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Astec call 22 engineer

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  • 20-08-2013 6:11pm
    #1
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭


    This has come up after replacing the battery? Any ideas?


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    #2
    fred funk }{
    Registered Users Posts: 6,827 ✭✭✭fred funk }{


    Did the outside bell activate when you were at the pane?


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    #3
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    It did and the internal bell aswell, i didnt replace the battery the engineer did but didnt have much knowledge of the system.


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    #4
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    Check the bell connections. They are the last 2 terminals on the right.
    Disconnect them & connect the external bell on its own & see if it comes back online.


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    #5
    fred funk }{
    Registered Users Posts: 6,827 ✭✭✭fred funk }{


    He could have blown the panel whilst screwing the PCB on. Did he leave you with the fault still there? Doesn't sound like a decent lad.


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    #6
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    Just read that again. Can't believe he left a panel with a fault on it. Did you pay him???


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    #7
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    KoolKid wrote: »
    Just read that again. Can't believe he left a panel with a fault on it. Did you pay him???
    No he wouldnt take money off me today, he did say straight out that he knew very little about my alarm system but was going to talk to one of the older engineers in the company and get back out to me possibiy with the other engineer in the morning. I just wanted to know what caused the fault so i knew what to look out for when they come back. I persume he,ll look for payment in the morning but from what i gather from above i still should be just paying for the battery replacement and the call out charge that goes with that, anything else is not my fault??


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    #8
    fred funk }{
    Registered Users Posts: 6,827 ✭✭✭fred funk }{


    If it's not a loose connection at the sounders terminal then I suspect he blew the panel when screwing the PCB on.

    The spikes at the rear of the board pierces the battery leads and that does the damage. I'm afraid it's not repairable and parts can't be got anymore.


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    #9
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    One other thing to try is for him to disconnect the battery in the SAB.
    That may be dragging the bell down. Was there SAB fault there before the battery was replaced.?
    I wouldn't be happy paying the call out and labour here.
    If there was a fault with the SAB he should have noticed it prior to changing the battery. If there wasn't and its not the SAB that's faulty then it looks like its been caused through carelessness when changing the battery.
    If he wasn't sure about the panel he should not have carried out the work..
    Sorry if it sounds a bit harsh, but why go at something you admit you know little about.


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    #10
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    fred funk }{ wrote: »
    If it's not a loose connection at the sounders terminal then I suspect he blew the panel when screwing the PCB on.

    The spikes at the rear of the board pierces the battery leads and that does the damage. I'm afraid it's not repairable and parts can't be got anymore.
    F... that aint good:(


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    #11
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    KoolKid wrote: »
    One other thing to try is for him to disconnect the battery in the SAB.
    That may be dragging the bell down. Was there SAB fault there before the battery was replaced.?
    I wouldn't be happy paying the call out and labour here.
    If there was a fault with the SAB he should have noticed it prior to changing the battery. If there wasn't and its not the SAB that's faulty then it looks like its been caused through carelessness when changing the battery.
    If he wasn't sure about the panel he should not have carried out the work..
    Sorry if it sounds a bit harsh, but why go at something you admit you know little about.
    No i dont think there was a fault with the SAB, the alarm was working perfect and setting as it should, he was a bit rough in trying to remove the panal to get in at the battery alright was looking at him doing it. The battery was the only thing that needed to be done.


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    #12
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    I hope it aint f....ed alltogether cause i cant afford to replace it, did well to scrap a few euro together to replace the battery.


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    #13
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    king size mars bar wrote: »
    No i dont think there was a fault with the SAB, the alarm was working perfect and setting as it should, he was a bit rough in trying to remove the panal to get in at the battery alright was looking at him doing it. The battery was the only thing that needed to be done.

    Anyone who knows these panels should not be struggling to replace the battery its a 5 minute job. Likewise its a very quick few tests to determine if its the panel or not.
    If worst come to the worst I have a few old PCBs there that might get you going.


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    #14
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    KoolKid wrote: »
    Anyone who knows these panels should not be struggling to replace the battery its a 5 minute job. Likewise its a very quick few tests to determine if its the panel or not.
    If worst come to the worst I have a few old PCBs there that might get you going.
    He did struggle with it alright, just have have to wait now till morning and see what he comes back with, at least now i know what has to be done and what the cause of the problem is so thay cant spoof me if they have made a cock up. I,m not too hopeful.


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    #15
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    Be interested to hear what happens.


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    #16
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    O i will keep you posted, lets hope it will be a fix it friday! (done on a wed of course!)


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    #17
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    Well out he came today and guess what, not fixed, named off a list of possible faults including the board being f...ed but not once did he mention the faults mentioned here. He is gone now to talk to his boss and the other engineers to see what they are going to do. I explained to him before he left that all i wanted done was a batt replacement and now i have no alarm, it went from working 100% to this. Heard him on the phone describing the Astec as the lada's of house alarms, well my lada was working perfect till i got a routine battery replacement, anyway to be continuted..........


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    #18
    fred funk }{
    Registered Users Posts: 6,827 ✭✭✭fred funk }{


    Yeah, sounds like the board is banjaxed.

    I would take Koolkid up on his generous offer as if you don't you'll need to replace the entire alarm because the Astec detectors aren't compatible with any other system.

    Your engineer clearly doesn't know much about your system.


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    #19
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    fred funk }{ wrote: »
    Yeah, sounds like the board is banjaxed.

    I would take Koolkid up on his generous offer as if you don't you'll need to replace the entire alarm because the Astec detectors aren't compatible with any other system.

    Your engineer clearly doesn't know much about your system.
    The engineer pionted that out to me today, that wont be happening unless thay do it for free and that aint going to happen either. Yea it was a nice offer from Koolkid.:)


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    #20
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    Have to laugh at some of these guys. Slating Astec as basic but still too complicated for him to carry out what really is the simplest of jobs. If you want that PCB give me a shout.


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    #21
    altor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,719 ✭✭✭✭altor


    By the sounds of it they don't even know what the problem is.
    Might be better off on the sly getting someone who knows what they are at to test and confirm the problems before they come back. Then if fixed send them on the bill for the repair since they broke it in the first place. There is no way I would even entertain letting them back near the alarm system.

    www.altor.ie



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    #22
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    It amazes & shocks me sometimes the number of lads in this business that have little or no understanding of the most basic workings of alarm systems.
    Definitely get someone who knows what they are at instead of blaming the panel.


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    #23
    altor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,719 ✭✭✭✭altor


    I know Astec are gone now but you would be amazed the amount of systems I have fixed over the last couple of Months that other installers have said, no you will need to replace the whole system. Parts are no longer available. It is shocking to think people are just being hoodwinked into getting a new system just because the system is obsolete or the engineer does not know what he is at.

    www.altor.ie



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    #24
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    Couldn't agree more.
    Even down to lads who wont bother putting in a global sensor or contact.


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    #25
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    Well just off the phone to the owner of the company i used, and to put it in his words Astec were a ****ty alarm and changing the battery was the straw that broke the camels back and if it haddened been the battery somthing else would of gone. He recommend that i replace that system (and quoted me a price for that) cos i would be throwing away money with his engineers coming out to try fix it! O and the bill for works carried out to date will cross his desk shorthly and then he probally send it on to me for time spent on the system. So i basically said i have a brand new battery in an alarm that NOW does not work, which did before the replacement battery was put in, and you want to be paid and he basically said yes. I really cant wait to get that invoice from them. Sorry folks about the spelling and grammer was never my strong piont in school.


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    #26
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    What I'd recommend I'd getting someone out to replace this and send him the old panel and battery back along with your own bill for the damage his engineer caused.
    I'd also remind him his engineer admitted not knowing what he was doing.
    At the end of the day your system was working before the engineer touched it.
    I'd also be reminding him that Astec systems conformed to EN50131.Therefore people better qualified than him disagree with his opinion that the panel is sh****y.


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    #27
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    KoolKid wrote: »
    What I'd recommend I'd getting someone out to replace this and send him the old panel and battery back along with your own bill for the damage his engineer caused.
    I'd also remind him his engineer admitted not knowing what he was doing.
    At the end of the day your system was working before the engineer touched it.
    I'd also be reminding him that Astec systems conformed to EN50131.Therefore people better qualified than him disagree with his opinion that the panel is sh****y.
    i said all that to him and he fobbed me off with the engineer was a very good one and he explained the process he followed in replacing the battery and he agreed he done the job correctly. Didnt have that info about EN50131 to hand so cud'nt hit him with that. O yea he said he'd wave the fee for the battery and call out if i was to replace the alarm with his company. Jasus you think you'd be doing right by getting a recommended local company to do these jobs but i guess not. ****ed now as i had the budget to get that simply job done and nothing more.


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    #28
    fred funk }{
    Registered Users Posts: 6,827 ✭✭✭fred funk }{


    Did he not not tell you what the problem was with the panel and how it happened?


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    #29
    king size mars bar
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭king size mars bar


    said it could of been anything as those alarms are so bad basically. said the fact they didnt have an engineers code and the fact the engineer would of had to do somthing with the panal which would of been easier to do if i had the engineers code rather that having me to put in my personal code to cancel the alarm when he removed the panal cover.


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    #30
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    Having the engineer code would not have made the slightest difference as it safer to power down those panels when changing the battery. If he'd have done that he would not have blown anything.
    Anyway if he wanted engineer access its 5 minutes work to reset & reprogramme this panel.
    Unbelievable...!:eek:


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