System is 2GC, firmware 1.17.0.3, 2gig PIR model 345.
While away from home, system in " Away, no Delay" Mode I first was notified of a low battery on one of my motion detectors, at 0754 hrs. The next day, while I was still out of town, the system goes into full alarm mode at 1858 hrs from this motion detector. Not being home, I did have a dispatch made and nothing to report. All is quiet until 2228 hrs the same night, and another full alarm. I had no dispatch made, and remotely arm the system in “Stay, no Delay”, in affect bypassing all indoor motion detectors.
Not sure this should have occurred. I would think with an ignored low battery, (I was not home), the motion detector should just go off line, not go into alarm mode.
Should I have acknowledged this in some way remotely?
Is there a way to bypass sensors remotely?
Is there a way to review sensor battery condition of sensors before going on vacation?
Not sure this should have occurred. I would think with an ignored low battery, (I was not home), the motion detector should just go off line, not go into alarm mode.
While the system will report a low battery, this would not stop the system from reporting an alarm event if the sensor detects motion. The low battery indicator is meant to notify battery status, but it does not signify that the battery is completely drained, nor does it cause the motion to be ignored.
Issues can occur when the battery is low. Do you know the age of the motion detector? Have you received false motions from it before or was this the first time?
Should I have acknowledged this in some way remotely? Is there a way to bypass sensors remotely?
An individual zone cannot be bypassed remotely. If having issues with a particular sensor, you can place the individual Zone on test mode with central station operators. This way dispatch would not be contacted when alarm events occur from that zone.
Open contacts or sensors with active trouble conditions would be bypassed upon arming remotely, based on programming.
Is there a way to review sensor battery condition of sensors before going on vacation?
Aside from the low battery notification, no. There is no indicator of the battery’s current charge.
To the best of my knowledge, there was no motion, nor has there been a history of false motion detects. No other motion detector in the home picked up motion, nor did I see anything on indoor cameras. There are no pets in the house. Motion detectors are about 10 years old. I will just replace all batteries in motion detectors, CR123 type lithium.
That is the correct type, yes. When replacing, leave the old battery out for about 30 seconds before putting the new battery in. This will help ensure that the low-battery notification clears.
It looks like two separate motions are reporting low battery. If all obtained at the same time, it may be a good idea to replace batteries all at once.
Coincidentally, I had the same issue last week while out of town. My living room sensor caused the alarm to trigger twice and I was able to bypass the sensor remotely.
Edit: Removed instructions, since they were incorrect.
Just to clarify, that monitoring checkbox is for Alarm.com Sensor Activity Monitoring - not monitoring performed by operators. It doesn’t impact what the sensor will do at the panel and whether or not an alarm would occur. It does not function as a Bypass.
I believe it used to be labeled “Activity Monitoring.” It appears ADC has shortened it and may have inadvertently caused some confusion.
Not a problem. I’ve reached out to ADC about that. Hopefully it can be worded a little better in the future, because I may have assumed the same you did without knowing the context.
I continue to think there is an issue of false alarms in a low battery condition. Certainly not the end of the world if I am home, I just replace batteries. Since replacing batteries I have had no false alarms, with the motion detector, located in same spot, same environment. Nor have I ever had a false alarm from this, or any of the other detectors, until now.
So in my case there had to be a once in ten year event, like a moth inside the house or something that just happened to trip the alarm during the period it was reporting low battery. And these conditions had to occur twice in the same evening.
I don’t know of a specific issue where a device in low battery on a GC2 would cause an alarm, (nothing specific to firmware or devices) except in a rare case where the sensor itself malfunctioned.
This is more likely I suppose on a very old sensor, and it can be difficult to anticipate the possible results of underpowering a device. In general it should not happen.