Use these pointers as a practical guideline to alarms maintenance
I think it's time I made a long overdue apology. Just over a year ago a letter came in to Installer with a request for information, and the editor, in his wisdom (or in this case – lack of it), passed the request to me. The request was from a young man in South Yorkshire and he was asking about servicing, let me reprint an extract:

"Although I was taught to fit and troubleshoot some of the best alarms that money can buy, I have recently become aware that I have never been told what is expected of me when servicing a system."

At the time I wracked my brains and I couldn't ever remember seeing a servicing routine set down. Then, upon thinking a little further, I decided that perhaps it would be better if I were to submit the servicing routine to my fellow inspectors at the SSAIB and get their opinions.

I was thinking that the final document (after everyone has had their say) might become a sort of guideline for installers to work to, but due to the shortage of time at inspectors meetings (the new ACPO policy and UKAS accreditation was taking priority), the project was shelved so the young man from South Yorkshire never got his reply.

Now that I have moved over to work for the NSI (NACOSS and ICON) I think that it is time I offered that young man an apology and an answer … so here is the way I would go about it.

"Why do we need it serviced?"
First we have to ask why do we need to service an alarm system? The answer to that one is dead easy – we are checking to see that the system is still fully operational.

You cannot compare it with the telly or the dishwasher because we test these fully every day. If the picture fades or the pots come out dirty we know something is wrong and we call in the repairman. On the other hand, we can be setting the alarm every day thinking that all is well only to find that the system fails just when we need it most. The end user may be convinced that if they fire up the bells now and again the system has proved itself but you and I know different. The problem faced by the small installer is convincing the customer that the alarm company's idea of servicing is far in excess of theirs.

Far too often it is the customer who says "After all, we never have the telly or the video serviced, we just run it till it drops and then we get it repaired or throw it and buy another, so if it's OK by you I'll do the same with the alarm system".

The customer is bang on right as far as he sees it. He is not being bloody minded or tight-fisted – he just doesn't see the need. So your first problem is that of trying to explain to the customer just why he needs an annual service.

First, you have to explain that an alarm is different; the video for example comes ready built in to a nice strong box that you just have to plug in and switch on. The alarm on the other hand comes as a variety of bits in kit form and it has to be custom fitted into your premises with a varying amount of satellite bits that have all got to be wired together. Some of those wires may have to run under floors, (sometimes under carpets), in damp cellars, outside to the bell box and a whole host of other places that can be considered to be a "hostile environment", so it pays to get the system checked every year.

Before the purists start writing in again to tell me I am wrong, please take this as it is intended … just a guide and not a manual the size of ‘War and Peace’

Step-by-step routine
Right – let's go through it stage by stage.

1) Have you got an ID card? It is a BS requirement to carry one. I won't bore you with the details but if you look in BS4737 part 4 section 1 clause 3.1.3 on page two it gives you the correct answer. Carry the card with you and unless you are personally known to the customer show your card around like it was still wet and you are trying to dry it out.

2) Is the system on a communicator of some kind? Ring the Alarm Receiving Centre and book the system off response for the duration of your visit. A tip – don't just book the system off for an hour, leave yourself time to find and correct any unexpected faults. The last thing you want is the ARC putting the system back on line before you have finished, and then you go and test-activate the system and have a brace of coppers rolling up. Don't laugh, it has happened. This daft trick is just the sort of thing that gets right up the nose of the local Plod.

3) Ask for the site file or the logbook or whatever paperwork is available on site and look at it: You are looking for evidence of any temporary disconnections or the last service or repair visit and a current copy of the "as fitted" spec. All this info should be on site and available to the visiting service engineer … before you start. Yes, I know the customer is a dab-hand at losing things and the words booze-up and brewery come to mind, but let's assume that we will do our best to have all current info to hand on a service.

4) Ask if there have been any alterations to the building or the use of the building and have there been any problems with the running of the system: Make notes!

5) Visual inspection: Go round the building with the spec and check that every piece of equipment is in place, undamaged and not obscured. You are also looking for damage to wiring, damp near the equipment or anything that could impair the operation of the system. It is of extreme importance that you do items 3, 4 and 5 and bring any problems to the attention of the customer BEFORE you touch anything. Let's face it; once you have laid your grubby mitts on the system the customer has an opportunity to blame you for all faults and problems by saying "it was alright until you messed about with it".

6) Test the system: Before you open up the panel put it in "walk test" mode and check that every detector is working and that the panel is receiving all signals correctly (right zone etc). Next, activate the system and check the audibles and the signalling units (check every channel) and get results of the tests. Once again, the reason for doing this before opening the panel is to cover your back against accusations that you have broken it and it was working all right before you came. Finally take the lid off a detector and check that the tamper system fires up. Check that the warnings sound and that the correct info clocks up on the keypad. Now you can open the panel and do your engineering checks.

7) Engineering tests: Here we are checking the electronic stability of the panel, so let's start in a logical manner. Put the system in "engineer" mode and open the panel, set your multi-meter to read 250v AC or above, and check the incoming mains supply. Check across Live and Neutral (230v), Live and Earth (230v) and then between Neutral and Earth (having re-set to 20v AC – ideal reading 0v). This check is just to give an indication that all is well with the mains supply and it is not to be considered a proper mains test. If, for example, you got a reading of more than 1.2volts between Neutral and Earth then that would point towards a bad earth so at that stage get out the proper mains testing kit and check it out fully – or suggest to the customer that they call in the local electrician.

Removing wires and replacing them to take the readings does more harm than good so, for my money, you can leave them out

If confused, go to college
Before the purists start writing in again to tell me I am wrong, please take this as it is intended … just a guide and not a manual the size of 'War and Peace'. If anyone is not sure what I am trying to get at they should sign on at the local college (Peter Moss runs a good one at Leeds – that will stop Peter writing in) and get it from the experts.

With the meter still set to AC volts check the supply from the transformer (often between 18 and 21volts) and compare your findings with the readings you did at the time of installation. You are looking for significant changes that may point to a transformer fault or a heavy drain on the system. In other words, you are looking for problems that may cause a system failure or false alarm.

Next, set the meter to read 20v DC and check your outputs to auxiliary supply, battery and bells etc. These voltages are usually quite close together. Any wide discrepancies could point to faults. Compare with original readings.

  • Battery: The charge voltage should always be read with the battery connected and before the mains supply has been interrupted, otherwise you may not get a true reading. It should be somewhere between 13.5 and 13.8volts. After that you can check the current going into the battery. It should only be a trickle of a couple of Milliamps. Once again, you are looking for signs that the battery is on its way out and that shows up when the voltage goes down and the charge current goes up. If you wish to take the battery test a stage further then you could opt for the ACT Meters Intelligent Battery Tester. This device has the added advantage of telling you just how much capacity is left in the battery, something we have never been able to tell before.

    At this stage some lads like to check the resistance of the detection circuits but it is recognised that removing wires and replacing them to take the readings does more harm than good so, for my money, you can leave them out.

    Provided you are happy that all your readings and findings are acceptable, you can then shut the control panel and do your final tests. These are checking the programming of timers, re-set features and group isolate settings. Don't forget – when checking the bell-delay, check that the removal of the phone line overrides the bell delay.

    When you are finished, do a set and unset just to confirm that the system has been left in good working order and then you can ring the ARC to get the results of those tests. Provided all is well, make out your job sheet (get the customer to sign) and the system history sheet and you are on your way to the next job.