ADEMCO Vista-10SEa Installation And Setup Manual page 97

While this System is an advanced design security system, it does not offer guaranteed protection against burglary, fire or
other emergency. Any alarm system, whether commercial or residential, is subject to compromise or failure to warn for a
variety of reasons. For example:
• Intrusion detectors (e.g., passive infrared detectors), smoke detectors, and many other sensing devices will not work
without power. Battery-operated devices will not work without batteries, with dead batteries, or if the batteries are not
put in properly. Devices powered solely by AC will not work if their mains power supply is cut off for any reason,
however briefly.
• Signals sent by wireless transmitters may be blocked or reflected by metal before they reach the alarm receiver. Even if
the signal path has been recently checked during a weekly test, blockage can occur if a metal object is moved into the
path.
• A user may not be able to reach a panic or emergency button quickly enough.
• While smoke detectors have played a key role in reducing residential fire deaths, they may not activate or provide early
warning for a variety of reasons in as many as 35% of all fires. Some of the reasons smoke detectors used in
conjunction with this System may not work are as follows. Smoke detectors may have been improperly installed and
positioned. Smoke detectors may not sense fires that start where smoke cannot reach the detectors, such as in
chimneys, in walls, or roofs, or on the other side of closed doors. Smoke detectors also may not sense a fire on another
level of a residence or building. A second floor detector, for example, may not sense a first floor or basement fire.
Finally, smoke detectors have sensing limitations. No smoke detector can sense every kind of fire every time. In
general, detectors may not always warn about fires caused by carelessness and safety hazards like smoking in bed,
violent explosions, escaping gas, improper storage of flammable materials, overloaded electrical circuits, children
playing with matches, or arson. Depending on the nature of the fire and/or location of the smoke detectors, the detector,
even if it operates as anticipated, may not provide sufficient warning to allow all occupants to escape in time to prevent
injury or death.
• Passive Infrared Motion Detectors can only detect intrusion within the designed ranges as diagrammed in their
installation manual. Passive Infrared Detectors do not provide volumetric area protection. They do create multiple
beams of protection, and intrusion can only be detected in unobstructed areas covered by those beams. They cannot
detect motion or intrusion that takes place behind walls, ceilings, floors, closed doors, glass partitions, glass doors, or
windows. Mechanical tampering, masking, painting or spraying of any material on the mirrors, windows or any part of
the optical system can reduce their detection ability. Passive Infrared Detectors sense changes in temperature;
however, as the ambient temperature of the protected area approaches the temperature range of 32° to 40°C, the
detection performance can decrease.
• Alarm warning devices such as sirens, bells or horns may not alert people or wake up sleepers if they are located on
the other side of closed or partly open doors. If warning devices are located on a different level of the residence from
the bedrooms, then they are less likely to waken or alert people inside the bedrooms. Even persons who are awake
may not hear the warning if the alarm is muffled by noise from a stereo, radio, air conditioner or other appliance, or by
passing traffic. Finally, alarm warning devices, however loud, may not warn hearing-impaired people.
• Telephone lines needed to transmit alarm signals from a premises to a central monitoring station may be out of service
or temporarily out of service. Telephone lines are also subject to compromise by sophisticated intruders.
• Even if the system responds to the emergency as intended, however, occupants may have insufficient time to protect
themselves from the emergency situation. In the case of a monitored alarm system, authorities may not respond
appropriately.
• This equipment, like other electrical devices, is subject to component failure. Even though this equipment is designed
to last as long as 20 years, the electronic components could fail at any time.
The most common cause of an alarm system not functioning when an intrusion or fire occurs is inadequate maintenance.
This alarm system should be tested weekly to make sure all sensors and transmitters are working properly. The security
keypad (and remote keypad) should be tested as well.
Wireless transmitters (used in some systems) are designed to provide long battery life under normal operating conditions.
Longevity of batteries may be as much as 4 to 7 years, depending on the environment, usage, and the specific wireless
device being used. External factors such as humidity, high or low temperatures, as well as large swings in temperature,
may all reduce the actual battery life in a given installation. This wireless system, however, can identify a true low battery
situation, thus allowing time to arrange a change of battery to maintain protection for that given point within the system.
Installing an alarm system may make the owner eligible for a lower insurance rate, but an alarm system is not a substitute
for insurance. Homeowners, property owners and renters should continue to act prudently in protecting themselves and
continue to insure their lives and property.
We continue to develop new and improved protection devices. Users of alarm systems owe it to themselves and their
loved ones to learn about these developments.
WARNING!
THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS ALARM SYSTEM