Understanding Trouble Conditions

Ever wondered what it means when a trouble light appears on your alarm panel? The most common trouble conditions are a loss of mains power, a communication failure* to the monitoring station or a battery requires replacement in either the alarm control panel or a battery powered detection device connected to your alarm system.

The first step
Follow the understanding trouble conditions link below, to see instructions on how to identify the trouble condition your alarm system is warning about. Then select either the LCD or LED display keypad image as appropriate for your system, these instructions are for DSC alarm systems.

Understanding trouble conditions for DSC alarm control panels

[ADT will be adding other alarm panel systems shortly, assistance can be obtained by calling ADT Customer Care]

The second step
Call ADT Customer Care on 0800 111 238 and an operator will assist you in understanding how to resolve the trouble condition. Some trouble conditions are reported to ADT's monitoring station immediately, others are set on a delay to allow you time to resolve these first. If a communications trouble* exists ADT might not have been informed due to the nature of that fault condition. ADT has regular communication tests scheduled, however, if you have a communication failure trouble* please call ADT immediately for assistance.

For low battery related trouble conditions please refer to our Changing Batteries and Selecting the Right Battery guides. For communication troubles please ensure all your phone and fax devices are working and not connected to the phone line preventing alarm signals being sent. If you can make and receive telephone calls there could be a problem requiring a technician to assist. Please contact us directly on 0800 111 238 if you would prefer an ADT approved technician to be dispatched to complete the task or investigate and resolve the trouble condition for you (charges apply for technician visits).

Why not check out our Warrant of Fitness service, which is designed to provide you with further peace of mind and as a result of annual servicing should reduce the likelihood of unwanted trouble conditions.

* If a communications failure has occurred the monitoring station may not be aware, as the communication link is tested every seven (7) days for residential customers and every day for business customers. ADT will call customers to advise of low battery or communication failure events which arise for your premises. These calls are only made during normal business hours so as not to disturb in the night for non critical events.