Texecom Premier Elite 24 Alarm Panel, Metal Housing, 8 to 24 Zones, Grade 3 CAA-0004

Overview

The Premier Elite 24 is the smallest wired panel in this Texecom range, and this is its metal version. It suits a job that needs a higher grade without the capacity of a larger panel.

An installer who knows one panel in the series should find the others familiar, as programming is shared across the range.

How it works

An alarm panel is the control unit of a system. Detectors and contacts report to it, and it decides what counts as an alarm. Read how intruder alarms work for the wider picture.

• Zones: a zone is one monitored point, usually a detector or a contact. The 8 on board are wired.
• Areas: areas split a system into parts that can be armed separately, such as a shop and its stockroom.
• Digimodems: these are communication modules that plug onto the board rather than being wired in.

Where to use it

Grade 3 is generally aimed at medium to high risk premises. Check what the insurer and any monitoring company ask for on the site before specifying a system.

Class II in a standard generally means indoor use in a protected space, so plan on fitting the panel inside the building.

What the figures mean in practice

• 8 zones to start: count every detector and contact. Going past 8 needs an expander.
• 25 user codes: one code can be removed when someone leaves, with no need to change the rest.
• 500 events: a log this size helps when tracing a false alarm, because each entry carries a time and date.
• 16 wireless zones when expanded: this is the most for wireless on this model. Check the expander's own details before planning a wireless layout.

Installing it

Use Texecom's installation manual for size and wiring detail. As a rule, plan cable routes and keypad positions before fixing the housing, and check the manual for the battery it takes.

Planning your system

A working system also needs a keypad, detectors, a sounder and a battery. Check what arrives with any order.

• Keypads: the Premier Elite LCDLP, DBD-0168, is one option. See the wider Texecom keypads range.
• Extra zones: the Premier Elite 8XP, CCB-0001, is the Wired 8 Zone Expander.
• Signalling: Premier Elite ComIP connects these panels to a computer network. ComGSM provides SMS text messaging.
• Other systems: the range has integration compatibility with leading access control, CCTV and home automation providers.

Standards explained

EN 50131 is the European standard for intruder alarm systems, and PD 6662 is the UK scheme that applies it. The grade on the panel does not set the grade of the finished system, because that depends on every device fitted to it.