Euro-Meridian home security system

[MM]

My new house is equipped with a Euro-Meridian home security system, but I have yet to get round to arranging a contract with the installers. On Saturday all hell broke loose at around noon as a power cut, closely followed by restoration of power, closely followed by ANOTHER power cut happened in quick succession. The security klaxon then went off, which was so loud all I could do was rush to the consumer unit and flick the main switch. This stopped the klaxon, but immediately switched on the outside wall alarm. So I switched on the power again, breathing a sigh of relief that all noise had ceased, only then to discover that by moving from the garage (where the consumer unit is) back into the house, the movement detectors were now all wide awake and the klaxon started up again!

Eventually, after ten minutes of rushing around, thinking I'd get my sledge hammer and knock the f***ing klaxon off the wall, I instead removed the cover and disconnected one of the cables. That killed the little bastard stone dead, heh heh! Thankfully, I then only had to contend with mild beeping for 20 minutes from the keypad unit on the hall wall.

Of course I don't know any security number/pass code/secret handshake! Like I said, I never got round to setting up a contract yet, although this will be my first job tomorrow morning.

On speaking to the emergency number, where the guy was incredibly helpful, but said he couldn't send an engineer out as I was not on their books yet, apparently I should have been told a pass code. Apparently I should have been given a "tag" which you wave at the keypad to silence the alarm.

I've never had a security system (and never been burgled). I didn't buy the house on the basis of its being equipped with a security system. It was just some other bit of gubbins which the developer had had installed, but would be of little concern to me if it simply wasn't there.

How can a powercut cause mayhem like this? Supposing I am away on business or on holiday and a powercut occurs? Do the neighbours have to suffer (for 20 minutes?) until I return in two weeks? Or do the police break in and steal all my arthouse movies?

I finally got round to reading the Operator Handbook, and this thing is so complicated I'd rather learn how to fly crop sprayers. How on earth any normal person without a degree in electronics and a hotline to specially trained security gurus is expected to understand it all is totally beyond me. I've read the booklet from cover to cover and it's all as clear as mud. Maybe there are training courses on themes like: "How to Live in a Security Conscious Home". In my Handbook there are schemes for leaving a window open intentionally, tests for walking around ("WALK TEST COMPLETED"). I mean, anyone would think this is a mini version of Fort Knox they're trying to protect! All, I believe, a tad excessive for a quiet backwater such as this. How much did this whole system cost the developer, I wonder?

MM

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Sounds like there's no back up battery - or it's flat. A power cut shouldn't set an alarm off. Or alter its state.

[MM]

Funny you should say that because the read-out on the key pad says "Call Engineer: Battery fault 100"

Never mind. The klaxon is unhappily dangling from the wall on its single wire and will remain there as punishment until Monday morning.

Could it be that a battery is housed in a big white box mounted on a wall in one of the walk-in wardrobes? I asked the developer what that was and he simply said, Oh, that's to do with the alarm system. You don't need to worry about that.

MM

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Do you beat your car with a branch if it won't start? ;-)

I'm not an alarm expert, but in mine it's inside the main control panel. There's also another one inside the external bell box which should cause it to sound if things are tampered with while the mains are off.

Seems to me you need to get the owner's instruction manual for the system and read it. To stop one ringing if it's been set off you merely need to enter the user code - which you can choose yourself. There's little point having an alarm system if you don't know how to use it. Some would say there's no point in them anyway. ;-)

IMHO, to be of any real use, it should also have an additional keypad situated beside the usual exit. Fiddling around in cupboards to set it means it won't be used.

[Lurch]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 12:19:12 +0000, MM strung together this:

That's that then, one knackered battery, and possibly panel.

More than likely, all the important bits are in a nice metal box that can be hidden away in a more secure location so all you see is the keypad on the wall.

Somewhat pointless me going into detail here if you are going to have an engineer come and sort the system out as I would prefer to describe all the functions of the system on a one to one basis. The book usually doesn't make sense if you've just had the alarm chucked at you but once a competent engineer has been through the system with you it will probably make more sense.

[MM]

Yes, I've given them a call and set up a contract. £45 a year it's going to cost me. But they can't come until next Tuesday. Oh, well. I'll just have to fight off intruders, if they dare...

MM

[Dave Plowman (News)]

IMHO, you'd be mad to pay for a 'contract' on an alarm - unless it includes response to an 'intruder'.

[MM]

I have to get the installers to set it up for me personally. At the moment it is only set up with the factory default settings. Also, since the powercuts which set it off, the keypad display says "Call engineer - Battery Fault 100", so I've got to get them to come out anyway. Also, the annual fee includes a yearly check on how the system is functioning. Personally, I couldn't care less about an alarm system. It would never be on my shopping list. But it came with the house, so when I sell the house, I shall really make a big thing of the alarm. Many older people are very security conscious, so the alarm system could be a big selling point. Certainly, at the moment other houses on the development are being sold by their initial owners (who bought speculatively, I believe) and they are being snapped up the moment they come on to the market.

MM

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A short reading of the manual should allow you to set it up for your actual requirements. An installer might have different ideas on this. Not knocking true professionals in this field, but you might have problems finding one. And it sounds like those who installed yours have left it in an unsatisfactory state.

If it is new, you shouldn't have to pay to fix faults.

I'd think an annual check just isn't adequate. You need to understand the way the system works and make sure it does so all the time - not rely on just a check.

Hmm.