Fault Finding — Common Alarm Faults

Purpose

This document covers how to diagnose and resolve the most common faults reported on Texecom Premier Elite alarm systems — false alarms, tamper faults, power faults, communication faults, and zone faults.

Reading the Event Log First

Before touching anything on a service call, read the event log in Wintex.

Wintex → Event Log → Read Log

Or remotely before attending. The log will tell you:

Exactly which zone triggered and at what time
Whether the engineer code was used
Whether there were power events (mains fail, battery low)
Communication fault history

Do not guess at the cause of a fault. The log almost always points you directly at the issue.

False Alarm — PIR Triggered While Set

The alarm activated but the customer reports no intruder.

Step 1 — Read the event log

Identify the exact zone that triggered and the time. Cross-reference with any CCTV footage if fitted.

Step 2 — Attend site and inspect the zone

Environmental causes:

New heat source in the PIR's field of view — radiator, hot water pipe, heating duct, fish tank
Source of movement — curtain in draught, washing line visible through a window, reflective surface catching light
Pets — PIRs can be retrofitted with pet immunity lenses

Detector condition:

PIR lens dirty or covered — clean with a dry cloth
PIR repositioned (e.g. by a cleaner or during decorating)
Loose wiring causing intermittent zone reads

Wiring:

Check zone connections at the panel and detector terminal
Check the EOL resistor — a corroded resistor can give false readings

Step 3 — Adjust or reposition

Adjust the PIR angle or mask off part of the detection zone
Reposition away from the heat or movement source
Enable double-knock in Wintex (Zone → Attributes → Double Knock) — the PIR must trigger twice within a set period before counting as an event

Tamper Fault — Zone or Panel

The keypad is showing a tamper fault.

Panel tamper

The panel enclosure tamper switch has activated. Check:

The panel lid is fully closed and the tamper switch is depressed
The tamper switch (spring contact on the rear of the lid) is not damaged or dislodged

Zone/detector tamper

A detector has its tamper fault open. Check:

The detector cover is fully clipped shut
The PCB is correctly seated within the housing
The tamper spring on the back of the detector is making contact with the wall/surface

For wireless Ricochet detectors: a tamper fault may indicate the device is no longer in range or the back plate has been removed.

Mains Power Fault

The panel is showing a mains failure fault.

Check:

Is the panel's mains fuse blown? (Inside the panel enclosure, on the PCB or power supply)
Is the fused spur supplying the panel switched on and not tripped?
Is there a wider power fault at the property?
Is the mains cable securely connected at the panel end?

After restoring mains: The battery will recharge automatically. A low battery fault may show for up to 24 hours while the battery recovers — this is normal.

Battery Fault — Low or Failed Battery

The panel is showing a battery fault.

First check: Is there also a mains fault? If mains power has been absent for an extended period, the battery may have discharged. Restore mains and allow time to recharge.

If mains is present and battery fault persists:

Test the battery voltage with a multimeter — a healthy 12V sealed lead-acid battery should read 12.7V+ at rest
If the battery reads below 11V or will not hold charge, replace it
Standard Premier Elite batteries: 12V sealed lead-acid, typically 7Ah (check panel specification for your model)

Battery replacement:

Put the panel in engineer mode to prevent false activation
Disconnect the battery leads (note polarity — red = positive, black = negative)
Fit the new battery with correct polarity
Reconnect and confirm the battery fault clears

Battery lifespan: Typically 3–5 years. Replace as part of the annual maintenance visit if approaching or beyond this age.

Communication Fault — SmartCom / Signalling

The panel is showing a communication fault — SmartCom offline or signalling failure.

Step 1 — Check the Ethernet connection

Menu → Information → Communications

Is the SmartCom showing an IP address? If not:

Check the Ethernet cable between SmartCom and router
Try a different port on the router
Confirm the router's DHCP is assigning addresses

Step 2 — Check the customer's broadband

If the customer's internet is down (ISP fault), the SmartCom cannot connect to the cloud. Advise the customer — nothing further we can do until broadband restores.

Step 3 — Power cycle the panel

Disconnect mains and battery, wait 30 seconds, restore power. Allow 2 minutes for SmartCom to reconnect.

Step 4 — ARC signalling failure

If the system is monitored and the ARC is reporting no signals:

Confirm the account code, IP receiver address, and port are correct in Wintex
Test manually: Wintex → Diagnostics → Send Test Signal
If the test signal fails, contact the ARC to confirm their current receiver IP

Zone Fault — Wired Zone Showing Open/Short

A zone is permanently showing as open (no signal) or short (constant trigger).

Open circuit fault

The zone circuit is broken — the panel cannot see the EOL resistor. Causes:

Broken wire in the cable run
Loose connection at the panel or detector terminal
Failed detector (open circuit internally)

Test: Disconnect the zone at the panel terminal. Measure resistance across the zone terminals — should read approximately the EOL resistor value (typically 1kΩ or as specified). If open circuit, trace the cable.

Short circuit fault

The two zone wires are touching. Causes:

Cable damage
Moisture in a junction box
Internal detector fault

Test: Disconnect the zone at the panel. Measure resistance across the zone wires — should not be near zero. If it is, trace the cable for damage.

Zone Won't Reset After Alarm

A zone is not resetting — the panel will not allow the system to be re-set.