Product FAQs
This page is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions received at our dedicated telecare helpdesk. If you have a question to add please call 0844 855 1564 or email us.
General Questions
Q. Are Tunstall products safe to use with Pacemakers?
A. Tunstall products conform to the European Electromagnetic Compatibility directive (89/336/EEC) which are mandatory standards for social / community alarms or telecare equipment. Therefore as long as the Pacemaker conforms to equivalent standards they are safe for use. More information is available here
Q. Are Lifeline home units compatible with broadband?
A. Yes, Lifeline home units are compatible with the addition of a broadband filter. The filter can be supplied by Tunstall. More information is available here.
Q. Do Lifeline home units need a PAT certificate?
A. No, Lifelines operate in conjunction with a plug transformer and the cable to the unit is low voltage. Low voltage equipment does not require Portable Appliance Testing. More information is available here.
Q. When an antenna is fitted on my roof by Tunstall, can this be harmful?
A. Tunstall provides various antenna for transmitting or receiving radio signals. All conform to strict regulatory standards and not considered to be harmful to the public.
Q. Can another telephone or device be used in parallel with the BT socket when using a Lifeline?
A. The Lifeline unit must have line priority if they are perform emergency calls. They therefore must not be in parallel with any other device. Alternatively a Safe Sockets can be used on all other extension telephones but they should not be used on the extension the Lifeline is plugged into.
Lifeline 400 or Connect home units Questions
Q. How many radio triggers can be programmed into a Lifeline 400/Connect?
A. The Lifeline 400 unit can link up to 12 telecare sensors.
Q. How many emergency numbers can be programmed into a Lifeline 400/Connect?
A. The Lifeline 400 can store up to 10 different emergency numbers.
Q. Is it possible for the Lifeline 400/Connect to call a mobile telephone?
A. Yes, it is possible for a Lifeline 400 to call a mobile telephone however we recommend that in most cases, the first call is made to a 24 hour monitoring centre. This way, the call will always be picked up and managed.
Q. How long will the Lifeline 400/Connect last on battery power?
A. The Lifeline 400 will last approximately 30 hours with low usage (Low usage is equivalent to one 30 minute alarm call).
Q. Is it possible to switch off the incoming ring to a Lifeline 400/Connect unit?
A. Yes, there is a manual switch underneath the unit in order to switch off the incoming ring tone.
Lifeline Connect+ unit
Q. How many radio triggers can be programmed into a Lifeline Connect+?
A. The Lifeline Connect+ can link to 35 telecare radio triggers.
Q. How many emergency numbers can be programmed into a Lifeline Connect+?
A. The Lifeline Connect+ can hold up to10 different emergency telephone numbers.
Q. Is it possible for the Lifeline Connect+ to call a mobile telephone?
A. Yes, it is possible for a Lifeline Connect+ to call a mobile telephone however we recommend that in most cases, the first call is made to a 24 hour monitoring centre. This way, the call will always be picked up and managed.
Q. How long will the Lifeline Connect+ last on battery power?
A. The Lifeline Connect+ will last approximately 30 hours with low usage. (Low usage is equivalent to one 30 minute alarm call).
Q. Is it possible to connect a Beacon to the Lifeline Connect+?
A. Yes, it is possible to connect a Beacon to the Lifeline Connect+ using he hardwired output.
Telecare Sensors
Carbon Monoxide Detector
Q. When a CO detector is bleeping every 5 seconds, what does this
mean?
A. When a CO detector bleeps every 5 seconds, this indicates that the battery is low and needs replacing.
Fall Detector
Q. My Fall Detector does not put a call on work after I change the battery even though it beeps.
A. When changing the battery in a Fall Detector remove the old battery, press the alarm button for 10 seconds and then replace with a new battery.
Smoke Detector
Q. Can a smoke detector be installed with velcro and / or glue?
A. Tunstall cannot condone the use of velcro or glue to install its products due to the risk associated with this practice
Temperature Extremes Sensor
Q. Does the Temperature Extremes sensor have different values that it can raise a call on?
A. The Temperature Extremes Sensor monitors for excessively high or low temperatures as well as a rapid rise in temperature. There are four versions available, which provide a different high temperature alert setting - Low temperature alert can be either 2°C or 16°C, with the optional high temperature of 35° or 42°C.
Q. How long does the battery last in a Temperature Extremes Sensor?
A. The battery in a Temperature Extremes Sensor can last up to 18 months with low usage.
Sounder Beacon
Q. Can different coloured beacons on one Lifeline be used to indicate different incidents?
A. As there is only one output relay on a Lifeline Connect+, it can only drive the Beacon attached whatever colour it is. However the DDA pager could be used along with the MyLife X10+DDA to alert the user/carer to specific telecare events/alarms.
Q. Can a Beacon be used with a Lifeline 400/Connect?
A. No, there is no relay output on a Lifeline 400/Connect to drive a Beacon.
Q. What parts are required to fit a Sounder Beacon to my Lifeline 4000+, and is an engineer required?
A. A Lifeline unit, the Sounder Beacon and a 12v dc power supply (part number 8020/48) are required. The Beacon is available in red (part number 92100/18) or blue (part number 92100/20). Where the Sounder Beacon is used with scheme equipment a power supply is not required. The installation requires an electrical qualification with an understanding of Tunstall programming.
Property Exit Sensor
Q. When using the PDA programmer, is it necessary to set up the door open alarm as well as the property exit alarm when using the PDA programmer?
A. This is not required as the two options are independent of each other.
Q. Is it possible to use the X10 feature with Property Exit Sensors?
A. In principle yes, however the X10 will operate every time the door opens and will stay on for the duration of the programmed time delay, for this reason it is not generally recommended.
Q. Is it possible to have a Property Exit Sensor on the front and back door?
A. A Property Exit Sensor can be used on the front and back door however it will not be possible to identify which Property Exit Sensor has been triggered.
Pager Units
Q. What is the difference between a Home Alert Pager and a User Alert Pager?
A. The Home Alert Pager is used with Lifeline Connect+ and the User Alert Pager is used on schemes.
Q. Is it possible to identify the type of alarm call triggered if using a Home Alert Pager?
A. No, the Home Alert is meant to warn a carer of a general alarm state only. No identification of sensor type or location is given
Bed / Chair Occupancy Sensor and X10
Q. How many lamps can be linked to an X-10?
A. The number of lamps is limited to the number of lamps / wall sockets that you want to control. This is dependent on the number of secondary X-10 units that are being controlled by the primary X-10 unit which is wired into the TIM unit.
Q. What is the cable length between the X10 primary unit and the TIM unit?
A. The cable length is 2m.
Q. What is the cable length of the bed and chair pads?
A. The cable length of the bed pad is 2m and the cable length of the chair pad is 0.6m
Gas Shut Off Solution
Q. Is a Gas Safe registered engineer required to fit the Gas Shut Off Solution?
A. Yes, the existing valve does need a Gas Safe registered engineer as the installation requires cutting the pipe and fitting the valve.
Personal Triggers (Pendants)
Q. How many triggers can I have on a Lifeline Lite?
A.The Lifeline Lite can be assigned up to 2 Personal Triggers.
Q. What is a blue button Amie trigger used for?
A. The blue trigger button is used to arm and disarm an intruder system when used with a Lifeline unit. This option is popular with many service users as it avoids the need for PIN numbers associated with traditional intruder systems.
Q. What is a green button Gem trigger used for?
A. The green trigger button is used as a ‘Carer' trigger that can be used in Keyless Access systems or as a cancel at source button for Nursecall overlay systems.
Q. What does the flashing light mean on the personal trigger the button is pressed?
A. When the light on the personal trigger flashes, this means the internal battery is low and the trigger needs replacing. When a personal trigger is very cold, this may also cause the light to flash. Please re-test in a warm environment to check if this is the case.
Q. When a code 8 auto low battery is received from a Personal Trigger, how can this be tested?
A. Activate the trigger to make another call. If the call arrives as a code 5 or code 6 low battery, then the trigger must be replaced.
Radio Pull Cord
Q. Can the Radio Pull Cord be used in the bathroom?
A. The existing device is not waterproof and therefore should not be located in an area that is likely to be wet, damp or humid.
Enuresis Sensor
Q. Where should the Enuresis Sensor mat be placed in the bed?
A. The Enuresis Sensor should be placed close to where it is most likely to detect moisture and placed under the sheet. Alternatively it can be placed under a sheet and covered with a blanket if preferred.
Q. What is the best way to test the Enuresis Mat once programmed?
A. The best way of testing the Enuresis Mat is to place a metal object (e.g. key) across the exposed terminals (studs) on the mat where the wires are attached. This will then generate an alarm call and the details received by the monitoring centre can be checked.
Standards
Q. What is meant by a Class 1 receiver?
A. A Class 1 receiver conforms to the requirements of the RTTE directives and approved for use as a social alarm at 869Mhz. It has the quality to ensure that each time an alert is raised, it will reach its target (Lifeline unit) within a range of 25m to 45m.
Battery
Q. What does it mean when a code 8 Auto Low Battery call from a resident is received?
A. Code 8 calls are non-alarm advisory information calls and hence have no speech capability associated with them. The Auto Low Battery indicates that this particular radio trigger needs a battery test.