Aritech CS350 Alarm - Low Battery

Aoibhinn

Hi Altor and Koolkid,

Many thanks to both of you for your great help. I found that the Mains fuse had blown. I have now replaced it and all seems to be working now.

My local electrical store gave me a 1 Amp fuse to use, but he didn't know if it was a quick blow fuse (and it was the only fuse he had). Do you know where would I get a quick blow 1 Amp fuse? Do Woody's or Atlantic Homecare sell these or would I have to go to a specialist electrical store?
If I have to go to a specialist store, do you know of any near Maynooth?

Also now I have to identify why the mains fuse blew in the first place. Have you any suggestions how I might do this?

Thanks again for your great help.

Kind regards,

Aoibhinn

altor

Thats good. You can get them in M.E.W in Leixlip. It is beside Lidl. Bring the old fuse with you. If the alarm activates again take note of the zone that is activating the alarm. This will be where the fault is.

Aoibhinn

Thanks Altor, I'll call into that store tomorrow and also I will be keeping an eye on the alarm when it next goes off.

Kind regards,

Aoibhinn

altor

Aoibhinn wrote: »

Thanks Altor, I'll call into that store tomorrow and also I will be keeping an eye on the alarm when it next goes off.

Kind regards,

Aoibhinn

Your welcome, if you have any problems you know where we are

aoife303

I moved into a new apartment and was told the alarm system had been disabled. The plastic cover of the keypad was removed and all thats left is the motherboard (?) part on the wall. The box is still intact in the hot press though, but I passed no remarks as I was under the impression the entire thing was disabled.

However the alarm has started going off in the apartment at random intervals. And I can't switch it off properly as I've no keypad/passcode. The landlord was under the impression the system had never worked. The only way I can stop the alarm ringing is by switching it off at the fusebox. This seemed to reset it the first few times and it wouldn't ring again for a few days. However now it won't stop going off. I've had to leave the fuse off permanently and as a result I've no lights in the kitchen, hall or sitting room...

Is there any way of disabling the system with just the box in the hot press and no passcode? It's driving me mad!

KoolKid

To power the system down completely procede as follows

1. Turn off the mains power at the fuse board.
2. open the main panel in the hot press.
3. In the top lefthand corner you will see the main power supply & the mains wired in 3 blocks. On the block where the live is wired in (Brown wire) remove the fuse holder.
4. Disconnect the Red/Black leads from the battery at the base of the panel. (At this point the external siren may ring, it should stop after 20-30 minutes)
5. Close up the panel.
6. Turn on the mains power. The keypad should no be blank.

Once the outside sirenruns down it will not activate again.

branners69

Am having a new problem with my CS350.

I forgot the alarm was still on this morning and I opened the back door. The alarm went off, when I entered the code to turn it off the outside bell kept going. It stopped after 15-20 mins but now I have an error message on the keypad saying FUSE. When I press the down arrow twice the keypad displays BELL TAMPER.

If I change the fuse will the error disappear? What type of fuse do I need? I know there are 5 fuses but are they all the same size? Any idea which fuse in the box is the external bell fuse?

Thanks,

Branners

KoolKid

The external bell fuse is fuse 3. See the diagram inside the lid to locate it.
It is 1A fast blow 20 mm.
Get a few of these and activate the alarm after you replace the fuse.
If it blows again you have a wiring problem or a faulty external bell.

altor

branners69 wrote: »

Am having a new problem with my CS350.

I forgot the alarm was still on this morning and I opened the back door. The alarm went off, when I entered the code to turn it off the outside bell kept going. It stopped after 15-20 mins but now I have an error message on the keypad saying FUSE. When I press the down arrow twice the keypad displays BELL TAMPER.

If I change the fuse will the error disappear? What type of fuse do I need? I know there are 5 fuses but are they all the same size? Any idea which fuse in the box is the external bell fuse?

Thanks,

Branners

Hi Branners,

Make sure you turn off the mains going to the alarm before you open the control panel. I have put up a diagram which has the fuse location plus the fuse rating. The reason the external bell went off for the 15-20 minutes is because the fuse had blown. Replacing the fuse with a fuse of the same rating should fix this issue.

branners69

Thanks for replies, can the fuses be purchased in Woodies etc?

I just tried to set the alarm and it wont set, just says Bell Tamper. If I remove the blown fuse would the alarm set? Or will I just have to do without until I get the fuse?

Thanks again!

KoolKid

Is there any spare resistors in the panel?
They are 4k7.
They would look like this

If so wire one between BHO & TR leaving the cable in the BHO terminal.
It may be there is one wired into TR & onto a cable. You can disconnect from the cable & wire that end into BHO.
Remember to put back the way it was when you get the fuse replaced.
Woodies wouldn't be great for these.
The likes of Maplins or Radionics would be your best bet.

branners69

KoolKid wrote: »

Is there any spare resistors in the panel?

If so wire one between BHO & TR leaving the cable in the BHO terminal.
It may be there is one wired into TR & onto a cable. You can disconnect from the cable & wire that end into BHO.
Remember to put back the way it was when you get the fuse replaced.
Woodies wouldn't be great for these.
The likes of Maplins or Radionics would be your best bet.

Way out of my league! I'll be doing well to replace the fuse without burning down the house!

KoolKid

Its not as difficult as it may sound.
The bell tamper is caused because the external bell is getting no power as the fuse is blown. The resistor between BHO & TR is simply bypassing th tamper loop out to the bell & back. Can you see one of those resistors connected into TR, Terminal 17?

branners69

I bought a fuse in Maplins, 10 of them for €3.29.

Many thanks for all the advice, saved a fortune not getting an engineer!

altor

branners69 wrote: »

I bought a fuse in Maplins, 10 of them for €3.29.

Many thanks for all the advice, saved a fortune not getting an engineer!

Good for you branners69. No point paying an engineer to do a simple job like changing the fuse when you can do it yourself

Aoibhinn

Hi again Everyone,

I hope you can help me with my ongoing Aritech CS350 problem. The mains fuse has now blown three times since the end of December. I cannot find the reason why it is blowing. So my question is can anyone point me in the direction of a reputable Aritech alarm repair person in the Maynooth (north Kildare area)? Ideally someone who will identify the root cause of the problem and fix it, rather than just replace the fuse.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Kind regards,

Aoibhinn

KoolKid

Take a look at the Suppliers Sticky.
Its possibly the power supply but it should be easy enough to find the cause.

altor

Aoibhinn wrote: »

Hi again Everyone,

I hope you can help me with my ongoing Aritech CS350 problem. The mains fuse has now blown three times since the end of December. I cannot find the reason why it is blowing. So my question is can anyone point me in the direction of a reputable Aritech alarm repair person in the Maynooth (north Kildare area)? Ideally someone who will identify the root cause of the problem and fix it, rather than just replace the fuse.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Kind regards,

Aoibhinn

I would say its the power supply off the alarm, very easy to get replaced. If you check out the list here or the suppliers list you will get a registered company close to you.

Aoibhinn

Hi,

Just want to let you know that the problems with my alarm have been sorted (yes I know it has been over a year since my original post!).

Altor came out the house and was able to identify the root cause of the problem. He was able to provide me with the most cost effective solution. A year later, and my alarm is working perfectly!

Altor is an extremely professional man and really knows his business. I would have no hesitation in recommending Altor to anyone. Thanks for your help Altor!

altor

Aoibhinn wrote: »

Hi,

Just want to let you know that the problems with my alarm have been sorted (yes I know it has been over a year since my original post!).

Altor came out the house and was able to identify the root cause of the problem. He was able to provide me with the most cost effective solution. A year later, and my alarm is working perfectly!

Altor is an extremely professional man and really knows his business. I would have no hesitation in recommending Altor to anyone. Thanks for your help Altor!

Thanks for getting back to us.

Good to hear all is still going well with your alarm

mark 2378

my airetch c350 keeps draing the battery.iv replaced with 3battery and 24hrs later its drained.and ideas lads whats up

KoolKid

Could be the rectifier is gone.
Will the system power up on mains only?
If so can you check if there is voltage on the battery cables with the battery disconnected.

mark 2378

yes it will power with mains only and wen i put new battery in.the system goes back to normal.but after 24hous the battery is draind again.im thinking maybe just to get a new panel..

Kohhal

Does anyone have the CS350 manual? the UK panels site doesn't seem to be working too well and I can't download it...

Fair play on all the help in this thread, a credit to all those contributing!!!

KoolKid

Sent you that. If you need any help give us a shout.

melvinp

I have been reading this forum and it has been very helpful for my situation, but I just wish to clarify 1 or 2 things.

My alarm battery died completely over xmas and I have bought a new one and connected it. The alarm is working fully and can be set with no problems, but the number panel is reading 'Bad EEPROM' constantly.

Am I correct is my understanding that there is a blown fuse? Do I need to let system die completely again by disconnecting battery and mains to reset?

Many thanks for any help.

KoolKid

It is not a fuse. It may simply have got a bad power up. Try,as you said, powering it down completely, leave for a minute, and power back up.

Andy Cam

I have read the previous thread and found it very useful and informative. I have a similar problem where the low battery indicator came on the keypad. A couple of days later the alarm started to chirp on the outside box. I changed the battery as per the instructions in previous posts. Unfortunately the amber battery indicator light is still on and the alarm is still chirping however at a lesser level than before.
I would be grateful for any advice
Thanks

KoolKid

Do you hav a multi meter to check the battery charge voltage on the battery leads?

altor

Andy Cam wrote: »

I have read the previous thread and found it very useful and informative. I have a similar problem where the low battery indicator came on the keypad. A couple of days later the alarm started to chirp on the outside box. I changed the battery as per the instructions in previous posts. Unfortunately the amber battery indicator light is still on and the alarm is still chirping however at a lesser level than before.
I would be grateful for any advice
Thanks

Could be the battery fuse either.
F1 is the battery fuse.

Lasse1976

Hi guys

I really need your advice!

We bought an apartment which had a CS250 aritech alarm installated. It has been flashing red for some time saying something about a battery issue. I suppuse the battery needs to be changed.

Two questions:

1) How do I open the box to get access to the battery?. I can only see a small screw at the buttom. The box seems to have a front part and a back part. Are they connected with some kind of click mechanism?.

2) Is the procedure to change the battery the same as mentioned below?.

I will greatly appreciate your reply



To Replace Aritech CS350 Battery

• Turn off the mains power from the fuseboard.
• Remove the lid of the main control panel by removing the 2 screws located at the left & right hand side.
• Disconnect the 2 leads from the battery.
• Connect the leads to the new battery observing to polarity. Red > Red (+) Black to Black or Blue (-)
• Replace the lid & screw closed.
• Reapply the mains power at the fuse board.

KoolKid

You open the main control panel not the key pad.
Procedure is much the same. There is only one screw on the metal panel of the CS250.
Its st the top. Open that and the lid opens out from the top.

Lasse1976

Hi again

Thank you for the fast reply :-),,appreciate it!

When I looked this morning i could only see a very small screw at the buttom on the left side.

I could not see a screw at the top or any other places to open the alarm. Would have liked to add a picture, since I am still not sure how to open it.

Is what you called the "main control panel" the front and back part of the alarm?. Sorry for this stupid question, i am just not sure what the difference is between the key pad part and the main control panel.

Once again, thank you for your help!!

Lasse1976

http://www.google.dk/imgres?q=aritech+cs+250+-+open&um=1&hl=da&biw=1280&bih=566&tbm=isch&tbnid=RhfD1PSX4LGQ5M:&imgrefurl=http://www.flitsservice.nl/phpBB/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D10%26t%3D44569%26view%3Dprevious&docid=Mh4peh5Vl5KToM&imgurl=http://www.tech-securite.com/im/cs5500.jpg&w=389&h=600&ei=v-5GUZGgJ8XT0QXPgYHQCg&zoom=1&sa=X&ved=0CIcCEK0DMD0&iact=hc&vpx=237&vpy=168&dur=1248&hovh=279&hovw=181&tx=112&ty=233&page=3&tbnh=144&tbnw=96&start=50&ndsp=35

KoolKid

The control panel is a separate box. It is in a hotpress or utility room probably.

Lasse1976

ahaaa, thank you :-), I have never seen the box but will look around

Thank you :-)

KoolKid

If its the metal box it will be square , a little smaller than a standard fuse board.

bazwaldo

KoolKid wrote: »

The fuses are located in the main control panel.
It looks like this.


The diagram below shows the fuse, their locations & their ratings.




You will need to remove the fuses 1 by 1 and check which one is blown.
Replace with one of the same rating.
If it blows a new fuse we will need to look deeper.

I'm getting an intermittent mains failure on the keypad display. I opened the panel and checked the fuses and all are fine. Wiggled some of the wires to check if anything was loose and when I checked the keypad, the mains fault was gone. However it keeps happening and I can't figure out what the problem is or if its a dodgy wire or connection which it seems to be. I have a multimeter but all the connections from the transformer are inaccessible as they are hidden or in a plastic connector. Anyone got any suggestions on what to do?

altor

bazwaldo wrote: »

I'm getting an intermittent mains failure on the keypad display. I opened the panel and checked the fuses and all are fine. Wiggled some of the wires to check if anything was loose and when I checked the keypad, the mains fault was gone. However it keeps happening and I can't figure out what the problem is or if its a dodgy wire or connection which it seems to be. I have a multimeter but all the connections from the transformer are inaccessible as they are hidden or in a plastic connector. Anyone got any suggestions on what to do?

The mains failure could just be in the log. Have you had many power outages lately?

KoolKid

bazwaldo wrote: »

I'm getting an intermittent mains failure on the keypad display. I opened the panel and checked the fuses and all are fine. Wiggled some of the wires to check if anything was loose and when I checked the keypad, the mains fault was gone. However it keeps happening and I can't figure out what the problem is or if its a dodgy wire or connection which it seems to be. I have a multimeter but all the connections from the transformer are inaccessible as they are hidden or in a plastic connector. Anyone got any suggestions on what to do?

If it keeps happening & your getting the keypad beeping at you then its not just the log.
The fact that you moved some cables about and it stopped for a bit would indicate a loose connection. It could also possibly be a dry joint where the pins are on the PCB. The best way to check the power supply is to strip the cables back a bit and meter them out from that point. After that its take the PCB off and meter out the power from the joints at the back of the board.
Also disconnect the battery while your checking any connections. The power dropping off would then be instantly noticeable as the external bell should ring & the keypad will power down instantly.

bazwaldo

Thanks for that. Strange that it happened though as the press where the panel is, hasn't been opened in a few months. Disconnecting the battery is a good idea as its not easy knowing its fixed or broken when the battery kicks in and the beep is likely not immediate.

altor

bazwaldo wrote: »

Thanks for that. Strange that it happened though as the press where the panel is, hasn't been opened in a few months. Disconnecting the battery is a good idea as its not easy knowing its fixed or broken when the battery kicks in and the beep is likely not immediate.

Be careful if you are wriggling around with the cables live just in case one pops out of its holder. Where the fuse is located for the mains in the control panel have you made sure this is pushed in all the way?

KoolKid

bazwaldo wrote: »

Thanks for that. Strange that it happened though as the press where the panel is, hasn't been opened in a few months.

Some problems just happen without any human intervention. It could be a faulty component , a connection or a dry joint that has developed over time.
If your confident around PCB boards and around mains I would take off the PCB and meter out where the AC pins are soldered to the board. If its a dry joint there its easily resoldered.

bazwaldo

Going by the picture in the post I quoted above, F0 is a lighted fuse and is still lite when there is a mains failure reported by the keypad panel. I don't know if F1-4 affect both mains or battery and if they affect both then they are definitely all positioned fine as then it would be just the mains that would be intermittent.

bazwaldo

KoolKid wrote: »

Some problems just happen without any human intervention. It could be a faulty component , a connection or a dry joint that has developed over time.
If your confident around PCB boards and around mains I would take off the PCB and meter out where the AC pins are soldered to the board. If its a dry joint there its easily resoldered.

Hopefully so and its not a transformer gone faulty or similar.

altor

bazwaldo wrote: »

Going by the picture in the post I quoted above, F0 is a lighted fuse and is still lite when there is a mains failure reported by the keypad panel. I don't know if F1-4 affect both mains or battery and if they affect both then they are definitely all positioned fine as then it would be just the mains that would be intermittent.

I take it your talking about a fused spur. There could also be a loose connection in there going to the control panel. I would advise turning off the mains before going at tightening any mains cable terminals in the control panel and spur.

In the control panel itself where the mains is wired into the terminals there is also a fuse holder containing a fuse. Just to make sure this is pushed in all the way too.

KoolKid

bazwaldo wrote: »

Hopefully so and its not a transformer gone faulty or similar.

Hopefully.
A transformer is a very easy fix as well though.

murphd20

altor wrote: »

Hi Raphfrk.

If you tried defaulting the alarm using the JP1 and that did not work then the alarm is engineer locked. You could ring the company and ask for the code. If they do have to come out you could get them to enter a code that suits you.

Sorry to bump thread but I have a query on my Airtech CS350 alarm. I do not have a engineering code.
1. If I pull the JP1, will the system need to be programmed again?
2. Is there a procedure to follow to pull the JP1i.e. power down, wait, pull JP1, Power up, replace JP1?
3. In some of the posts people refer to a chip that needs to be replaced if the alarm is engineered locked. What is this chip & where is it located on the attached picture?
Cheers

KoolKid

If the system defaults it will need to be programmed again.
Power down completely, remove JP1, power up with JP1 removed. If the panel defaults you will be prompted to select language.
You can replace the link any time after it defaults.
Hard to point it out on the images there.
It's an 8 legged memory chip near the centre of the PCB.

BrenCooney

Sorry for bumping this, but where would I get the chip, if still available, as I have one which is engineer locked and I would like it get it going again.