Help with Optima Compact Alarm

[AJB70]

Can anyone help? I have an optima compact alarm in a rental property which was going off (when unarmed) randomly last year. I got an engineer out who replaced the transformer and updated a couple of vibration sensors (apparently there was a fault) with wireless sensors on a nova receiver added to the system. This didn't solve the fault and as the original engineer couldn't get back to site his colleague stated the panel was broke and duly replaced the board inside.

I now have the same fault and I suspect the previous tenants just didn't set the alarm and as such didn't flag up the fault (which was never fixed). I have now had another engineer look at the system and he has replaced the battery. The fault is still present!!

After some research I think it might be the bell box causing the tamper fault which seems pretty obvious to me. Could this be the cause and if so is there a simple way to test this or link out the bell box?

To date the money I have spent with call-outs and sequential replacement of parts could have replaced the whole system with a new one!

Any help/advice much appreciated.

 

[sparkymarka]

Yes, it normally is cheaper with random tamper issues to install a midrange panel with separate tampers for the zones and bell and other tampers as the time spent can cost more than a panel change, but most customers don't see it that way....!!!!!

 

[EightyTwo]

Get your ladders out and give the bellbox a thwack! Slapping the lid from side to side and giving it a gentle pull will soon show you if there is anything loose or if the tamper switch is only just making it.

Please bear in mind that the the bell is pretty loud when you've got your ears next to it - don't fall off the ladder if it goes off! (Some people recommend using ear plugs or defenders...)

Some bell boxes report a tamper when their internal battery is knackered - but this usually happens at 04:00 on the first really cold winter's morning! (Been there... Had my feet frozen to the aluminium rungs of the ladder in -10 'C!)

You can link out the bell's Tamper Return (to 0V) in the panel. It's best not to do this if the bell is easily accessible.