Launched in late 2015, the first Sentricon AlwaysActive systems to be installed are due for their complete five-year review. Learn about what’s involved in a five-year review and why it’s important.
Launched in late 2015, Sentricon’s AlwaysActive system is no longer new to the market and has a track record of successfully protecting properties from termites in both pre- construction and post-construction installations.
As AlwaysActive is approaching it’s five year anniversary, the first installations are now reaching the time pest managers should carry out a full five-year review of the systems. As with all inspections, the five-year review should ensure the installation remains matched to any changing conditions at the site. Use every visit to ‘hunt’ for termites and add auxillary stations next to those that have been ‘hit’, adding additional stations in termite conducive areas, such as damp spots near air conditioners and next to wood piles.
Specifically, the five-year review should involve a full inspection to sign off on the integrity of the system and all of its components.

Shannon Kitchener from The Local Pest Co in Kingscliff NSW, recently completed his first ve-year system review of Sentricon AlwaysActive.
The system was installed in October 2015 around a beachfront property in Casuarina, in northern NSW. The home was built in 2010, and includes an architecturally designed timber-framed structure, concrete slab on its bottom level, floorboards on the second level and cladding. Extensive timber decking surrounds the entries and pool area, where the framing is in direct contact with the ground.

The Sentricon system runs along the dwelling and around the pool which sits under the top level decking. “The building was constructed with exposed slab and Termimesh” explained Mr Kitchener. “It’s a premium property and the owner wanted to ensure every aspect of the property was protected and maintained to the highest level, which is why they chose to install a Sentricon system.”
Close to retirement, the system’s original installer asked Mr Kitchener to take over the site management just over a year ago, with the owners happy to transfer the contract.
“The owner wants monitoring every three months, irrespective of the season,” Mr Kitchener explained.
“I am very careful not to disturb the station until I’ve determined whether there are termites present. Then I use the clean-out auger to keep the station clear of soil, as the sand leaches through the gaps in the stations.”
With no previous evidence of termites at the site despite it being a high pressure area, two stations adjacent to the front of the property were hit two years after the installation. The rods were subsequently replaced after they had been more than 50% consumed, and there has been no further activity in or around the property since.

The owner plans to list the property for sale in the near future, so after consultation, Mr Kitchener agreed to perform the five-year system review earlier than required. “The owner wanted to ensure everything was good for the sale, with the stations and rods looking correct in the ground.”

The review took a few hours to complete and involved assessing the integrity of every station and its components, as well as re-assessing if additional stations were required. “There were a couple of top caps in the full sun all the time, and the lugs on top were starting to degrade, so I replaced those. All in all, the system held together really well.”
“I used the Sentricon chart to assess the rods. They would have all been fine to leave in the system, but as the owner wanted everything looking perfect I replaced four that prospective buyers may have questioned.”
“That’s a pretty good outcome,” Mr Kitchener said. “In five years, only six new rods have been replaced, and to be fair, only two had to be. It’s a great system for a customer from a financial position. The initial outlay might be a little bit more and replacement of the rods as required, but I think for the longevity of it, it’s great. I’ve got full confidence in the Sentricon system. I will continue using it.”