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The way we handle zone descriptions on a panel completely changed after one job in Scottsdale.
We used to just label zones with room names like 'Front Door' or 'Garage'. On a big house job with over 40 zones, the homeowner got confused during a walkthrough. Now, for any job with more than 20 zones, I force a description that includes the device type, like 'Front Door Contact' or 'Garage Motion'. It cuts down on service calls for false alarms by a huge amount. What's your rule for labeling on complex systems?
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michael89511d ago
How many times did you get calls for "alarm in the living room" before you switched? I used to think the room name was enough too, but a client mixing up their door and window contacts on a big system changed my mind. Now I always add the sensor type for anything over 15 zones, like "Kitchen Window Contact" or "Back Patio Motion". It just saves so much time explaining things later.
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gavin_allen4811d ago
Seriously? I've been doing room names only for years and it's never been a real problem. Even on a 30-zone house, if the panel says "Garage" and it's going off, the homeowner knows where to look. @michael895, I get the idea, but adding all that extra detail feels like overkill and just makes the panel display look cluttered. Most people figure it out after the first walkthrough anyway.
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