Hello,
I have three of the Qolsys CO detectors that have all tamper switch failed within hours of each other. I checked the voltage on the batteries which are all above 3v, replaced the batteries anyway, reinstalled the detectors to the ceiling plates, and they all say they’ve been tampered with and blink the yellow fault light.
Do I have any recourse? If not, what can I replace them with that aren’t so prone to defects? Thank you.
Tamper Alert indicates the sensor’s internal tamper switch is being tripped. Usually this indicates that the sensor is not mounted on the mounting plate correctly.
To resolve, disarm the system and remove the sensors, one at a time, from the mounting plate. A tamper alert should occur at the panel. Wait 30 seconds then replace the sensor, ensuring that the sensor and mounting plate are lined up correctly. There should be a line or hash mark on the unit to identify correct alignment.
After doing this, does the error resolve?
Do I have any recourse? If not, what can I replace them with that aren’t so prone to defects? Thank you.
How old are these sensors, what is the date code printed on the unit? This can be found on the sensor or on the back plate, possibly on the side facing the wall.
Based on the system on file your panel works with PowerG and 319.5MHz sensors. You could use the Qolsys IQ Carbon or the PowerG Carbon
Currently I am showing three Carbon Monoxide detectors in Malfunction. This indicates they are unable to communicate with the panel. Are these powered off?
Additionally, carbon monoxide detectors only last so long as the sensing element in them degrades over time. This is why knowing the date code is important as they may no longer be effective, in addition to the malfunction.
they all say they’ve been tampered with and blink the yellow fault light.
If these are the Qolsys IQ Carbon (QS5210-840), a Tamper fault is actually Green, yellow,
red flash sequence every 12 seconds.
Yellow flashes can indicate a variety of issues, depending on the amount of time between flashes:
Every 6 seconds is Detector trouble
Every 12 seconds is Low battery
Every 23 seconds is End of Life.
You can find trouble codes here:
Hi. The models are the QS5210-840. Each showed in the ADC app as having a tamper alert. The loud beep from each one every minute, give or take, led me to take each one down and try the batteries.
I tried holding the tamper switch depressed by hand on each, yet each continued to beep regularly and ADC said they were tampered.
Each detector has a replace by sticker that says October 2025.
The fact that they each failed in the same way at nearly the same time is quite fascinating to me. What I won’t be doing is purchasing more of these, especially at the ridiculous prices that are being asked for them. Thank you for looking into this.
Each detector has a replace by sticker that says October 2025.
Those should be replaced to ensure CO monitoring in the home.. You dont need to replace them with sensors that connect to the panel, local detectors can always be used. If they aren’t connected to the panel, then they would not be monitored.
Let us know if you have any questions.
Hi. The models are the QS5210-840. Each showed in the ADC app as having a tamper alert. The loud beep from each one every minute, give or take, led me to take each one down and try the batteries.
I tried holding the tamper switch depressed by hand on each, yet each continued to beep regularly and ADC said they were tampered.
Each detector has a replace by sticker that says October 2025.
The fact that they each failed in the same way at nearly the same time is quite fascinating to me. What I won’t be doing is purchasing more of these, especially at the ridiculous prices that are being asked for them. Thank you for looking into this.
Based on how you described this issue, it appears the detectors went into an end of life trouble. An end of life trouble occurs when the detector has reached the end of its service life, which for the model CO detectors you have is 5 years. It does not appear that the tamper on the unit malfunctioned. The unit is designed to do this at the end of its life.
Unfortunately, Qolsys uses CO detectors that only have a 5-year life span when everyone else uses CO detectors that have a service life of 10-years. Which I find frustrating.
What is the model of your panel? If it’s compatible with 345Mhz Honeywell 5800 series sensors you can replace those with the Honeywell 5800COV CO detector which as a 10-year service life. If not, the new PowerG Plus CO detectors are supposed to have a 10-year service life but they’re not available yet (assuming your panel can handle PowerG).