Frequently Asked
Questions

HELP with your system AFTER HOURS/EMERGENCY service:

Best practices involve regular testing and maintenance of batteries and devices, preventing mid-night beeping or unexpected issues with system function. However, things do happen and they always seem to be an issue after hours or on weekends! While EMERGENCY service is available (only for currently monitored clients), there is ALWAYS A FEE for emergency service. Warranty and lease work is performed during business hours only.

To bypass, silence or manage problems outside of business hours:

• Bypass faulted zones and arm the rest of the system – find your bypass instructions and follow them. You will have to do this each time you arm the system until you can arrange service.
• Silence the keypad by acknowledging the alarm -code+off twice-in-a-row) and don’t touch the keypad again or repeat code+OFF x 2 as needed. And arrange for service to address the problem.
• Power down’ the system entirely to silence alerts and prevent alarms: you must disconnect BOTH the AC power and the battery-backup power by finding the panel circuit that supports the alarm AND by opening the main alarm box and removing the battery.

After hours phone support is available to our monitored clients only. Contact the monitoring station and provide your system and pass numbers. You can request the on-call tech to assist. If phone support is not sufficient, you may request a call out. Double truck roll charges and double labour charges will apply, as on-call technicians must be paid in accordance with overtime and emergency rates. No exceptions. As of 2018, emergency truck rolls are $160.00 and emergency hourly labour is $180.00. Therefore, $340 will be the minimum invoice for an emergency call out.

However, time on the phone where the tech tries to help you without attending is at no charge, but will require effort and actions on your part. Your choice.

Have a look at the document attached for bypass instructions for your alarm system.

Options to obtain User Manual:

1. Refer to the first section in FAQ/How To ‘How to bypass or silence your alarm & user manuals’.
2. Google search.
3. Refer to documentation given to you at the time of installation.
4. Contact our office for a digital copy.

The monitoring station will identify as Alarmtech when they call you with alarm messages. You may be required to give Alarm Account Identification when requesting information about your alarm. If you did not fully understand the message or need additional information, simply call the monitoring station using the call number on your wallet-size passcard and request clarification. If you have questions about the procedures followed, please request information from the monitoring station or from the Alarmtech office.

Note — if you have more than one path for signals i.e. telephone and Internet or GSM then the message may be to advise that one path is not available — commonly this is the Internet / Ethernet path. Solution: add backup power or strengthened services to avoid this message.

Your keypad will show information regarding any tampers, alarm history or troubles on the system. Simply try to disarm twice in a row before anything else. You may need to use your Owner’s Manual to decipher the Keypad information. If you cannot locate your User Manual, try searching on the Internet using the information on your main alarm control panel box as a guide. Or call into the office with an email address and we will send you an electronic copy.

All systems have a backup battery which will require replacing every 3 years or so. When the monitoring station advises you that your system battery is low, you should make plans to replace it at your earliest possibility. The battery runs the system when the electrical power is out, powers the siren and provides needed stability to devices – preventing false alarms. These batteries can be purchased in our office Monday to Friday (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or you can schedule a technician to change it for you for an additional charge. Batteries are not covered under any of our warranty plans. Always call the station to let them know you are doing maintenance.

Please refer to these instructions: ‘How To Replace Your Alarm System Battery’ to view a detailed presentation.

Many systems have additional batteries to power wireless devices, keyfobs etc. As soon as a device reports a low battery to the station, or it shows on your keypad display, you should make plans to replace the battery. Again, alarm owners can open the device themselves and replace the batteries as required, or schedule Alarmtech to do this for them at an additional cost. Wireless device batteries can be purchased at any store carrying a good inventory of batteries. Again, call the station to advise them of your actions to avoid dispatches due to tamper signals.

Simple painting or cleaning tasks should not impact the alarm functioning — avoid alarm devices or schedule Alarmtech to remove and replace them as necessary. Renovations, additions and upgrades such as window and door replacement can impact the alarm. Consult with your renovator about whether they can work with the devices or schedule Alarmtech to assist as necessary.

NOTE: that smoke detectors can be compromised by fumes, dust and heat from various projects. Covering the detector temporarily may avoid complications but these types of projects may result in false alarms and the need to replace dirty detectors.

NOTE: that life safety devices operate 24/7 whether the alarm is armed or not, and cannot be bypassed. You may need to power the whole system down during dirty or hot work to avoid problems.

Like any integrated system or equipment you rely on, alarms benefit from regularly scheduled maintenance and knowledgeable operation. Read your owners’ manual and book inspections at a schedule that makes sense to you. When batteries go low or devices are damaged/compromised the results can be frustrating, time consuming and expensive. Be proactive and avoid these scenarios.

Alarmtech is a sales and service office with regular business hours. Emergency Service is available evenings/ weekends/holidays at extra charge with no exceptions. Many alarm owners find that completely powering down their system (A/C power source and backup battery disconnection) allows them to wait until regular business hours to schedule service. We are available by phone to assist you in this way.

Alarmtech recommends that you keep your Keyholder list up to date and advise us when you are going to be away from home. We manage your data and provide updates to our monitoring station on your behalf. Simply call our office any weekday to review or provide information. Be ready to give us your alarm system identification numbers when you call in. This allows us to share alarm system information with you easily.

Be sure to leave your phone service in place while you are on your vacation. If you also have internet monitoring, this should be left active as well.

Your contract can be cancelled with Alarmtech according to the terms provided within. Consult your contract copy for complete details or call in and we will refer to our copy. Remember that your insurance company must be apprised of any change in protection. Cancellations must ALWAYS be in writing. Alarmtech allows for maximum of three months\’ suspension during renovations etc. The three months will be added on to the end of your contract but the billing can be suspended when the service is not being provided. The start and end date of suspension must be submitted in writing to our office. Call to request a form for cancelling or suspending service after referring to your contract terms.

It is your responsibility to provide the path for your alarm signals as arranged on your contract. For most accounts installed prior to 2010, this is phone service. Most VoIP or cellular service will not support the alarm signals reliably. Simply call in to check with us about what kind of service your alarm panel requires. The Vista 21 IP panel (introduced in 2010) is compatible with all types of phone and internet service, but this type of support needs to be set up properly. Before making any changes call our office to confirm your setup.

When your alarm beeps, it is trying to get attention for a problem with the system. This is most commonly the backup battery, or a wireless device that is ‘not checking in’ with the keypad. Since the alarm supervises itself on regular intervals, it is impossible to stop this beeping without completely powering down the alarm. You must disconnect the A/C power (plug or breaker/fuse) AND disconnect one of the battery leads inside the control panel. (not keypad). If you are a monitored customer, you can call our office after hours and get assistance from our on-call tech, but emergency service is only available at extra charge, no exceptions. Many alarm owners find that completely powering down their system (A/C power source and backup battery disconnection) allows them to wait until regular business hours to schedule service.

False dispatches are to be avoided whenever possible. The London Police False Alarm Reduction policy indicates that dispatch procedures will not unfold when an alarm signal is received followed by a proper disarm code within one minute. This policy, combined with good equipment and proper training has resulted in Alarmtech having the lowest false alarm rates of any company, when last statistics were made available. We encourage our alarm users to call the monitoring station in the event they ‘trip’ the alarm accidentally, to ensure that the disarm/cancel signals were received at the station within one minute. Otherwise, a dispatch could result.