Alarm System User Manuals - User Programming

When you purchase an alarm system the installer should give you a user manual and instructions on what features have been turned on with your panel. Common features include the User Panic Buttons, Fire alarm and reset, Master and user passcodes, setting the panel for home or away, and features like door chime mode, walk test, system test, and central station testing if you have the panel monitored. I will be going through most of the systems frequently offered on most alarm systems and why these are important to you.

User Panic Buttons

These are buttons on the front of the alarm panel that will notify the central station (if you have your system monitored) when these buttons are pressed and held for a few second. These can also be used to activate sirens. You will need to ask your installer if he turned these buttons on.

Quick Arm

Many panels have a way of arming the system without outing in a pass code. This is convenient when you are leaving, but also means that anyone can arm the system. This can also be turned off if you desire.

Home and Away arming

Residential panels usually can be armed in two modes Home and Away (each panel uses a little different working for this). Home means that only the parameter devices have been armed like the doors and windows. Away means that all devices are armed including any interior motion detectors.

Master Code and User codes

Often you are only given one code to are and disarm your system. I usually recommend that you have more if you let anyone else enter the house and disarm the system like cleaning personnel, baby sitters, and house sitters. The master code will allow people to add additional codes into the system and likely you will never know about it. You should never give the master code to anyone else. Any other persons that need to disarm and arm the system should be given a user code that is not able to add new codes. I know you trust your maid or baby sitter but none the less, it is a good idea that they do not have access to the master code.

Alarm panel testing

There are many things on the alarm panel that should be tested regularly like the fire system, battery (or batteries if you have wireless devices), horn or siren, central station monitoring, wireless panic devices, motion detectors and door and window contacts.

The alarm panel battery is usually good for 3-5 years. It is constantly being recharged by the system. If the power goes out this battery keeps your system functioning. Draining the battery completely can damage this battery and shorten it’s life.

Putting the panel in walk test will allow you to check each sensor on the system to make sure it is still functioning properly. While in walk test opening any door or window or triggering any device in the system will cause the panel to beep letting you know that the contact or device is functioning properly.

Alarm Panel Troubles

Alarm panels are equipped with ways to check if there are basic problems with your system. When the panel detects a problem with the power, phone line, wire to the devices, low batteries or low signals from wireless devices or a problem with the panel your keypad will usually beep and a trouble light will show.

This is one of the ways poor quality installers cut corners to save them time. For the panel to know if there is a problem with the wire to a device the installer must put a resister at the end of the line, normally at the device. To save time many installers like to put the resister at the panel which defeats the purpose of the end of the line resister. Wire can be damaged in many ways including someone stepping on the wire while working in your attic, animal chewing on the wire etc, it is usually a good idea to be sure that the installer does this correctly.

Chime modes

These usually can be easily turned on and off at the keypad. Often the front door and sometimes other exterior sensors (back door etc) are set to make the keypad beep when the door is opened. This feature works when the panel is disarmed and is used to notify you when someone opens one of the doors of your house.

Fire alarm features, testing and resetting

If your system is equipped with a fire alarm it is a good idea to test it regularly. Several things need to be checked like the smoke/heat detectors, siren and central station. Each system is a little different so you should be given instructions on how to test your specific panel and notification hardware. Testing follows this basic pattern:

1. Call the central station and let them know you will be testing the system and for how long (usually a half hour or so).
2. Following the instructions for your specific smoke detectors, pull stations and other devices set each one in alarm. Often with smoke detectors that means holding a magnet up agains the side of the detector in a particular location to fool the device into going off, others require a special card to be slid into the device or other require that you use a canned smoke. DO NOT light a piece of paper on fire and use that smoke to set off the device.
3. The alarm keypad and the sirens should now be sounding off. In addition, each of the smoke detectors should have a red led light shinning steadily (that indicates the device was triggered). Most panels allow you to silence the bells or a siren often that is done by pressing the #key. Each device location should now be registering on the keypad. Some systems with many devices will show fewer zones in alarm then there are devices, that is because at times the installer will put multiple devices on one zone.
4. Reset your smoke detectors by performing some action on the keypad. Often there is a “reset” key press that for several seconds. When you check your smoke detectors they should be back to their normal mode with the red LED flashing every 3-10 seconds (depends on the brand of smoke detector)
5. Call the central station and be sure that they received notification for each Fire zone on your panel.

If you have an older system and do not have a users manual there are many location online where you can download manual. It is a good idea that you have one for your panel and are familiar with it.