FAQ

As the first time user, you may come across some operation queries, like how does the alarm work? How to handle when there is a phone line problem? What will happen for power supply suspension? What should the key-holder(s) do? If you cannot find your answer here, please feel free to contact our customer services team.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the alarm work? Once your system is armed, each monitored zone has a device to recognize any violations and causing the alarm to be triggered. Your SECOM alarm is linked with your telephone line with signals received by the Central Monitoring Centre (CMC). When a violated zone triggers an alarm, a signal is transmitted back to CMC for action.

What happens if I am using the telephone while the alarm is triggered? If you are having a conversation on the telephone, the triggered alarm will override your usage and transmit an urgent signal to CMC. Thus, you are assured that CMC will be able to respond to your alarm efficiently.

What happens to the alarm system if there is a power supply suspension? If the power supply is suspended, your system has a back-up battery pack to maintain the system for several hours (depends on the types of alarm systems and frequency of power supply loss). Power supply loss signals (AC loss) are also received and responded by CMC.

What should the key-holder(s) do? He/ she is assigned by the customer and responsible for providing instruction to CMC when alarm is triggered, such as calling police, cancel for false alarm, etc.. In case of police reporting, the key-holder(s) should
Step 1: Arrive at the monitored site within 2 hours and assist the police for investigation.
Step 2: Before leaving the site, the key-holder(s) must reset and arm the alarm system.
Step 3: If the alarm is being damaged, key-holder(s) must inform CMC for repair service booking.

The key-holder(s) must have knowledge about and be authorized to:
• Access to the premises
• Location of control panel, keypad and the senor(s)
• Personal pin number
• Contact number of the SECOM Central Monitoring Centre (CMC)
• Contact method of the proprietor of the premises or the house owner

For any changes of key-holder(s) and Key-holder(s) information, please call SECOM Hotline at + 852 2155 0222 immediately.

An RF Low Battery signal occurs when an RF device on your alarm system has a battery that is running low or is completely flat. ‘RF’ stands for Radio Frequency, which means that the device is wireless and runs on batteries to keep it working.

Devices such as Reed switches, PIR (Passive Infra-Red) sensors or Smoke Detectors can be wireless. It is extremely important that the devices of your system are in operation at all times. If a device is not working due to the battery running flat, your security and smoke detection system is at risk of being compromised. SECOM strongly recommends that you replace the battery at your earliest convenience and you can call and schedule a SECOM qualified Technician to service your system.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I determine which device in my system requires a battery replacement? Refer to your User Manual or keypad to determine which device is sending the RF Low Battery signal.
Which battery type do I need? You can find this out by either 1) Refer to your user manual, or 2) Open the sensor and check for battery type. Warning Note: Please ensure you place your system on test mode before inspection or replacing batteries to prevent triggering a false tamper alarm. You can do this by calling SECOM Hotline Service at +852 2155 0222.

What if my system is still under warranty? If your system is under warranty and a low battery signal has occurred, choosing to replace batteries by yourself will invalidate the remaining warranty. Therefore, we highly recommend you to call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 and schedule a SECOM qualified technician to attend your site. 

If I replace the batteries in the device that has triggered the low battery signal, should I replace the batteries in the other devices? Yes! As your system devices are connected together it is likely that the batteries in other similar devices are also towards the end of their effective life. We highly recommend to replace the batteries in all your devices to prevent the system being at risk. We recommend you to record the length of the battery life and set a reminder for future reference.

Your alarm system back-up battery provides power supply to operate your alarm system during power supply outage. All alarm panels operate on mains power and contain a back-up battery.

How do I know if a New Battery is needed?
Usually the first sign of alarm battery failure is a beeping keypad. The beeping or chirping will often occur at the same time. This is because many panels do their automatic battery test every 24 hours. Less commonly, a low battery condition can cause false alarms at random times throughout the day.
Almost all alarm panels will also display a keypad trouble light to indicate a problem. Keypads with LCD displays will print out “Low Battery”, “LB”, “BAT”, or something similar. Keypads with LED’s may need you to press a button once or twice for the lights to show the trouble condition.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Should I Replace My Own Battery?
We recommend a qualified technician to attend and replace the battery to ensure the optimum performance of your system and to have a regular maintenance schedule. For more information on affordable maintenance packages or for alternative options on battery replacement, please call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222.

What if my system is still under warranty? If your system is under warranty and a low battery signal has occurred and you choose to replace the batteries by yourself, it may invalidate the remaining warranty.

A Power Fail signal occurs when your security system registers a loss of mains power to the security system. During a power fail a standby battery takes over supplying power to the security system and should enable the security system to operate. The duration that a standby battery is able to maintain the security system is variable & dependent on many factors, such as condition of the battery and the power usage of the system. If the power to the security system is not restored, the system shall continue to operate on the standby battery until it is fully discharged (runs flat), at which time you will no longer be protected.

A large proportion of power fail situations are related to electrical black outs. These situations generally rectify themselves when grid power is returned. However, on occasion a circuit breaker may have tripped or another cause may exist, that requires customer intervention to restore power to the security system. Apart from an area power outage, this signal could also indicate that the security system has been unplugged from a normal power point, just as you would unplug any electrical appliance or that the mains supply to the premises has been turned off.

Should mains power not restore, the cause of the power loss should be investigated & rectified prior to the battery running low. When your standby system battery is running low, you should be notified by SECOM CMC, however, the CMS will not receive signals from a security system where mains power is off and the standby battery is fully discharged.

What are some of the other reasons my security system has lost power?
The Power Fail signal may be caused by some of the following:
• Mains supply failure in your area
• Blown fuse on the premises
• Power point has failed
• Cleaner removed the power pack
• Power pack has come loose in the socket or has accidentally been removed
• Power pack has failed.

What can I check?
• If you are experiencing a black out in your area there is nothing you can do until power has been restored. (If your power is off for several days, your alarm panel may need minor reprogramming after the power has been restored)
• Check your keypad to see if your power light has restored, if it has then this indicates that the mains power has recovered.
• Locate your power pack, (this looks like an oversized phone charger), and feel it, it should be warm to the touch if working OK.
• If the power pack is cold, remove it and plug it back in, then check the keypad power light to confirm if the power has been restored.
• If nothing has worked, test the power point by plugging in another electrical device. If this device works then try the power pack again, if it has failed use an extension lead to plug the power pack into another power point.
An electrician may be required if you cannot restore mains power to the premises. In the event that you cannot restore mains power to the security system but have mains power available at the security system’s power point, please call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to troubleshoot your system, to discuss alternatives, and to book a technician – fees may apply.

This signal is a non-alarm event that indicates that a sensor circuit is not complete. A Sensor Trouble renders the particular circuit inoperative and no longer able to provide security as designed.

An incomplete circuit may be caused by a fault with cabling, the sensor or the security system’s main board. Alternatively a device on the circuit may simply not have been secured correctly when the security system was armed. A sensor trouble is often caused in error and does not necessarily require intervention by service technician.

One example would be a Magnetic Reed Switch (MRS) (or Recessed Magnetic Door Contact) on a door in Sensor Trouble, which maybe the result of a door not being physically secure, such as a door being left ajar. OR, if the door was found to be secure, it would indicate the MRS circuit has a fault and service of the circuit is warranted. A Sensor Trouble should be inspected & the cause of the trouble rectified. The circuit will mainly be incomplete because it’s open – however sometimes it’s broken.

For magnetic reed switch/s, closing the doors/window/shutter where the MRS is installed will generally rectify the Sensor Trouble. If the Sensor Trouble is still present with the doors/window/shutter being correctly secured, the MRS’s should be inspected to confirm the device’s components are present, set for correct proximity and not masked. If all appears in order the circuit is faulted will require a technical inspection.

For motion sensors – disarming & arming the security system, visual inspection of the device to ensure it is not masked, intact & the sensors LED’s illuminate when movement occurs in the sensor’s field of vision. If LED’s do not illuminate or remain illuminated when motion is not present, the circuit is faulted will require a technical inspection.

In the event that you cannot correct the problem with the sensor, please call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to troubleshoot your system, to discuss alternatives, and to book a technician – fees may apply.

An expansion module is an auxiliary board that attaches to the security system’s main board. An expansion module increases the security system’s number of input/relays – which allows for more devices to be installed than a standard security system.

A Data Gathering Panel (DGP) is an auxiliary board that attaches to the security system’s main board. A DPG provides for additional inputs/relays much like an expansion board, but it also has the ability to attach and manage numerous expansion modules.

Expansion Module Failure:
The expander module failure signal indicates that an expansion module/s is not correctly communicating to the main alarm panel. A technical inspection generally is required to identify & rectify the cause of the fault. Until returned to normal service, it can be expected that all inputs (sensors)/ relays (controllers) attached to this expander module will no longer be able to operate as designed or communicate with the main panel. Multiple devices are generally rendered inoperative.

Please call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to troubleshoot your system, to discuss alternatives, and to book a technician – fees may apply.

A Timer Test is a signal that is sent from your security system to SECOM to check that it is communicating correctly. A Timer Test Not Received signal is generated when your alarm panel fails to send this signal within the prescribed time interval (Once a day).

This regular testing is required to identify any possible communications issues that may exist with your alarm panel, and to notify you that the CMC is not currently able to receive signals from your alarm panel, as this could have a negative impact if you rely on the alarm for summoning help and increases your risk of the system not communicating alarm activations.

The common causes of a TTNR signal generating are:
• A recent power failure and battery fail that caused the panel to completely shut down
• A recent power failure that caused the panel to lose its date and time, which will stop the timer test being sent
• Poor Signal Strength
• Issues with the Sim Card (damaged)
• Willful or accidental damage to GSM Communicator antenna
• Damage and or faulty connected leader to panel and communicator
• Telecommunications company network problems
• No value in Sim Card
(Network Signal Issues or Network Outage)

If any of these suggestions do fit, then you may need to get your service provider to reverse the recent change, or call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to discuss further action or book a technician – fees may apply.

A Fail to Close signal is received if the monitoring centre has not received the arming signal from your premises by the time prescribed. (This is only applicable to those subscribed the additional full monitor service). This normally indicates that staff members are on site working back, and can be rectified by simply ring the site and advising the staff to turn on the alarm when they leave.
On the rare occasion, this signal could mean that the site was armed up but the signal was jammed up in the alarm communication’s process, unfortunately there is no way of knowing if this is the case, it is up to you to decide if you wish to return to work and check the alarm system.

If this signal occurs frequently, please call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to organise and to alter your closing schedule.

Please note that if the site has not been armed, the monitoring centre will not receive signals from the area that the alarm covers.

A Fail to Open signal is received if the monitoring centre has not received the disarm signal from your premises by the time prescribed. (This is only applicable to those subscribed the additional full monitor service).This normally indicates that members of staff who are meant to open the site are running late and have not done so or they have failed to turn off the alarm.

On the rare occasion, this signal could mean that the site was disarmed on time but the signal was jammed up in the alarm communication’s process, unfortunately there is no way of knowing if this is the case, please contact the staff who were scheduled to open the site and request that they check the alarm is turn off.

If this signal occurs frequently, please call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to organise and to change your opening schedule.

The Loss of RF Supervision signal indicates that one of your wireless devices is not correctly communicating to the main alarm panel. All wireless devices regularly communicate to the alarm panel to check that the signal is being correctly received. This ensures the devices are not being interfered with. Should a Loss of RF Supervision signal be received, the device in question may no longer be able to reliably send alarm activations in the case of a genuine break and enter event.

Possible causes:
• As the batteries in a device get weaker, the signals range is reduced to the point where the device is no longer within the range of the main panel.
• Some large or dense metal object has been introduced between the device and the main panel.
• The device has become faulty.

Possible solutions:
• Change the batteries in the device
• Remove the metal object or have a technician reposition the device.
• Have a technician replace the faulty device.

Warning Note: Please ensure you place your system “On Test” mode before inspection or changing batteries to prevent triggering a false tamper alarm. You can do this by calling SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222.

A GSM Fail to Communicate indicates that the alarm panel has tried to send a signal to SECOM Monitoring Centre via the Mobile phone network and was unable to send the signal.

If you have a back-up system then this signal was sent via the back-up system as an advisory alarm event, if the back-up system was to fail then we will not get any further alarm signals.

If the GSM is the only method of communication then this signal is indicating that the system is unable to communicate but has now re-established communications. If this signal becomes repetitive then you may have to look at changing phone service providers.

A Siren/Bell Trouble is a fault condition. This fault indicates that you have an electrical problem with the security system’s audio output circuit. It is often found that water damage, condensation, corrosion, wiring damage, may be responsible for this condition. Please call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to arrange a technician to service/replace the equipment.

An Open signal is received at the monitoring centre when a correct code is used to turn off (disarm) the alarm system at your premises. An IRREGULAR OPEN indicates that your alarm system has been disarmed outside the scheduled hours that have been previously established for your premises. This signal normally indicates that someone is using a valid code to access the site outside of scheduled hours.

If this signal occurs frequently, please call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to update your opening schedule.

Please note that if the alarm system is not turned back on (armed) after this event, SECOM Central Monitoring Centre will not receive any further signals from the area that the alarm covers.

A Bypass signal indicates that a zone has either been automatically or manually programmed not to send a signal. If you have manually bypassed the zone then all you need to be made aware of is that we can no longer monitor that zone and SECOM Central Monitoring Centre cannot advise you of any future alarm signals for that zone until it has been made un-bypassed.

If this is not your intention then you should return to site and rectify this zone. Some panels automatically bypass any faulty zones on arming or after they have been activated, these zones will no longer send any signals to SECOM Central Monitoring Centre, please return to site and reset your alarm and rectify the issue with the zone.

A Communication Trouble is confined to customers utilising what is referred to as “multi mode monitoring”. Although the security system may still be monitored by alternative communication pathways, a Communication Trouble signal indicates that one or more of the communication pathways is inoperative.

Multi mode monitoring is utilised by customers who require a higher level of security monitoring. The level of network supervision varies between networks & increases for IP solutions. Customers may use equipment that utilises various combinations of the following communication networks:

• PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network
  • GSM – Global System for Mobile communications
  • TCP/ IP – Internet Protocol
  With multi mode monitoring, the wire line, GSM cellular line, and PSTN phone line are monitored independently by the security system and/or the auxiliary communication system. A report will be sent immediately to SECOM Central Monitoring Centre should a communication pathway be either be interfered with or rendered inoperative.

Multi mode monitoring provides for two or three completely separate pathways or networks through which signalling can be conveyed between the customer’s alarm system and SECOM Central Monitoring Centre. Multi mode monitoring, because of its separate communication pathways, provides for a high degree of redundancy and network availability – increasing the probability of a security system being successful in conveying alarms to SECOM Central Monitoring Centre. Should one network connection be compromised and rendered inoperative, an alternative network will be used by the security system to transmit the communication failure & subsequent alarm activity to SECOM Central Monitoring Centre.

Possible situations that can cause this alarm signal to happen may be:
• Willful or accidental damage to your phone lines.
• Change of telecommunications service provider.
• Repairs to your phone lines.
• Recent installation of ADSL Broadband.
• Changing to VOIP for your phone service.
• Disconnecting your phone line from the exchange.
• Willful or accidental damage to GSM antenna.
• Telecommunications company network problems

If none of these suggestions apply to you, please call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to troubleshoot your system. If any of these suggestions do fit then you may need to get your service provider to reverse the recent change, or call SECOM Hotline at +852 2155 0222 to discuss alternatives and to book a technician –  fees may apply.