolts lower but not much, no more than .5 of a volt.

if you battery has been in for a whie best to change it, but to test remove the mains fuse and wait for say 10 minutes, ring the externl siren and check the voltage holds above 12.5 then refit mains fuse.

if you are actually getting false alarms with 2 pirs on the same zone which is always bad news (but now at least you know why) you have a problem, so you might disconnect the new one and run like this for a few days, then swap over if no further alarms occur.

as the above will reduce your security, to be honest for what they cost against what you might loose i would simply replace both with new preferably 'quads', get a decent make not the cheapest types.

regs

alan

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

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Guest Bramboss
Last night, went to bed after setting the alrm (downstairs only). After about 10 minutes, it went off. Reset the system and went to bed again, then it went off after about another 10 minutes. So left it unset in order to get some sleep!

Now have to investigate the fault but it's likely to be one of the PIRs. Question is, what causes this sort of 'delayed' fault? Should all PIRs that come under suspicion be replaced as a precaution?

Thanks for any advice.

Thanks for all advice; here is an update:

Thursday night (as already reported) 2 FA both on E/E zone (2 PIRs, no mag contacts)

All well Thursday day time.

Another FA Friday night, this time on a differnt (guarded) zone with 1 PIR.

Discussed this with local security shop on Saturday before they shut.

He suggests that since getting FAs on 2 different zones, problem is likely in the control panel, and even more likely the battery (3 years old). Suggested checking the detector voltages and if low replacing the battery since it might be dragging the power supply down. Bought a new battery off him anyway before he shut for the w/end. All PIRs are seeing 13.3 to 13.6 volts, so this seems OK but I fitted the new battery anyway.

No problems SO FAR after this but we shall see. If any more FAs will get him in to check the system out.

I note the many comments re 2 PIRs on the same zone!

Tamper events logged previously, I realise now are red herrings, they simply resulted when I was adding the extra PIR 6 months ago.

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  • 3 weeks later...

To many false alarms will give the intruder the advantage to brake in. As the neighbours will just ignore the alarm not to mention be peed off. My advice would be to get the whole system replaced wires included. Less false alarms more chance of getting the neighbours attention.

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