Optima XM6

[Guest Stephen. Phillips]

My brother has an Optima XM6 which is ten years old. An intermittant fault started a week ago where the alarm goes off when unset and the tamper light comes on.

Appears to be completly random in time, sometimes in the middle of the night or during the day. I turned off the power to see if it was a faulty battery but it appears to power the unit ok. Any ideas.

P.S. no work as been carried out around the house recently.

Thanks,

Steve.

[Deltaseven]

Sounds like a system tamper! Check that the covers are on all the detectors properly. It could also be a cable fault or bell fault. What condition is the outside sounder in? It has been up there for ten years!

If it is not something obvious - you will be best off getting a local company in to check it over and diagnose properly.

Has the system had regular servicing? If not - it should have! Although the system works on battery, that does not mean the battery is OK - it may be drawing a high current from the panel to stay charged - this may damage the panel, and the battery life would be pretty short (in the event of a power failure)

Post your location - someone on here may be able to help!

D7

[Guest]

Sounds like a system tamper!  Check that the covers are on all the detectors properly.  It could also be a cable fault or bell fault.  What condition is the outside sounder in?  It has been up there for ten years!

If it is not something obvious - you will be best off getting a local company in to check it over and diagnose properly. 

Has the system had regular servicing?  If not - it should have!  Although the system works on battery, that does not mean the battery is OK - it may be drawing a high current from the panel to stay charged - this may damage the panel, and the battery life would be pretty short (in the event of a power failure)

Post your location - someone on here may be able to help!

D7

53188[/snapback]

Quoted for agreement

[Guest Stephen Phillips]

Thanks for the replies.

My brother got old of a local engineer who found the fault was an intermittant short in the outside bell box. He put a new battery in the panel also.

Like you said after 10 years things need attention.

Thanks again for the replies.

Steve.

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies.

My brother got old of a local engineer who found the fault was an intermittant short in the outside bell box. He put a new battery in the panel also.

Like you said after 10 years things need attention.

Thanks again for the replies.

Steve.

53447[/snapback]

Glad you got it sorted mate, I trust the rest of the system was checked over as well?

[WatchdogSecurity]

I usually swap the batteries every 4 years, Yuasas run for longer usually, saying that powercells do quite well.... But again on saying that. ive discharge tested some 6 and 7 years old batteries and there still going strong.

Even so i always recommend a battery replacement after 4, same with the SAB/SCB batterys.

Its amazing how many people think that alarms are maintenance free.... I bet theres a massive percent of systems out there that when there is a power failure or if the mains is turned off, the Panel and bells go dead even though they both have batteries....

Dean