Short answer
A lit Service light on a NetworX keypad means the panel has found a trouble. Press * 2. One or more of the zone lights 1 to 8 come on, and each number stands for a type of problem: 1 system fault, 2 zone tamper, 3 wireless low battery, 4 wireless supervision loss, 5 zone trouble, 6 telephone fault, 7 failure to communicate, 8 loss of system time. Press the number of a lit light to see which zones or faults it refers to, and # to go back.
This applies to the Caddx NetworX panels later sold under the GE Security and Interlogix names: the NX-4, NX-6/NX-6V2, NX-8/NX-8V2 and NX-8E, with LED keypads such as the NX-108E, NX-116E and NX-124E. LCD keypads like the NX-148E show the same troubles in text. The menu below is taken from the official NX-8E user manual; the other NX panels work the same way.
Reading the service menu
- Make sure the system is disarmed.
- Press * 2. The keypad shows the service condition using zone lights 1 to 8.
- For lights 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, press that number to see the detail (which zones, or which system fault).
- Press # to return to the list of eight service lights.
| Light | Meaning | Press the number to see |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | System fault | 1 over-current, 2 siren trouble, 3 box tamper, 4 expander power, 5 expander low battery, 6 expander box tamper, 7 expander trouble, 8 ground fault |
| 2 | Zone tamper | The tampered zones |
| 3 | Zone low battery (wireless) | The wireless zones with a low battery |
| 4 | Zone loss of supervision (wireless) | The wireless zones that have stopped checking in |
| 5 | Zone trouble | The zones in trouble |
| 6 | Telephone fault | 6 phone line trouble or line cut; 7 auxiliary communicator (radio backup) failed |
| 7 | Failure to communicate | The panel could not reach the central station |
| 8 | Loss of system time | The clock needs setting after a power loss |
Fixing the common ones
Light 8: loss of system time
The most common service light after a power cut. Set the clock: press * 9 7, enter the master code, then the hour in 24-hour time (two digits) and the minutes (two digits). For example, 5:30 PM is 1 7 3 0. To set the date, press * 9 6, the master code, then the day of the week (1 = Sunday to 7 = Saturday), two-digit month, two-digit day and two-digit year.
Light 3: wireless low battery
Press 3 to see which zone, then replace that sensor's battery. NetworX wireless receivers such as the NX-548E use the ITI/GE/Interlogix 319.5 MHz sensor family (part numbers starting 60-); check the battery type printed inside the sensor. See wireless sensor low battery.
Light 4: loss of supervision
A wireless sensor has stopped checking in: a dead battery, a sensor that has fallen off, or one at the edge of the receiver's range. Replace the battery first. The installation manual's advice for "lost" zones that keep coming back is to delete the zone and learn it in again, then check the signal strength the receiver recorded. A reading under 6 means the sensor or receiver should be moved.
Light 6 or 7: phone line or communication
Many NetworX panels were installed to report over a landline. If the phone line was cancelled or switched to VoIP, the panel can no longer reach the monitoring company. The fix is a cellular or IP communicator (such as the NX-592E GSM or NX-595E IP modules) or monitoring that does not rely on the phone line. If you no longer have monitoring at all, the installer can turn off reporting so the trouble stops.
Light 1 with fault 1: over-current
Too much is powered from the panel, or something is shorted. The NX-8E manual says the total should stay under 1 A with a 40 or 50 VA transformer. To find a short, disconnect everything except one keypad and reconnect devices one at a time. A failing backup battery can also cause it: remove the battery, and if the fault clears, replace it.
Fire light flashing
A flashing Fire light is a fire-circuit trouble, not an alarm. Press * 7, which resets smoke detectors and clears most trouble conditions. If it comes straight back, check the smoke loop wiring and detectors.
Silencing the beeping
Entering a valid user code silences a pulsing keypad without changing whether the system is armed. The Service light stays on until the cause is fixed. The installer can also turn off the Service LED on an LED keypad, but that hides problems rather than fixing them.