Causes and Solutions

How to Reset a DSC Alarm After the Power Has Been Off Step 1. Open the access door on the unit. Play/Pause SPACE Step 2. Press and hold the 'RESET' key for 2 seconds. Press the buttons '.72' if the alarm does not reset after pressing the RESET button. Check the sensors if it still. Sensor Reset Certain sensors (such as smoke detectors and glass break detectors) have to be reset after an alarm. To reset detectors, press and hold the RESET key ( ) for 2 seconds. If a sensor fails to reset, it may still be detecting an alarm condition. If the sensor reset is successful, the alarm is cancelled and the siren will stop. Turn the power back on after 10 seconds. Once the system has been reset, all of the default values will be restored. The master code will also be reset to 1234. This video shows how to add, change or delete alarm code or codes on a DSC home or business security system. You must know your four digit master code.

Changing DSC Alarm Master Code. You must have the current master code in order to perform this procedure. User Location 40 is for the Master Code on the DSC 1616 and cannot be deleted but it can be changed to a new code. Press.5 Current 4 Digit Code40New 4 Digit Code# The keypad will give you a short beep to confirm that it changed successfully. Congratulationsyou just changed the master code. Now you can proceed to testing the code.

If your DSC home alarm is beeping every 10 seconds or so, there could be many possible causes. In most cases, it’s because the alarm panel has detected one or more “trouble” conditions. These include things like low battery trouble, phone line failure, and communication problems, among many others.

Note: DSC keypads also emit 'normal' beeping caused by the 'Chime' function. You can easily toggle this on or off by pressing and holding the 'Chime' button on any keypad that has function keys. For keypads without a chime button, just press '*4'.

On this page, I’ll show you how to silence trouble beeping, and how to use a few easy keypad commands to find the source of the trouble. I’ll also explain how to fix some of the most common causes of alarm system beeping.

If you have a brand of alarm panel other than DSC, see 'My Alarm Keeps Beeping - What Can I Do?'.

While beeping alarm keypads can be very annoying, they’re designed that way for a reason. The alarm beep is intended to get your attention so you’ll go to the keypad, where you can then get a detailed visual indication of what the problem is. Unfortunately, these problems usually seem to crop up in the middle of the night!

How to Silence the Beeping Keypads

1) Go to any keypad and make sure the system is disarmed. If not, enter your disarm code as usual.
2) Press the “#” key. This will silence your DSC alarm system keypads.
With the noise eliminated, you can relax a bit and figure out what to do next.

Be aware that the keypads COULD begin beeping again.
The # key doesn’t DISABLE beeping keypads; it only stops beeps for the CURRENT trouble condition.
Keypads may begin beeping again if:
1. The ORIGINAL cause of the trouble condition momentarily clears itself, then returns, or
2. A DIFFERENT trouble condition occurs
In either case, pressing the # key again will acknowledge and silence the latest beeping event.

Reading Trouble Conditions

Trouble codes are displayed on DSC keypads using either LED’s (on basic LED keypads) or as text (on LCD keypads with alphanumeric displays).
Over the years, DSC has made many different alarm panels, and they don’t all share the same trouble code scheme. For this reason, I highly recommend you download a copy of the “User Manual” for your specific panel model.
You can find links to free DSC manuals on my alarm system manual sources page.

Displaying the Trouble Codes

Go to any keypad and press “*”, then “2”. The keypad will switch from its “idle” display to its “trouble code” display. The lit LED’s or text will now correspond to the trouble code table. The example below is for the Power 832/864 family of panels.

Dsc Alarm Keypad Codes

Notice that if a “1” is displayed (“Service Required”), pressing the “1” key again will cause the specific problem to be displayed.
Note: If you have a DSC model PC4020, there won’t be any numbers. This system uses LCD keypads with fixed displays, so instead of numbers, the trouble condition is spelled out in text form.
Make a note of the trouble condition(s). I’ve listed some of the most common problems below, along with ways to handle them.
After attempting to correct any of the problems below, the trouble display may not clear immediately. Arming, then disarming the system will reset most trouble displays.

If there are no trouble codes displayed when you press *2, your DSC system isn’t the problem.
The beeping is probably coming from another device. For example, you may have a hard wired smoke detector chirping due to a low battery.
In that case, see How to Stop a Beeping Smoke Alarm.

Top 6 Reasons Why Your DSC Home Alarm is Beeping

1. Battery Trouble

If your DSC home alarm is beeping due to this condition, the main panel battery is low or failing.

If you’ve recently had a power outage, wait 24-48 hours after power is restored. The battery may simply have discharged, and will recharge when the electricity comes back on. If the beeping persists, the battery probably needs to be replaced.
The battery can be replaced by your alarm company, if you have one. Or, if you’re fairly handy, you may be able to fix it yourself. Replacing an alarm battery isn’t very difficult, provided you can reach the main panel box.
For details on doing this yourself, see my page on DIY alarm system battery replacement.

2. AC Trouble

If your DSC home alarm is beeping for AC trouble, it means that the panel isn’t getting power from the low voltage transformer. This is a small cube that plugs into an outlet, usually near the main panel.
Possible problems and solutions:

• Transformer is unplugged (Plug it in)
• Transformer has a blown internal fuse (Replace transformer)
• Outlet has no power (Check for a tripped circuit breaker)
  

For transformer details, see the alarm system battery page.

3. TLM Trouble – Telephone Line Monitor

If your DSC home alarm is beeping due to this condition, then it isn’t able to see the telephone line. The line may have been cut or damaged, or the phone service may simply be down.
If your phones are out, check for dial tone by plugging a standard telephone into the jack in the phone box outside the house.
If it’s dead there, call your phone service provider.
If it’s good, something may have been disconnected between the alarm panel and the exterior phone box. In this case, you’ll probably need an alarm technician to come out and trace the line.

4. FTC Trouble – Fail to Communicate

When a DSC home alarm is beeping for this condition, it means that the panel was unable to call the central station. This could be a result of no phone line as described above, in which case fixing the line will clear this condition as well.
Otherwise, check with your alarm company for instructions. They can check your alarm’s reporting activity, and advise you on further steps to take.
Note: FTC troubles will clear only when the panel successfully sends a signal to the central station. Call your alarm representative for help with this.

5. Zone Tamper and Low Zone Battery Trouble

If your DSC home alarm is beeping for either of these conditions, there is a problem with some form of wireless security equipment. This can include wireless door and window transmitters, remote keypads, and wireless keyfobs.
Tamper means the plastic cover is loose, missing, or somehow not attached correctly. Check the affected zone; you may be able to easily re-attach a loose cover.
A Low Zone Battery is generated when a remote transmitter battery is low or failing. If you do your own battery changes, replace the batteries in the affected transmitters. Otherwise, contact your alarm company for service.

6. Loss of System Time

If your DSC home alarm is beeping for time loss, the internal clock will need to be reset. To do this, follow these steps:

• Press (*6) (Master Code) (1)
• Enter the time as HH MM in 24-hour format (00:00 to 23:59)
• Enter the date as MM DD YY

All entries must be 2-digits; for example, January is month 01.

These are the system trouble conditions I’ve seen most often. For help with other trouble conditions, check the manual for your specific panel model.

If your DSC home alarm is beeping even after you’ve tried everything, it may be time to consider replacing it.

This is especially true if you have an older system that's been discontinued.

Some points to consider:

• Most newer DSC keypads are backwards-compatible with older models of panel, so you can probably find a replacement for a worn-out keypad. Depending on the age and condition of the system, this could be a good option
  

Dsc Alarm Keypad Reset Code

• A new system can easily be had these days for as little as $99, or even free in some cases, provided you go with monitoring. This makes spending money on a very old system much less cost effective than it used to be

• If you own a smartphone or other web-enabled device, consider how handy it would be to use it to remotely arm and disarm your system. Many newer systems are designed to be smartphone-compatible from the ground up. If you happen to have (or plan to have) cameras, many systems allow remote live viewing and playback on smart devices

If you need to replace a hardwired DSC system, there is some good news...

You already have wiring in place, which is often the biggest expense for a hardwired system.

Dsc Alarm Change Access Code

And, you can probably re-use your existing hardwired devices like door and window contacts, motion detectors, and glassbreak detectors with the new system.

If you have an older system that's starting to have problems, you may be thinking about replacing it.

To find out how much a new system might cost, get some free price quotes from alarm dealers in your area. Just answer a few questions below, and you'll receive your quotes via email.

These quotes are absolutely free!

Related Articles:

DSC 832 Tips and Advice
DSC Power 832
The DSC Power 1832 - Doing the DSC 832 'One' Better!

Help with other brands:

Radionics Alarm Systems

Return to DSC Security Systems from DSC Home Alarm is Beeping
Return to Home Security Systems Answers from DSC Home Alarm is Beeping

I have a DSC alarm at my house (a PC1832) and I want to use Home Assistant to work with it. I purchased the IT-100 board and then decided I wanted to expand it a bit further to include more zones. The company who originally installed the alarm did not record the installer’s code when they installed it so I was up a creek as far as knowing the installer code.

Sorry man, there’s no notes in your file for the installer code.

I quickly realized I could use the IT-100 board and some time to systematically determine the installer code but the time spent on that would be spent only because I had some concerns regarding reprogramming it. I decided to reprogram it myself and here are my notes for anyone attempting to program or even reprogram their own DSC alarm. The process is incredibly straight forward with only a few caveats.

For clarity I have a PC1832 with four keypads and I have two additional PC5108 expanders to give me up to 24 zones. NOTE: if you are buying a new DSC I would suggest getting the PK5500 keypads instead of the PK5501 keypads. I have another system with PK5500 keypads and they are great. Get at least one of them to help with the programming.

Where’s the manual?

Let’s get going

Time to factory reset the system. To do this you have to short the zone 1 pin (not the z1 common pin) with the PGM1 pin. Thus, you have to ground Z1 to PGM and power the system up for 10 seconds and then power it off, remove the jumper and then power it back on. This works 100% just like the manual describes:

Okay, now it is reset and ready for programming. This is the first DSC alarm I have programmed so I am always open for commentary on the process.

Here is how I programmed it and the order I went through:

• Enroll the keypads
• Switch to normally-closed loops (non-resistive circuits)
• Program the zones
• Cancel the telephone system (as it is monitored via the Internet)
• Set the partitioning for expanded zones
• Check the devices
• Reset the master code
• Reset the installer code (victory)

Items of Note

• I programmed my system in a single partition (partition 1)
• My alarm is monitored via the Internet and not via the telephone system(s) built into the DSC

Enroll the Keypads

I have four keypads plus the IT-100 so my keypad bus is busy. At each keypad I enrolled each one (one by one)

Switch to normally-closed loops

My alarm is not UL based and is wired with normally closed loops. You have to tell the DSC this or it will think all of the zones are in an alarm state. The in the First Option Code group we need to make sure option 1 is on. Thus we’ll enter programming mode and enter 013 and hit 1 to enable option 1.

Program the Zones

This is probably the most complex step in the process. You need to map out all of your zones. Each zone will traditionally fit into either: Delay 1 (01), Delay 2 (02), Instant (03), Interior Stay/Away (05). Here was my table of zones and types:

Programming that as follows:

Cancel the Trouble from the Telephone System

My alarm panel was in trouble mode until I told the system I will not be using the telephone system (I am monitoring it via an online service). Therefore, I had to tell it not to consider the alarm in trouble mode if the telephone system was having issues in the Third System Option.

Partitioning the zones beyond eight

Partitioning was the one step in the process that was initially confusing for me. You have to partition the zones above eight be in the same partition as the other zones. I have 24 zones on my system provided by the 8 default zones on the PC1832 and the 16 additional zones from the two additional PC5108 expanders.

Zones 9-24 need to be told to be in partition 1.

This should show each zone being added into the partition as you enter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …

Check the devices

In the manual there is a programming feature called “View Module Supervision” this allows you to see what the DSC has connected to it using this chart:

In my case I wanted to see in the display 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 which would represent my keypads, my IT-100 board as well as represent my two expansion / expander boards.

Reset the Master Code

Resetting the master code is straight forward, for this example, I’ll reset it to 2233

Reset the Installer Code

Resetting the installer code is straight forward, for this example, I’ll reset it to 5566

Questions I had during the process

Q: Can I reset the installer code if I have access to the DSC board?
A: No, it requires a hard reset

Q: Do I need to add resistors, all of my wiring is closed loop?
A: You do not the DSC alarm can be programmed to work with normally closed loops as long as it is not a UL requirement

Q: How come zones 1 - 8 are working but zones 9 - 24 are not working?
A: That is because they are in the wrong partition and have to be moved into partition one. The DSC factory resets with zones 9-X in partition 0 so they do not appear in partition 1 automatically.

Q: The DSC alarm cannot see the zones (the zones will not chime) in my expander units - WTF?
A: Initially I thought I had the jumpers wrong on the system but it turns out they were in a zero partition and using codes 202, 203 and 204 fixed that (question above)

Hindsight

In hindsight it would have been less expensive to not purchase the IT-100 board and instead pick up the Eyez-On Envisalink EVL-4EZR. The IT-100 board was fun to mess with and was somewhat nostalgic. However, now I am decorating it with a Raspberry Pi.

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