I agree ! Why would you want to flood the station with useless AC fail signals anytime there is a major power outage (very common around here). Unless there is a specific reason for using it (as you mentioned), I disable it as a matter of course. Still can't figure out why most installers leave it programmed in to the station, and even more surprising, is why monitoring stations put up with it.
RHC
I delay AC fail reports for two hour normally..... Maybe that's why I haven't received any complaints yet (fingers crossed).........
I let the CMS decide on what signals they want .. i think they normally have AC failure turned off, they change it when its uploaded and send it back down to their specs. I turn everything on for initial programming.
Or the pipes may freeze or the house may melt from being too hot in the summer.
| > RHC | | | We have a lot of systems in vacation homes - they want to know if the power | goes out so they can have someone check the premises. | |
Well, not really. They're not treated as incidents...and if you delay the transmission and stagger the timing it's no more an overload than daily test signals.
| >> RHC | >
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| > We have a lot of systems in vacation homes - they want to know if the | > power goes out so they can have someone check the premises. | >
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Yeppers.
| > I know a local company that will dispatch on AC fail - they had a problem | > once and can't seem to get over it. | >
| Monsoons? In AZ?? | js | |
Exactly. While I have my morning java I review the history from yesterday.
| > I had gotten so many complaints abt calling on AC fail that I stopped | doing | > it...residential only...and exceptions being if there's a life support | > device in use or wine cellar or freezer alarm or something like that. | | Same here. I see all the account activity first thing in the AM. If I don't | see a restore, I'll call the customer. 99% of the time the restore comes in | within an hour or 2. | js | |
Here in Sacramento the weather is mild, in other parts of the country I'd use a longer delay...........
What about the fact that the alarm system is no longer powered up, is running on its battery, and will soon be rendered useless? Seems like a significant event to me. js
You have to wonder which are the real signals, the 99% false alarms or the
99% genuine AC fails.Doug L
Ok, those have got to be the ONLY reasons I've heard that make any sense to me...
RHC
We have a lot of systems in vacation homes - they want to know if the power goes out so they can have someone check the premises.
Yes, another good reason! I'm sure there are a few more as well.
I have to wonder though about the wholesale sending of AC failures to the station which seems to be the default mode that a lot of installers / alarmcos use. Surely doing this only serves to block the receivers during major power failures to any real alarm signals that might be coming through. Or perhaps the stations have a way to filter all these useless signals to leave their receivers clear ? Either way, it still seems like a lot of useless traffic for nothing...
RHC
Ok, I'm not that familiar with the equipment in the station, and it's capabilities. Perhaps that is the reason why they don't seem to care, or at least don't make any kind of issue about it...
RHC
I like it for two reasons: 1. After two-hours of no AC the customer or his/her key holders get a call from the CS, sometimes we're telling them the obvious, sometimes we're not... In either case most customers appreciate the extra attention they're getting at no extra cost... 2. I like to know about AC fails that haven't Restored, that tells me the Low Battery signal is coming next...
Good Lord, do we all start our day this way? No wonder we're such a cranky lot.
hahaha I wondered when we were going to get around to that one.
My CS won't respond to AC Fail signals if they're in Storm Mode... The low priority signals are left in the cue and dealt with at a later time when things settle down... As far as blocking the receivers is concerned, my CS has lots of phone lines and MLR-2000 receivers to handle heavy traffic periods... They currently monitor around 15,000 to 20,000 accounts, but their system can accommodate up to 100,000 accounts.......
And you wouldn't want to know?
| > What about the fact that the alarm system is no longer powered up, is | > running on its battery, and will soon be rendered useless? Seems like a | > significant event to me. | > js | >
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You'd be surprised how quick they fill up during monsoon season,,,and how many idiots try to cross in their suvs and get washed away.
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| > | > I know a local company that will dispatch on AC fail - they had a | > problem | > | > once and can't seem to get over it. | > | >
| > | Monsoons? In AZ?? | > | js | > | | > | | >
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