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Electrical, power and network issues

Testing your equipment

We ask you to test our service by pressing your pendant and each piece of telecare equipment once a month and tell the operator that you're testing the equipment. This ensures all the equipment is in fully working order.

Please also tell them if you or your contacts or responders have changed details.

Network issues video

If, on rare occasions, the Herts Careline service is experiencing network issues, we sometimes find that powering your alarm unit OFF and ON again can help your equipment re-connect to the network. This should ONLY be tried if you have been specifically told to do this by a member of the Herts Careline team, or if this is mentioned on the telephone recording on our office telephone line 0300 999 2 999.

If you do follow these instructions, then it is essential that you make a Test call by pressing the alarm Help button within 24 hours. This ensures that your alarm unit is working correctly and ready to summon help. Failure to make a test call may mean that your alarm base unit and pendant / smart watch are not connected to Herts Careline’s control room.

The video instructions can be found on the Herts Careline YouTube channel.

Batteries – no need to change

Our community alarm and telecare devices regularly send a test to us to make sure all is working OK. We'll contact you if a battery is running low to replace it.

Each battery has a life of 3–5 years.

Please don't tamper with or change any battery yourself.

Pacemakers

Your Doro and Tynetec equipment won't affect your pacemaker. Your Chiptech Eva / SEVEN / GO equipment (white unit, white pendant or blue outdoor pendant) will affect your pacemaker. Please refer to the user guide which comes with your equipment.

Power cuts or if the alarm is unplugged

There's a 24 hour battery back-up in the community alarm base unit so if there's a power cut or you accidentally unplug the unit, you'll still be able to call for help.

If the unit has been unplugged, simply plug it back in.

Once the power is back on, make a test call via your pendant just to make sure all is working OK.

Our digital equipment does not require a telephone landline. However, if yours uses the analogue system and if you unplug the community alarm from the telephone landline, simply plug it back in and it should work again. Again, you should make a test call via your pendant just to make sure all is working OK.

Community alarm is saying "please check your mains power"

This is because the alarm is not receiving power from your power point.

Check that the alarm is plugged into the mains and the switch is on.

The alarm will continue to work using power from the back-up battery until the issue is resolved.

Make sure you make a test call via your pendant just to make sure all is working OK.

 

Your equipment

Doro and Chiptech equipment

Eliza equipment

Your pendant

  • Lost pendant – please contact us so we can give you a replacement pendnat. There may be a charge but we can advise you of this first. Contact Herts Careline to arrange.

  • Signal range – your community alarm pendant should work up to 100 metres, in line of sight. It might not work if you have a long garden, for example. It's worth testing before going too far on your own. The technician will also show you the range on the day of installation.

  • Waterproof – community alarm pendants are water resistant. However, we recommend you put your pendant within reach when you're in the bathroom, in case you fall or need help from the bath or shower.

Phone lines

Changing telephone provider

Changing your phone provider shouldn’t make a difference to your alarm unit. It especially should not make a different if your system uses the digital network (which the majority do) rather than the analogue network.

But do tell your new service provider’s engineer when they arrive at your property that you have a Careline alarm unit

Make a test call via your pendant before the service provider’s engineer leaves your property, just to make sure all is working OK

Please tell us if you change your phone number.

Going on holiday

Don't unplug your alarm unit if you go away.

Let us know when you're going away and we'll note this on your record. Press your pendant when you return home so we know  you're back.

Leaving the phone off the hook

If the phone is left off the hook, it will only affect your alarm unit if your alarm unit relies on your landline telephone. However, most alarm units do not use a telephone line anymore.

Numbers on your phone bill

Your system makes calls to the Herts Careline control centre on a local rate number which begins with 03. If you have a digital alarm unit you will not incur a charge.

If the alarm can't call this number, it will use an alternative number with the prefix 01462 (which is charged at your phone provider's local rate, but if you have a digital alarm unit you will not incur a charge).

Your alarm unit regularly sends a test to us to make sure all is working OK. If your equipment develops a fault, it will send us a message and this call will incur a charge.

Answerphones and multiple handsets at home

A separate answerphone shouldn’t affect your alarm unit, especially if your system uses the digital network rather than the analogue network (which most now do)

Community alarm is announcing "please check the telephone line"

Our community alarm units no longer need a telephone landline so shouldn't make this announcement. Of the few customers that remain on the analogue system, the announcement will mean that the base unit alarm can't detect a phone signal if connected to a landline telephone.

Please contact your phone provider and tell them you have a lifeline / community alarm as this means they should treat your issue as a high priority.

There is a Guidance on landline telephone repairs sheet in your Welcome Pack, received upon installation or we can email you or post you a copy.

 

Epilepsy bed sensor

Troubleshooting for Convulsion Monitor

This is a pressure sensitive mat that alerts to a seizure. The mat detects excessive movement of an individual whilst in bed. The light will flash Blue and Red on the control box to indicate the sensor has been triggered and will alert the linked pager.  If you are experiencing issues with the equipment, please try the below possible solutions.

Connections and Mat

  • Check the connections - check that the black air tube is connected to the mat at one end and the control box at the other end.
  • Check the mat is inflated - allow the mat to inflate on the floor for 20 mins. Put it back under the mattress making sure it is plugged in to keep the air in. Check there is no damage, for example holes or cuts, that would result in deflation therefore lowering the pressure and stopping the sensor from detecting movement.
  • Mat position - generally the mat is placed under the full length of a single mattress. For use with a double bed the mat should be positioned under the side most used by the individual.

 

Control box

  • Low battery - check the batteries in the control box are not flat. Try replacing them with 2 x AA Alkaline batteries. The Red light on the control box will be less bright when the battery needs changing.
  • Press the Yellow test button on the control box and ensure the pager activates. It will only test if the batteries are working.
  • Side switch - check that the switch on the control box has not accidentally been set to Off.

Pager

  • Check the pager battery indicator on the screen - the power level is indicated by a black bar on the screen of the pager.
  • Check the sensitivity dial is not turned down all the way therefore detecting no movement.
  • Try to imitate movement on the bed to initiate a full test this could be movement continuously for up to 15 seconds.
  • If the pager is sounding and it cannot be stopped, remember that button 1 on the pager needs to be pressed twice to stop the sound and clear the pager. Just pressing button 1 once snoozes it for 5 minutes, then it will re-trigger and sound again. It will then repeat this cycle every 5 minutes until the button is pressed twice to clear it. It must be pressed twice to stop and clear the sound.

If you need further help, call Herts Careline 0300 999 2 999.