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False alarms and system malfunctions can be aggravating, and even worse, may prevent your home’s security from working how it should. Fortunately, most problems, from false alarms to dead batteries, are easy to correct. Explore our tips for troubleshooting your home alarm system in Greenville. We’ll help you keep your household protected and your system running as it should.

Test Your Home Security System In Greenville

One great way to troubleshoot your home’s security is to test it! The latest systems let you put them in test mode to keep you from prompting an emergency response from monitoring agents. After moving to test mode, follow these steps:

• Turn on your system as you would when going out.
• Open a window or door protected by a contact sensor, or test other devices. Close the door or window once you’re finished so it doesn’t trigger the alarm as you leave test mode.
• Allow the alarm to go off for 60 seconds to ensure communications with the security company and to produce an entry in the alarm activity log.
• Continue testing devices as you wish
• Review the alarm’s activity log to verify that everything’s working.

Don’t worry, monitoring specialists can tell that your system is involved in a test. Be sure to switch off test mode when you’re done. It’s smart to test every other month or whenever you change your home’s phone or internet service.

Check The Positioning And Condition Of Motion Sensors

Although an essential part of your alarm system, motion detectors are well known for false alarms. Prevent them with a few straightforward troubleshooting steps.

• Do a visual inspection. Is there anything that could move within range of the sensor, like a curtain caught in a breeze?
• Is the sensor clean? Grime, dirt, and cobwebs can cause issues. Check to confirm the sensor is clean.
• Does the motion detector come with pet immunity you can enable? Some models can be configured to disregard pets weighing as much as 100 pounds.
• When was the battery changed? Low batteries may affect performance or lead to 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 Signals

One helpful benefit of new home security systems is that they’ll let you know when batteries are running low. If your system uses a control panel or smartphone app, you’ll usually see alerts there. Depending on your alarm, you may hear an intermittent beep when batteries are running out. 

Motion detectors, smoke detectors, contact sensors, and other wireless devices have batteries that should be replaced every 1 to 2 years. It’s best to keep batteries on hand and create a replacement schedule. Some systems also include a backup battery for the central control panel. This backup battery helps keep your system running if you lose power and should charge back up once the electricity is working again. If it doesn’t recharge, you will need to replace it.

Troubleshooting Is Simple With ADT Home Security In Greenville 

As the leading name in home security, ADT creates systems that provide superior functionality and convenience. Accessing test mode is easy through the ADT+ app or MyADT.com, and you’ll always receive notifications when a battery is running low. Contact Secure24 Alarm Systems, an authorized ADT dealer, to learn more and design a system perfect for your Greenville home and family. Dial (252) 221-5660 or complete our form today!