Maintenance guide
How to Test a Vivint System Without Dispatching Police
Test a Vivint system with the panel's System test: disarm, open Menu, tap Security, enter your PIN, and tap System test. In test mode you can trigger every sensor without sending an alarm, and the panel shows which devices are communicating. This guide gives the steps to start a test, the right way to trigger each of 7 device types, the 4 things to check every month, and what to check after installation.
Updated by thevivint.com, an independent Vivint Authorized Dealer.
Free Vivint quote for your address. Installation is currently free for new customers.
Put the System on Test
Start a test in 4 taps from a disarmed Smart Hub: Menu, Security, your 4-digit PIN, then System test; the panel beeps for the whole test, and sensors you trigger report to the panel without starting an alarm.
How to Trigger Each Device
Trigger each device this way during the test, per Vivint's support steps.
| Device | How to trigger it |
|---|---|
| Door, window, or tilt sensor | Open and close the door, window, or garage door |
| Motion sensor | Walk through its field of view |
| Glass break sensor | Remove the cover to send a tamper signal |
| Smoke detector | Press and hold the test button for 4 beeps |
| CO detector | Press and hold the test button for at least 5 seconds |
| Firefighter (smoke listener) | Remove the cover to send a tamper signal |
| Flood and freeze sensor | Remove the cover to send a tamper signal |
Will Police Come During a Test?
No, not in test mode: triggered sensors report to the panel without an alarm; outside test mode, an armed sensor starts a real alarm, and the monitoring centre will dispatch unless you answer with your verbal passcode.
A dispatched false alarm can cost a fine in many cities; the false alarm fee guide lists them.
What to Check Every Month
Run these 4 checks once a month.
Monthly checks:
- A System test of every door, window, and motion sensor.
- The smoke and CO test buttons.
- The panel's connection status, which should show Wi-Fi and cellular.
- The emergency contact list at account.vivint.com, so the right people are called first.
After Installation
On install day the technician tests every device with you; repeat a full System test after you move furniture, replace a door, or add a device, because a shifted magnet or blocked motion sensor is the most common reason a sensor stops reporting.
The installation page walks through install day, and the monitoring page explains how alarms are handled.
Frequently Asked Questions
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