Maintenance Tips For Your Alarm System

Your home alarm system is expected to help improve the safety of your home and protect the occupants, assets, and property. However, you cannot tell whether they’re fully operational simply by looking at them. As with other mechanisms, there are a number of components that can degrade over time, compromising the operation of your alarm system.

Things like dirt, dust, and other contaminants, as well as remodelling, vandalism, and improper maintenance practices can also damage the alarm system. Fortunately, regular inspections, testing, and maintenance can keep your alarm system at top operating performance.

Testing your Alarm System

It is important to test your alarm system monthly, or at the very least, quarterly to ensure that it is in good working order. Make sure to include the windows, doors, and motion sensors in your test.

Before you test the system, call and inform your monitoring station of the test in order to put it in test mode. Otherwise, you may incur costly false alarm fines from your local law enforcement.

Maintaining your Alarm System

The alarm system and the batteries need maintenance, updating, and replacement at regular intervals. The two types of alarm systems – wired and wireless – use batteries that should be replaced periodically to ensure that the system does not fail, leaving your home unprotected. You should also consider regular maintenance to keep the system up to date and in great working order

Professional Maintenance

Your security equipment should be inspected and tested by a professional. Most professional vendors offer a maintenance package along with the service contract. Professional maintenance typically includes:

• An assessment of the batteries to ensure they are fully functional
• Checking to ensure that the signals transmitted are being received by your monitoring centre
• Performing controlled tests on panic buttons
• Repairing any malfunctioning or damaged parts of your alarm system
• Testing the sensors to identify any faulty ones and calibrating them as necessary

A trained professional should be capable of providing a detailed diagnosis of your alarm system rather than relying on self-testing alone.

Final Note

Besides the security benefits, keeping your alarm system in good condition eliminates the possibility for emergency repairs or costly false alarms that increase your expenses. Remember that burglar alarms only deter criminals from accessing your home if you use them every day and night. The more you familiarise yourself with your alarm system, the less likely you are to initiate a false alarm.