Tips For Troubleshooting Your Home Alarm System In Baltimore
System malfunctions and false alarms can be exasperating, and even more concerning, may prevent your security system from working the way it should. Fortunately, most troubles, from dead batteries to false alarms, are simple to fix. Take a look at our suggestions for troubleshooting your home alarm system in Baltimore. We’ll help keep your household shielded and your system operating as it should.
Test Your Home Security System In Baltimore
One of the most effective ways to troubleshoot your property’s security is to test it! The latest systems have a test mode so you don’t by accident trigger an emergency call. Once in test mode, follow these steps:
- Arm your system as you typically would when leaving.
- Open a door or window protected by a contact sensor, or test other sensors. Close the window or door once you’re done so it doesn’t prompt the alarm as you turn the system back on.
- Permit the alarm to sound for 60 seconds to ensure communications with the security company and to make an entry in the alarm activity log.
- Continue testing sensors as you wish
- Review the system activity log to confirm functionality.
No need to worry, monitoring specialists can tell that your system is involved in a test. Just be sure to switch off test mode when complete. It’s a good idea to test every other month or anytime you make changes to your home’s phone or internet connectivity.
Check The Placement And State Of Motion Sensors
Although an integral part of your alarm system, motion sensors are prone to false alarms. You can help prevent them with a few straightforward troubleshooting steps.
- Perform a visual check. Is there anything that could shift within range of the sensor, like a window treatment taken by a breeze?
- Is the sensor dirty? Cobwebs, dirt, and grime can result in issues. Ensure the face is clean.
- Does the motion detector have pet immunity you can enable? Some models can be set to ignore pets weighing up to 100 pounds.
- When was the battery changed? Low batteries can affect performance or cause false alarms.
- Is a heat source affecting the sensor? Too much heat from sunlight or a fireplace can cause an alarm.
Keep Batteries On Hand And Look Out For Low Battery Notifications
One of the great advantages of modern home security systems is that they’ll notify you when batteries are running low. If your system has a mobile app or control panel, you’ll often find notifications there. Depending on your alarm, you could notice an intermittent beep when batteries are low.
Contact sensors, motion detectors, smoke detectors, and other wireless devices have batteries that need to be replaced every so often. It’s a good idea to keep batteries around and set a replacement schedule. Many systems also have a backup battery for the central control panel. This battery keeps your system operating if your power goes out and should charge back up once power is back online. If it doesn’t recharge, you will have to replace it.
Troubleshooting Is Easy With ADT Home Security In Baltimore
As the foremost name in home security, ADT designs systems that supply unsurpassed functionality and protection. Getting into test mode is simple through MyADT.com or the ADT+ app, and you’ll always get updates when a battery is low. Get in touch with Secure24 Alarm Systems, an authorized ADT dealer, to find out more and design a system perfectly suited to your Baltimore home. Place a call to (410) 934-3289 or fill out our form today!