Developing Long-Term Troubleshooting Skills

By Shawn Lee

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s this: good troubleshooting doesn’t come from rushing, and it definitely doesn’t come from guessing. It comes from experience, patience, and being willing to slow down and really think about what the system is telling you. If you stick with this trade long enough, troubleshooting will become one of your most valuable and respected skills. It helps to think of troubleshooting as a mindset, not a task to knock out or a work order to complete.

Start by Understanding the System, Not Grabbing Tools

I know the temptation. You open the panel door, see a trouble, and your hands are already reaching for the meter. We’ve all done it. But the techs who grow the most over the years are the ones who pause first. Ask yourself: What should this system be doing right now? Review the sequence of operation, look at the drawings (if you can locate them), and if possible, review the event history.

Meters, test sets, and diagnostics are there to confirm what your brain already suspects. They’re not there to replace thinking. Once you get comfortable with that approach, everything gets easier and faster in the long run.

You’ll Start Seeing the Same Problems in Different Disguises

Here’s a little secret from the field: fire alarm problems repeat themselves. Ground faults usually come from the same kinds of issues. Battery problems follow patterns. Intermittent troubles love humidity, vibration, and temperature changes. Be especially mindful of that when the seasons are changing.

The difference between a new tech and a seasoned one is pattern recognition. That only happens when you pay attention to past calls instead of treating every job like it’s the first time you’ve ever seen a trouble. Take mental notes. Write things down. When something clicks six months later and you say, “I’ve seen this before,” that’s progress.

Intermittent Faults Will Test Your Patience, Your Customer’s Patience, and Build Your Skill

Intermittent troubles are where troubleshooting muscles really get built. They’re also where shortcuts cause the most pain. Resetting the panel and hoping it goes away never works long-term, even if it buys peace for the moment. If you don’t take the time to troubleshoot the problem, it will come back.

When you chase intermittent faults, slow down. Look for patterns: time of day, weather, occupancy, recent work in the building. Document everything. These jobs aren’t about speed. They are about discipline. When you finally nail one of these, you’ll know your skills are leveling up.

Don’t Fall Into the “Replace It and See” Trap

Let’s talk about what one of my old supervisors called “swap-tronics” and why it typically doesn’t work. We’ve all seen it. Swap a module, replace a detector, or change a circuit board. We’re not sure what the problem is, but changing this part might help. Here’s the problem: that approach doesn’t teach you anything. You still won’t know or understand why the system behaved the way it did. Unless you get lucky, it may not actually fix the problem. This is especially true if the fault is an intermittent fault. Maybe as you were swapping out that module, detector, or circuit board, the intermittent fault decided to take a break. Now, hours after you swapped that part, and you’ve left, the fault is back.

Long-term troubleshooting skill means knowing why a part failed before you replace it and being able to explain that decision confidently. That confidence builds trust—with customers, inspectors, and your own team.

Use Documentation Like a Tool, Not a Chore

Documentation isn’t just paperwork to keep the office happy. It’s one of the best troubleshooting tools you have. Event logs, old inspection reports, and prior deficiency notes often point you straight to the problem if you know how to read them.

And when writing your own notes, do it like someone else is going to rely on them, because sometime in the future, they will. Clear, honest documentation protects you, helps the next tech, and reinforces good troubleshooting habits. In one of my contracts at a military base, the base had a logbook at each system where anyone who responded to a call or performed inspection and testing could document what they saw, what they did, and the outcome. I used those logbooks every time I did anything involving the base’s fire alarm systems. It definitely came in handy over the contract period.

Learn From the Calls That Didn’t Go Smoothly

Nobody builds skill without a few rough days. I’ve had calls where I missed something obvious, chased the wrong issue, or had a problem come back because I rushed. Those are the calls that stick with you, and honestly, they’re the ones that make you better.

When something doesn’t go right, take a few minutes afterward and ask yourself what you’d do differently next time. Make both mental and written notes for next time…because there will be a ”next time” you see that problem. That reflection is where growth really happens.

Don’t Go It Alone—Talk to Other Techs

Some of the best troubleshooting lessons I’ve learned didn’t come from books or codes. They came from conversations. Talking through problems with experienced techs helps you see things from a different angle. Over time, you start thinking the same way they do.

Even after decades in the field, I still believe collaboration makes everyone better. No one sees everything, and there’s no shame in learning from someone else’s experience.

Keep Getting Better, Even When the Systems Feel Familiar

The biggest enemy of good troubleshooting isn’t lack of knowledge—it’s complacency. Familiar systems can lull you into assuming everything works the way it always did. Buildings change. Occupancies change. Environmental conditions change. Sometimes, you may fail to look at HOW the system is configured, which can cause issues.

Many years ago, I failed to check how a circuit I was troubleshooting was configured. This circuit was connected to an initiating device expansion card, but I took a quick look at the main circuit board and saw how it was configured for Class B. So, all circuits must be configured the same, right? Wrong! My circuit was Class A. Since that’s a redundant circuit, the troubleshooting technique I used to find an open was never going to work. I spent nearly two hours chasing my tail before I figured out what I did wrong. Once I figured it out and fixed the problem, I never made that mistake again. My biggest mistake that day was being complacent…because I was very familiar with that panel brand, I assumed I had it all figured out before I even got started. I clearly didn’t.

The techs who build long-term troubleshooting skill stay curious, stay humble, and never assume a system “can’t do that” or “the system always does that.”

At the end of the day, strong troubleshooting skills earn trust. Trust that you can find the real problem. Trust that your repair will last. And trust that when things get complicated—which they will—you’re the technician people want on the job.

 

Shawn Lee is an experienced instructor and Project Manager for Fire Tech Productions 

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