FAQ
General Questions
Home Security
Security for Business
Residential answers still apply. These are in addition to the above questions that are more specific to businesses only.
Security for New Construction
For Our Existing Customers
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My bill is due how do I pay you if I don't have auto withdrawal?
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Can you keep my payment info on file to use at a later date?
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I would like to refer a friend or family member do I get anything for that?
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I am going on vacation what steps should I take for my system?
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I am having some remodeling/construction/phone/electric work done. Will this affect my system?
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How do I test to be sure my system and all devices are working properly?
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Where can I find information for my system if it is not D.S.C.?
General Questions
How do I know if I have a D.S.C. panel and which keypad I have?
Help my trouble light is on, or my time is wrong. Click on the keypad that you have for more FAQ's for your system:
Who do I call? What are your hours?
We are typically in the office from 8:30a.m. - 5:00p.m. During these times, feel free to call the office at 330-745-9055. After
these hours, we do have an answering service. They will take
messages for us to receive in the morning. Please note they cannot put accounts on test, cancel false alarms, etc. You may contact the central station directly in order to take care of these situations.
What is my central station’s phone number?
If your account number begins with an X, SG, or AS, please call 1-800-498-7565. If your account number starts with anything else, please call 1-800-340-3121. Be sure to have your account number and password available so they may get dispatch cancelled within a timely manner.
How do I know if I have a D.S.C. panel?
You can tell if you have a D.S.C. panel by looking at your keypad. Typically, the top section will be black and the bottom section will be white with a flip down cover to reveal the number keys. You can also look at the sticker on the outside of the keypad and it will say D.S.C. Note: there are some all white D.S.C. keypads, so be sure to check the sticker on the front cover.
Where can i find the information for my system if it is not a D.S.C.?
If you are having any problems and you do not have a D.S.C. panel,
please call the office so we may try to troubleshoot your system or schedule a service call.
Changing 5501 keypad time.
To change the time on your keypad follow these steps:
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Press *6
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Enter your four digit master code.
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Press 1, then enter the 10-digit time in 24-hour format. Example:
10-digit time for December 25, 2001 at 2:15 pm: 1415122501 (time month day year). -
Press # to exit.
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Remember to press # to exit. Note: it will take a few minutes for the new time to appear (approx. 3-4 min.)
Help my D.S.C. 5501 keypad has a yellow trouble light on?
Your keypad has a yellow trouble light to notify you of any problems you may have that could keep your system from working properly. Your keypad may have the yellow trouble light on for several reasons such as loss of AC power, loss of a phone line, phone line trouble, low battery, etc.
Why does my keypad beep everytime i open and close the door?
This is happening because the chime feature is turned on. This can be turned off and on by pressing and holding the fast key button labeled chime for 2 seconds.
How do I check to see why my trouble light is on?
On your LCD keypad while your trouble light is on. (if your trouble light is not on at the time, you cannot check to see why it was on.)
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Press [*][2] then a small number will appear on the black display part of the keypad. Match the number to the following:
1 = service required.
2 = ac trouble
3 = telephone line trouble
4 = failure to communicate
5 = zone fault press 5 for the zone
6 = zone tamper press 6 for the zone
7 = wireless low battery press 7 for the device
8 = loss of time or date
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Press 1 again (while in the trouble conditions state, after a minute it will leave the trouble state and go back to the ready state) after pressing 1 again another number will appear such as:
1 = low battery
2 = bell circuit
3 = system trouble
4 = system tamper
5 = module supervision
6 = rf jam
7 = pc5204 low battery
8 = pc5204 ac failure
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On your LCD keypad while your trouble light is on (if your trouble light is not on at the time you cannot check to see why it was on.) Press [*][2] then a small number will appear on the black display part of the keypad.
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Match that number to the following:
1= service required
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Press 1 again (while in the trouble conditions state, after a minute it will leave the trouble state and go back to the ready state) after pressing 1 again another number will appear.
What do I do if…
I have a trouble #1
Press the #1 again and then another number will light up. Call us with that number, as these are all problems requiring a service call.
I have a trouble #2
Somehow the AC power has been lost for your alarm panel. If you know your electric is temporarily out, when the power is back on, everything should work as before. If you do not know of any power problems try checking your fuse boxes, make sure the alarm is plugged in and check your GFI plugs.
I have a trouble #3
This is notifying you of some type of telephone line trouble.Check your phones. If there does not seem to be any problems with them and you have not had any type of work done lately that may have possibly disconnected your phone line from the panel, then keep an eye on your phone line. If your trouble light tends to go off and on then there may be a problem with your phone line service.
I have a trouble #4
This is due to a failure to communicate. For some reason the alarm system was not able to send a signal to the monitoring station. This is typically due to phone line problems.
I have a trouble #5
Press 5 again and another number will light up. Call us with that number to alert us to a zone fault and which zone it is. This requires a service call.
I have a trouble #6
This states there has been a zone tamper. If you have not had anyone work on your system or devices recently then this will require a service call. If for example you tried to change a wireless device’s batteries, you just may not have them in correctly or you may not have got the cover on correctly.
I have a trouble #7
This alerts you to a low battery on a wireless device. Press 7 again to see which zone has the low battery. Then call us to schedule a service call right away.
I have a trouble #8
This means your system had a loss of time or date. Click here to see how to reset your time and date.
I have an older system and want to upgrade it, how much will it cost?
If you have a security system either with us or someone else, working or not, we can easily upgrade it for you. We will do this in the most cost efficient way for you, our future customer. If your current system is hard-wired and the additional devices are compatible with our manufacturer we can usually upgrade it for as low as $99.00.*
This $99.00 upgrade includes the control panel, 1- keypad, 1- back-up battery, and installation. Don't worry though if you have more than one keypad, just let us know and we can customize our upgrade package to suit your needs. Give us a call today at 1-888-71-ALARM (888-712-5276) so we can get your old security system upgraded to a new state-of-the-art system right away.
How much does an alarm cost?
You can actually get a security system for free. That’s right… FREE.
We have a special promotion package. Click here to see the details.
Can I add more to the promotion package?
You sure can! We believe that not all homes are created equal, so the promotion package is just a basic package to get started. You may feel that the promotion package is just right for your home or you may want to feel a little more secure or you may have a larger home. Whatever your needs are, we can customize a system to give you the protection you want.
What exactly is monitoring?
Please click here to go to our monitoring page to better understand our monitoring procedures.
Do I need hard-wired or wireless?
We prefer to use hard-wired although sometimes we run into situations where wireless must be used. Although both are very reliable and accurate we prefer hard-wired to eliminate service and maintenance fees that come with wireless devices, such as battery replacement. We can typically use hardwire in homes that have an unfinished basement. If there is a finished basement we can still use hard-wired as long as it has a drop ceiling and is not dry-walled.
Is there a price difference between hard-wired and wireless?
There is a price difference. If you’re not sure which you will need give us a call and we may able to tell you after asking several questions about your home. If not, we will come out and do a free estimate for you. The wireless devices are a little more costly. Think you must go wireless? Let one of our tech's take a look at your home and you may be able to go hard-wired for most of the system to keep to the minimum wireless equipment needed.
Do I have to sign a contract?
In order to get our special price breaks, yes, you must sign a 3-year contract. Although you may buy out part of your contract at the
time of installation so that way it is only a 1 or 2-year contract. You can even buy out the whole contract so you may cancel at
anytime. But this is to be established during your estimate so we may calculate this into your proposal and so the contract sent out for your install is accurate.
What if I move?
If you decide to move before your contract is up, don’t worry. We will work with you. You have several options. You can buy out
the remainder of your monitoring contract at a discounted rate. (as of this time you get a 25% discount to buy it out in full. We
reserve the right to change this at anytime without any notification.) You may have the new tenants/homeowners take
over a new monitoring contract which will cancel your contract, or we can even move the system to your new home. Call today to get the most accurate service call fees and any other charges that may exist for any of these options.
I have digital phone, is this a problem?
Our manufacturer's do not recommend hooking an alarm system up through a digital phone line. They recommend that you keep a separate landline available. Although if this does not seem to work for you we have had quite a few customers switch over to digital phone service. Most do not seem to have any problems but there have been some customers who the digital phone line did affect their alarm system. We can’t make any guarantees because the digital phones do have problems during power outages, cable outages, etc.
I don't have a home phone. What now?
If you do not have a home phone we recommend you get a landline or a cellular unit can be purchased through us so that way you can still feel safe and secure knowing you are being monitored. If you do not wish to do either, you can still get a security system, however you will not get it at the discounted price and it will not be capable of being monitored.
I already have a security system but want to change my monitoring service?
If you already have a security system but would like to switch over to our monitoring service give us a call today to see what your options are. For a small fee we can upgrade your current security system to a new state-of-the-art system.
What if I rent my home?
If you live in a rental home you can still get an alarm system. You may want to buy out a portion of our contract depending on how long your rental agreement is for the home. We do need written permission from the landlord.
What is auto-withdraw and must I use it?
Auto-withdraw is how our payments are set up. You sign up and the monitoring fees will automatically be deducted from your checking account, savings account, debit card, or credit card on or around the first business day of each quarter. No, you do not have to use it, But we do require you to pay annually instead of quarterly, or it is a $5 more per month fee to be billed quarterly.
When can it be installed?
We are typically about a week out. Which means if we receive your signed paperwork back today we will be able to do your install in about a week. Although some things come up and we can do it sooner or it may be longer before we have an opening on our schedule. We recommend you get the paperwork and everything started as soon as you decide this is what you want. Or if you know you want one next month, because we can schedule installs a couple weeks out.
How long does the install take?
The basic promotion package usually takes about half to a full day. Sometimes we may run into things that make it longer or even shorter. If you are getting a lot of extra hard-wired devices this install time may take 2 days. We can give you a better estimate once we know how extensive your security system will be.
Business/Commercial Security
Do you do work on commercial buildings?
We sure do. Keep in mind we install and monitor security systems and fire alarm systems. We can even do structured wiring, access control, camera systems, telephone systems, intercoms, speaker systems, and much more. We are your one stop shop for most low voltage wiring needs. Call us today so we can meet with you to discuss your needs.
How much extra does it cost for commercial properties?
We do not charge any extra for your devices or standard monitoring services. You may need more devices depending on your building size and the layout of your business. If this is new construction you may be required to purchase a permit. Call us today so we may better assist you.
What is a cellular back-up unit?
This is a unit we use with our security systems so our panels can still send signals to our monitoring station If your phone is not working properly or goes down. This ensures your panel can connect to our central station if there is an emergency.
Can I keep track of when my employees open and close my business?
You sure can. We offer open/close reports for just this purpose. Every month we will send you the previous month’s open/close reports. And if there is an emergency and you can't wait until you receive the reports then you can call us to get some of the information. This information is not available if you do not get this feature. There is a small monthly fee for this, but if you go into work and find something is missing but no sign of forced entry and your alarm did not go off, then it could be someone who can turn the system off. You can call us and we can tell you which user number opened and at what time. Do you think you have an employee that is coming in to open late or is closing early but claiming the full time on their time cards. We can help you keep track of who opens and closes and what time. You must give each user their own access code for this to work properly. Sound like something you are interested in? Call us today and we will be able to tell you more about it.
I need a fire alarm system. Can you help me?
We do install fire alarm systems. Although this process takes a little longer than installing a security system because there are certain fire and safety codes that must be met and fire plans must be submitted and approved by the local building department and fire marshal. We will try to meet or beat any price with equivalent equipment. Keep in mind this is a timely process no matter who does your fire alarm system so be sure to contact us as soon as you can.
New construction…I am a builder/contractor
Great. We love to work with builders! Whether you are doing a residential or commercial job, a small or multimillion dollar job, we are here for you. Give us a call so we can bid on some of your projects. You will find we are a very professional company and will get the job done right, on time, and in a professional manner. We have had several contractors try us and ended up loving us and now use us for all their jobs. We love creating a bond and working with our current builders and it’s always great meeting new builders. We do a lot of work in new construction. We can help your customers with anything low voltage from structured wiring, intercoms, cameras, gate intercoms, driveway alerts, security, and more. So give us a try, you wont be disappointed.
I have a project I would like you to bid on.
We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bid on a new job with existing and new contractors. Just call us today to give us the information so we can get started right away. Please call 330-745-9055.
I am building a home and want some work done. When should I contact you?
You should contact us right away so we can get the quotes for you and you can make a final decision as to what you want and need. We will come in and do the rough work around the time the electricians are in the building. Then we will come back again after everything has been drywalled and painted. At this time we will finish up the work. Then when it is time for you to move into the home we will meet with you and show you how to work your systems and get everything set up for you.
For Our Existing Customers
Where do I find my account number?
You can find your account number on your invoices or on the paperwork you filled out when we first did your install.
My bill is due how do I pay if I don't have auto-withdraw?
You can call us at 330-745-9055 and give us checking information or debit/credit card numbers over the phone so you can make a secure payment over the phone. It is quick and easy. Or you can mail us a check. Please be sure to allow time for the check to be received or late fees may be incurred.
I have auto-withdraw, so why did I get a bill?
If you have any service calls or additional work done you will receive a bill. We do not auto-withdraw anything from your accounts besides monitoring fees unless you tell us to. Don't worry, no need to send a check just give us a quick call and tell us to use the information we have on file to pay your bill.
Can you keep my payment info on file to use at a later date?
We sure can. Instead of mailing a check and buying postage you can just call us and give us your info. We will keep it on file so anytime you would like to pay a bill over the phone it is quick and easy.
I would like to refer a friend or family member, do I get anything for that?
This is a question we get frequently because of our great service, knowledgeable techs, and friendly business etiquette. A lot of our customers do referrals, why not? After all, you will get a coupon good towards three (3) months free standard monitoring and your family or friend will get to know they are safe and secure by using a company you trust. So go ahead refer someone. Once their install is finished, you will receive your coupon. Can't wait? Want to refer someone right now? Click here to email us their information. Or have them call us and tell us you referred them. We would like to thank you in advance for your referrals.
I need to update my contact list
Not a problem. Just give us a call and have your password handy. We can only change information on your account if you have the correct password so we know it’s really you. Just another safety feature we use to keep you protected. You may also use the back of your invoice to make changes and send them in with your payment.
I am going on vacation. Do I need to do anything?
It’s up to you. We have some customers who will add people to their contact list and give them their own password because they will be in and out of the house. Some just update their contact list so we call a local friend or family member instead of them, but some prefer to be called while on vacation and handle things themselves. We also have customers who don’t make any changes. Or you can just call to let us know. Whatever makes you feel safer and will make things easier on you if something happens while you are away.
I am having some remodeling/phone/construction/electric work done
Anytime you are having any work done, we recommend calling us and place your system on test. If you are having phone work done, call us to put it on test and then, before the phone company leaves, we will need to test your system to be sure we are still receiving signals. You would be surprised how often the phone company accidentally disconnects the phone line from the security panel. Just call us and we can help you.
How do I put my system on test?
You can call the office at 330-745-9055 during normal business hours, or 24-hours a day you can call your central station. Have your account number and password ready.
How do I test to be sure my system and all devices are working properly?
First thing you want to do is put your system on test by calling the office or your central station. After your system is on test then you will need to arm your system. You need to stay still in the home and let your system fully arm. (approx. one minute after you arm it) then once it if fully armed, walk around the house opening up the doors/windows that are connected to your security system and walking in front of motion detectors. Once you believe you have set off everything that is protected, then let the siren sound for about 60 seconds. (not the beeping on the key pad, but the actual siren). After the siren has gone off you can then disarm your system. Wait for one minute and call the central station or office back to check signals. Let them know you were testing your system. They will then read off the signals they received. Compare what was received to what all you set off and if everything looks right, you are done. We recommend doing this weekly to find any problems as soon as possible.
What does it mean when you say my system is on test?
When we place an account on test, it simply means that any signals going to the central station will not be dispatched on. They see that you have it on test so nothing will happen to any signals you may send in to them during test.
