How Long a Telephone Line Has to be Out Before a Trouble or an Alarm Sounds - May 8, 2013

How Long a Telephone Line Has to be Out Before a Trouble or an Alarm Sounds
 May 8, 2013

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 Question

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Ken

    Is there a standard on how long a telephone line has to be out before a trouble or a alarm sounds?

David Kempf 

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Answer

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    This question is a lot more complex than it looks.  We can start with what kind of alarm are we talking about?  Intrusion, fire, environmental?  Not all alarms are designed to alert the subscriber to line failure.  Some alarms are designed to activate if there is line failure [I believe Telguard does that].  Other alarm systems are programmed to alert the central station in the event of line failure.  

    There may be UL or other laboratory agency criteria and guidelines in which event you are required to comply.  Some systems may be subject to AHJ requirements for notification of line failure.  Obviously you need to comply.

    But the vast majority of systems, those installed in homes, will not have any regulatory requirement for line supervision, trouble signals, alarm sounding or notification to or from the central re line failure.  What you need to be careful about in these situations is that you have policy in place for handling this common occurrence and that you follow your own, or the central stations. guideline.  And, make sure your subscriber understands how the alarm works, when it is supposed to go off, how to distinguish between a real alarm condition and warning signals.  

    You are the one programming the alarm system. Though commonplace for you, the operation of the alarm system is a mystery to many subscribers and understanding the system features is really something you should strive to teach your subscriber.  False alarms are not the only consequence of subscriber error.  Of far more consequence is when trouble signals are ignored by the subscriber and by the alarm company.  Ignoring trouble signals or failing to respond to them in a customary and industry acceptable way will subject the alarm dealer and the central station to claims arising from alarm failure following trouble signals that were ignored.  

    So whether you program the alarm system to sound within 15 minutes or some other time period after line failure just make sure both you, the subscriber and the central station understands what is going to happen after that time period and the alarm sounds.  

    Anyone with a technical answer is invited to inform us.

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