If the Service Light on your Networx NX security system codepad is on, the system has a fault of some sort. This is exactly what happened when my sister moved into a new house recently. She asked me to take a look.
I did some research and eventually found out she had a low battery. While looking for some answers, I discovered that the service light can come on for several reasons.
I decided to write this article to help you if you’re got a similar problem. Mostly they are minor problems that you can easily fix yourself. But first you need to work out what the fault is. Here’s how you do that:
1 – Press [ * ] then [ 2 ] on the codepad
2 – The codepad will switch to Fault Display Mode. One or more zone lights will be lit. Use the table below to identify the fault in your system.
3 – Go to the Trouble-shooting Guide beneath the fault chart to get extra help on how to fix the fault yourself. Download the user manual HERE
Networx NX Alarm Fault Chart
Press the [ * [ button, then the [ 2 ] button on your codepad
| Zone Light | Fault Condition |
| 1 | This indicates a ‘System’ fault. Press 1 again to drill down to the exact fault. One or more zone lights on the codepad will light. Here’s what they mean: [See trouble-shooting section below to get more detailed information] |
| 1 – Over-current fault. The alarm system is drawing too much current. | |
| 2 – External siren is faulty | |
| 3 – Box Tamper | |
| 4 – Expander Power | |
| 5 – Expander Low Battery | |
| 6 – Expander Box Tamper | |
| 7 – Expander Trouble | |
| 8- Not Used | |
| 2 | Sensor Tamper alarm. Press the [ 2 ] button. One or more codepad lights will illuminate to indicate which of your sensors has a tamper alarm. See trouble-shooting section below for more information |
| 3 | Zone Low Battery. Press the [ 3 ] button. One or more codepad lights will turn on to indicate which wireless sensors have a low battery. |
| 4 | Loss of Supervision. Press the [ 4 ] button to see which wireless zone (or zones) have not reported a signal to the alarm panel. |
| 5 | Zone Trouble. Pressing the [ 5 ] button will display the zone, or zones that currently have a ‘trouble’ condition. (more info below) |
| 6 | Telephone Line Cut. The alarm can no longer detect the phone line. |
| 7 | Communication Failure. The built-in dialer has tried to send a message (either to the monitoring centre or your mobile phone). The message was not sent successfully. See trouble-shooting section below for more information. |
| 8 | System Time and Date Not Set. Usually happens after a loss of power to the alarm panel. More in the trouble-shooting section below |
Networx NX Alarm Trouble Shooting Guide
Now that you’ve figured out why the Service Light on your Networx panel is on let’s resolve the problem. Some of the issues that cause the service light to come on will need to be fixed by a qualified and licensed alarm technician. But there are many of these faults that you can fix yourself.
I’ll run through the faults in order.
Fault Code 1 – System Faults
The next eight faults are all a sub-set of Fault Code 1. Scroll Down to find ‘Fault Code 2-8’ notes
System Fault 1 – Over-Current Fault
This means power supply is overloaded. A device connected to the panel (motion sensor, siren, battery) is is trying to pull more power from it’s power supply than is available.
The panel has 700 milli-amps available to operate stuff connected to it. This includes codepads, intruder detectors and smoke detectors.
A faulty battery is the most likely cause. If this is the case you should also notice the Power Light flashing on the codepad
Other possible causes are:
1 – Additional peripherals – codepad, remote control kit, sensors or Nav-Comm module for app control – have been added to your system and overloaded the power supply.
2 – Faulty detector or codepad
3 – The wiring between the alarm panel and a sensor or codepad has developed a fault.
System Fault 2 – External Siren Fault
Test the external siren to see if it’s working.
The quickest way is to press the panic button on your codepad PIC OF CODEPAD ARROW POINTING TO PANIC BUTTON. Ref page 22 of nx 12 Install Manual.Be aware that this will also sound the internal siren and alert the monitoring station (if you have back-to-base monitoring) or alert others if your system is self-monitored.
If the siren is working, arm then disarm the system. If the Service Light turns off everything is OK however the external siren may require replacement if the fault occurs again. This fault commonly occurs after an extremely cold night IF the siren speaker is at the end of it’s life.
If the siren didn’t sound,( but the inside siren did)there are 3 possibilities
I’ve listed these from most likely to least likely.:
1 – the siren speaker is faulty
2 – the cable between the siren and the alarm panel is faulty
3 – the siren driver inside the alarm panel is faulty
At this point you can have a go at fixing this yourself – see this step-by-step guide.
If you’re not feeling that adventurous, you may want to contact an alarm tech to sort this out for you.
System Fault 3 – Box Tamper
The control panel has a Tamper Switch that detects when the lid of the panel has been opened. It can be programmed to sound the sirens when it’s triggered or to just send an alarm to the monitoring centre or your mobile phone.
If you’ve opened the lid recently, perhaps to replace the back-up battery, check that its fully closed.
The locking mechanism is pretty flimsy on the Networx panel so the lid can appear to be closed but is not actually fully closed. The lid only needs to be opened 10 millimetres or so for the tamper switch to trigger.PIC
I suggest using a small self-tapping screw to secure the lid. There’s a pre-drilled hole on to top and bottom lip of the lid so, its a 10 second job.
System Faults 4, 5, 6 and 7
These four faults all relate to Expanders in your system.The Networx alarm system can be a basic 4 or 8 zone alarm panel with a couple of sirens and a strobe light.
If you have a large home, office building or warehouse, you’d need considerably more zones, so the Networx security system can be expanded to a comprehensive security system with 176 zones, video verification of alarm events and access controlled doors using swipe cards or codepads.
All this functionality can’t be done from a single panel so Expanders are used. These are distributed throughout the premises to make installation easier.
Expanders can be any of the following:
1 – Codepads or touchscreens ( so even a basic system has at least one expander)
2 – Zone expanders
3 – Output expanders
4 – Power supplies
In a basic 4, 8 or 12 zone system, the most likely cause for an Expander fault will be from the codepad.
Check that it is fixed security to the wall and the front cover is firmly in place. Once you’re sure everything is OK, arm then disarm the system.
If you have any other Expander fault I would advise you to have your alarm installer check the system for you.
Fault Code 2 – Tamper Alarm from a Sensor
If you have this fault code, it’s probably because you’ve either replace a battery in a wireless sensor or you’ve had to temporarily move the sensor because you’re painting the room or doing a renovation.
The sensor has a tamper switch that detects if the cover has been removed. If the cover is not put on correctly, the tamper switch won’t reset.
If you’ve followed the procedure in the fault chart you’ll know exactly which sensor is causing the tamper alarm.
Remove and then replace the cover and make sure it clicks firmly into place. You don’t need to apply excessive force, it should go back with a firm push.
If the zone tamper still has not cleared, try performing an Alarm Reset:
1 – Enter your 4 digit code
2 – Press the [ * ] button
3 – Press the [ 7 ] button
Any latched alarms will now reset.
If the codepad starts to beep, the reset function didn’t work. Wait 2 minutes and try again.
Fault Code 3 – Low Battery Alarm from a Sensor
The codepad will indicate which of your sensors have a low battery.Once you’ve replaced the battery, arm and then disarm the system.
The Service light should turn off.
If it doesn’t, you’ll need to trigger the sensor while the system is disarmed so the panel receives a Battery OK message from the sensor. Most wireless PIR sensors have a ‘sleep-timer’ built in so you’ll need to make sure no one triggers the sensor for 3 minutes.
When the 3 minutes is up, walk in front of the sensor to trigger it. (The alarm system does not need to be switched on)
Window and door switches don’t have a sleep timer so they can be triggered without waiting for 3 minutes.
The Service light should turn off. If it doesn’t try entering the system reset command:
1 – Enter your 4 digit code
2 = Press [ * ] [ 7 ]
The fault should clear.
Fault Code 4 – Loss of Supervision
This fault code applies to wireless zones.
A supervision timer is built in to all wireless sensors. Every 24 hours, the sensor sends a signal to the control panel. This is done to regularly and automatically to test the wireless detector and ensure it’s messages are received by the Networx alarm panel.
If the panel does not received the regular check-in massage from a sensor, it is flagged on the codepad as a Loss of Supervision alarm.
A loss of Supervision can be caused by any of the following, listed from most likely to least likely:
1 – Low battery in the sensor. This is by far the most likely reason for the supervision alarm. Replace the battery. The Service light will turn off next time the sensor communicates with the alarm panel
2 – Faulty sensor.
3 – Radio interference preventing the signal being received by the control panel
4 – Faulty NX control panel
If replacing the battery in the sensor did not fix the problem, would recommend you get a qualified and licensed alarm installer to investigate further.
Fault Code 5 – Zone Trouble
This error code can mean several things:
1 – Loss of supervision on a wireless zone – see Fault Code 4 above
2 – Low battery on a wireless zone – Refer to Fault Code 3 above
3 – Tamper on a wireless or hardwired zone – refer to Fault Code
Fault Code 6 – Telephone Line Cut
This one is fairly obvious. Check the phone line at any phone in your home.
If the phone line is not working, you’ll need to contact your telephone service provider. If it is working, there could be a fault in the alarm panel or on the phone cable that connects your panel to the phone line in your house.
If you’ve recently signed up for the National Broadband Network (NBN) your copper line analogue phone service will be disconnected. The Networx NX alarm panel can have an internet module installed that allows you to receive alarm notifications on your smart phone. The app is free with no on-going subscription. It’s really good!
If you choose this option, your installer will turn off the ‘telephone line monitor’ function so this fault will disappear
If you need professional back-to-base monitoring you can use a 4G GSM communicator as a direct replacement for your old analogue phone line.
Just install a 4G SIM card and plug your alarm panel into the ‘phone line’ socket and the system will use this new phone line to communicate alarms to the monitoring control room.
Fault Code 7 – Communication Fail
This error code occurs if your alarm system has tried, but failed to send an alarm message. The panel will make 6 attempts to deliver the alarm message over a 15 minute period. If the message could not be delivered after the sixth attempt, the Communication Fail error message is flagged on the code pad.
The possible reasons for this error code are:
1 – Telephone line is faulty or disconnected
2 – A self-monitored alarm event has not been acknowledged.
If you system is self monitored using the Siren Tone format, you need to acknowledge the alarm by pressing the [ * ] key on your mobile phone when the alarm panel rings you. If you don’t acknowledge the alarm the
Fault Code 8 – Loss Of System Time
If you’re NX alarm panel loses power – both mains power and battery, this fault will appear when power is reconnected.
Simply program the date and time to clear the fault.
Heres how:
Programming The Date:
1 – Press [ * ] [ 9 ] [ 6 ]
2 – Enter your 4 digit Master Code
3 – Enter a single digit between 1 and seven for the day of the week.
1 = Sunday, 2 = Monday, 3 = Tuesday …..7 = Saturday
4 – Enter 2 digits for the Month.
[ 0 ] [ 1 ] = January, [ 0 ] [ 2 ] = February, [ 1 ] [ 2 ] = December
5 – Enter 2 digits for the Day of the Week
[ 0 ] [ 1 ] for the first day of the month, [ 3 ] [ 1 ] for the 31st day of the month
6 – Enter the last 2 digits of the current year
If it’s 2019 enter [ 1 [ [ 9 ], if it’s 2020, enter [ 2 ] [ 0 ]
Press [ # ]
Here’s an example. Let’s say today is Saturday 7th of August 2020 and my Master Code is 2468. Here is the entire key sequence to set the date:
[ * ] [ 9 ] [ 6 ], [ 2 ] [ 4 ] [ 6 ] [ 8 ], [ 7 ], [ 0 ] [ 8 ], [ 0 ] [ 7 ], [ 2 ] [ 0 ], [ # ].
Now Program the Time:
1 -Press [ * ] [ 9 ] [ 7 ]
2 – Enter your 4 digit Master Code
3 – Enter 2 digits for the hour in 24 hour time
[ 0 ] [ 1 ] = 1 am, [ 0 ] [ 7 ] = 7 am , [ 1 ] [ 3] = 1 pm, [ 1 ] [ 4 ] = 2pm, [ 1 ] [ 5 ] = 3 pm etc.
4 – Enter 2 digits for the minutes
5 – Press [ # ] . The time is now set.
As an example, lets say it’s 10 past 4 in the afternoon, and my Master Code is 2580. The entire key sequence would be:
[ * ] [ 9 ] [ 7 ], [ 2 ] [ 5 ] [ 8 ] [ 0 ], [ 1 ] [ 6 ], [ 1 ] [ 0 ] [ # ].
Now that you’ve reset the time and date, the Service Light should turn off.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve found this article helpful. Even if you were not able to fix the the fault yourself, you have some useful information that you can pass on to your alarm technician when he arrives.
Download the User Manual for your Networx NX Security System
HERE 2 above