Hit 500 alarm panels installed without a single false alarm call

I was going through my logbook last night and counted 500 residential alarm panels I have put in over the last 7 years. What surprised me is that not one of them has generated a false alarm call that came back to me. I work in a small town outside of Fort Wayne and most of my customers are older folks who live in houses from the 70s. The trick I think is I always run a second ground wire to the panel and I tape every connection with that 3M super 88 tape. I also walk them through the test procedure twice before I leave and write my cell number on the inside of the panel door. Has anyone else kept a long term count of how their installs hold up over time?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_brown18h agoTop Commenter

Man, that is seriously impressive, how do you get them to actually remember the test procedure?

thomas_sanchez10h ago

I mean, I have to wonder if this is as impressive as people are making it out to be. @max_brown, plenty of animals can learn routines through repetition and reward, it's basic conditioning. My neighbor's dog can open the refrigerator door on command with enough practice, but nobody calls that impressive in the same way. These tests are usually done in controlled lab settings with months of training and a lot of failed attempts that just don't make the video. The real test is whether they can do it without the handler nearby or in a new location, which I've never seen proven. It feels like we get excited about any animal doing something clever without asking how much help they had to get there.

gray_morgan6h ago

My buddy who does HVAC told me about this one time he installed a furnace for this old couple and their cat kept jumping up on the thermostat and changing the temperature. He came back three times before he figured it out. They ended up putting a little guard over the thermostat. Anyway, I don't keep a count like you do but I have been doing low voltage stuff for about 12 years now and I remember every single call back. It's funny how the bad ones stick with you. I still think about this one house where the homeowner kept tripping the breaker by plugging in a space heater on the same circuit as the alarm.