CAT CAT Alarm System Maintenance and Testing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the recommended supervision interval for a wireless alarm sensor to confirm it is still communicating with the panel?
- Every 60–240 minutes depending on manufacturer specification (Correct answer)
- Once per week
- Once per month
- Only at arming/disarming
Correct answer: Every 60–240 minutes depending on manufacturer specification
Most manufacturers set wireless supervision check-ins between 60 and 240 minutes to quickly detect a lost or tampered sensor.
Question 2: During a smoke detector maintenance visit, the technician uses canned aerosol smoke. What must be verified BEFORE testing?
- The monitoring center is placed on test to prevent a false dispatch (Correct answer)
- The customer is not home
- All windows are open for ventilation
- The detector brand matches the aerosol brand
Correct answer: The monitoring center is placed on test to prevent a false dispatch
Placing the account on test with the monitoring center prevents a false fire dispatch during detector maintenance.
Question 3: How is the end-of-line (EOL) resistor used in an alarm zone circuit for maintenance diagnostics?
- It allows the panel to distinguish between a normal state, open fault, and short fault (Correct answer)
- It boosts signal strength over long wire runs
- It prevents false alarms from power surges
- It terminates unused zone inputs
Correct answer: It allows the panel to distinguish between a normal state, open fault, and short fault
The EOL resistor creates three measurable resistance states the panel uses to differentiate alarm, open-circuit fault, and short-circuit fault.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'sensor tamper' supervision in an alarm system?
- A separate circuit that triggers an alert when a detector housing is opened or removed (Correct answer)
- Software flag set when a zone is bypassed more than twice
- A keypad lockout after repeated incorrect codes
- A daily self-test signal sent to the monitoring center
Correct answer: A separate circuit that triggers an alert when a detector housing is opened or removed
Tamper supervision uses a dedicated contact that opens when the sensor cover is removed, generating a tamper alert at the panel.
Question 5: After replacing a control panel backup battery, what maintenance record should the technician complete?
- Document the date, battery model, and next recommended replacement date in the service log (Correct answer)
- Only note the replacement if the battery failed during a power outage
- Record only if required by the customer's monitoring contract
- No documentation is needed for a routine battery swap
Correct answer: Document the date, battery model, and next recommended replacement date in the service log
Proper documentation creates an audit trail and helps schedule the next replacement before the battery reaches end of life.
Question 6: What is the purpose of the 'dialer test' or 'communication test' performed during alarm system maintenance?
- To confirm the system can successfully transmit a signal to the central monitoring station (Correct answer)
- To test all keypads for responsiveness
- To verify motion detector sensitivity levels
- To reset the event log in the control panel
Correct answer: To confirm the system can successfully transmit a signal to the central monitoring station
A dialer test verifies the end-to-end communication path from the panel to the central station is operational.
CAT CAT Alarm System Maintenance and Testing 2
What is the recommended supervision interval for a wireless alarm sensor to confirm it is still communicating with the panel?