Partnering With You To Be Smarter & Safer: Test Your Alarm System

Twenty-twenty has been a crazy year, but with less than a month to go before schools break up in Durban, one can still get excited for the summer holidays. If you are fortunate enough to be making plans for a festive getaway don’t forget to make sure your alarm is in tip-top shape before you leave. You wouldn’t drive your car for five years without taking it for a service. In the same way, you shouldn’t expect your home alarm system to function optimally without doing at least one annual test for signs of wear and tear.
“Criminals are aware that many of us often have additional, brand new, high-end goods such as televisions and gaming consoles that we may have purchased as gifts over the festive season. So, it’s important to ensure your home alarm system is working optimally by performing these tests,” says Clive Samuels, Blue Security’s Technical Director.
So, before you leave on holiday or kick back and relax at home this festive season, be sure to perform these seven simple alarm tests that have been tried and tested by our Technical experts.

Step 1: Perform a detection test.

“It is vital that before you start, you contact your security firm to advise them you are going to perform the alarm test. This way, an armed response vehicle is not unnecessarily sent to your home and diverted from a potential crime in progress elsewhere in your neighbourhood,” Samuels said.

• To begin, walk around your property and trigger every detection device such as passives and beams, and open all the doors and windows.
• Confirm that the device reflects on the respective zone number on your keypad.
• Make sure that sensors are not old or damaged – this includes cracked or dirty lenses in detectors.
• Ensure that detectors are top quality and have been correctly installed.
• Insects may also get into parts of the alarm system if cable entry-points have not been properly sealed.

Are sensors in good condition and detecting movement during your alarm test?

Step 2: Test panic buttons and check the batteries on remotes.

Again, ensure that you alert your security firm that you are performing these tests. Panic alarms are the highest priority signal that will result in a vehicle being dispatched unnecessarily if you forget to advise the company.

Step 3: Perform an alarm signal test.

• Contact the security company’s control centre to place your account on test for about 30 minutes.
• Arm the alarm system in the away mode.
• Wait for the exit delay to expire. Then walk through the property and trigger each zone by walking past every detection device and opening all doors and windows.
• Disarm the system and contact the control centre to confirm whether test signals from all zones have been received.

Also, test the 24-hour fixed and remote panic buttons. Dual monitoring is recommended so, check with the control centre whether signals were received via telephone, radio, GSM, or any combination. Then, notify the control centre once testing has been completed.

Step 4: Backup power test.

A strong battery allows optimal range around the property but load shedding may have worn it down. Give your security firm a call and perform a back-up power test to ensure that all technical issues are addressed. It is recommended that an alarm system should have eight to twelve hours’ standby power in case of a blackout.
To perform this test, switch off the transformer and verify how long the system stays alive. Additional backup power supplies are also available for longer standby time. Before replacing the battery contact a technician to ensure the charger on the control panel is working optimally.

Step 5: Update your codes and information.

It’s advisable to update the alarm’s user codes at least every six months and to update your challenge codes with the control centre from time to time.
Also, update all key-holder details and contact numbers. Accuracy of the information that is provided is imperative to contacting keyholders and responding to emergencies.

Step 6: Maintain good lighting.

Apart from testing your existing alarm system, it’s important to also maintain good lighting around the outside of your property.

• Replace any bulbs that are not working.
• Fix any light fittings that may be faulty.
• Trim any bushes around the house that could be used as hiding places and which could be obstacles in the range of outdoor beams.

Step 7: Check the age of your alarm system.

The SA Intruder Detection Services Association recommends alarm systems be replaced every five to seven years. So, check the age of your alarm system with your security firm. Thereafter, establish whether it is due for an upgrade. Even if you are not able to immediately replace the system,  you can budget for the upgrade in 2021.
How many of these alarm tests have you managed to perform and how did your alarm system fare?