Menvier TS400 probs...

[bongos]

After several power cuts a fortnight ago during a "damp" spell for Sheffield, my Menvier TS400 alarm seems to have given up on me.

After the first and second power cuts the tamper light came on and the internal chime sounded so i just reset the alarm using my code and it worked normally again.

But after the third much longer power cut the day after I have been unable to reset the system. Everytime I type in my code the system spends around 5 seconds in normal 'day' mode and then just comes up with the tamper LED and sounds the internal chime.

Any ideas anyone...

 

[joe-90]

99% of the time it's the tamper switch on the outdoor siren cover.

Link out the Tamper Return (TR) to the 12v- in the control panel and try again.

If it goes OK then you can sort the lid tamper at a later date.

 

[breezer]

how old is the standby battery?

i am wondering if its old its dragging the power supply down, if its over 5 years change it

 

[bongos]

i've finally managed to dig out the limited user guide I was given when I bought the house and looking at it I would guess its probably an old alarm installed mid 90's.

Never had any grief with it so far though. Thinking in this case its probably the battery needs changing then...

 

[scott1980]

A duff battery on a TS400 will cause a tamper fault. Replacing the battery should cure the problem providing the dead battery has not damaged the panel.

 

[bongos]

thanks - i'll give it a go!

 

[joe-90]

When a battery is going duff it causes false alarms at zones with PIRs long before a tamper will become troublesome. Basically, the shorting battery turns the voltage into heat and deprives the sensors of juice - hence they go open circuit (fail safe). If you think the battery is duff then just disconnect it and try setting the alarm. If it sets - then that was your problem. Far more likely corrosion at the bellbox tamper switch due to the rain.

 

[bongos]

I don't think the bellbox has got wet or anything. As far as i'm aware the rain hasn't affected anything - the problem seems to have purely stemmed from the powercut.

After removing the front cover on the panel I noticed that the battery had a sticker on it stating it was installed in 1994 (probably when the alarm was put in too) so i'm guessing after 13 years it is probably well and truly knackered!

 

[joe-90]

Then take the battery out and try it without it. If your problem disappears then that is your problem. If it doesn't - then it isn't. The alarm should work quite happily without a battery.

 

[breezer]

er no it wont, most panels will "complain" of they have no battery

 

[joe-90]

Rubbish. Don't you remove the battery to test it during an annual service? Does the panel 'complain'?(whatever that means)

 

[breezer]

no it doesnt because to give an alarm its service you go into engineers mode, so it "knows" not to worry about it, sorry joe-90 but in this case your comment is "rubbish"

 

[joe-90]

Breezer. I've been installing and servicing alarms for over 20 years - just try it. Some cheap alarms don't even have an engineer mode. The argument is that the battery has gone short-circuit and is dragging down the voltage to the panel. If this is so - then removing the battery will restore the voltage (albeit a bit spikey) so that you can diagnose the fault. It's not rocket science.

 

[lvsystems]

With the battery removed and not in engineers mode the panel will flag a fault. The only way round this is to place resistors across the battery terminals to fool the panel into thinking it has a load. Incidentally bongos I have the user guide for this panel in PDF format should you require it

 

[joe-90]

With the battery removed and not in engineers mode the panel will flag a fault. The only way round this is to place resistors across the battery terminals to fool the panel into thinking it has a load. Incidentally bongos I have the user guide for this panel in PDF format should you require it

We are talking about a very simple panel. It never had that degree of function. You may get a 'BF' from an up market panel - but it won't show a tamper fault so yet again it would indicate that the battery wasn't at fault.