Alarm or Security System - REPAIR, By Katarina Petrovic
A man's home is his castle and among his first priorities is for it to be a safe place for his family and his valuables (This applies to women, too). These days, it's often a good idea to have an alarm system. But what if your alarm or security system isn't working reliably? In that case, it's necessary to check it and have it repaired. For your system to be reliable, regular maintenance checks are a must.
The maintenance and repair process depends on the type of alarm system you have.
Types of alarm systems
There are two general categories of alarms: Hard wired systems, which are monitored alarm systems, connected through the phone line Wireless systems, which are unmonitored alarm systems
There are two main signs that your system isn't operating properly:
If your keypad is beeping it's warning you that there's something wrong with your phone line (hard wired systems) or that your batteries are dead (wireless systems)
The system sounds the alarm when it's not triggered (i.e. false alarms)
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Possible types of problems in:
1. Hard wired systems:
Compatibility issues - hard wired alarm systems that use the telephone line to contact the monitoring station can have compatibility problems with the "digital subscriber line" used for high speed internet service - and this incompatibility can prevent the security system from working properly
2. Wireless systems:
Electromagnetic interference - wireless alarm systems are vulnerable to electromagnetic interference (EMI) in some locations which can cause false alarms
False alarms occur in wireless alarm systems more often than in hard wired alarm systems, and the reason is often dead batteries
Dead batteries can also reduce the effectiveness of the system by not tripping the alarm when it should
What to do?
If you have a hard wired system and it's under warranty, contact the company with which you have a contract. They'll send their trained professionals to your home to fix the problem. If your warranty has expired, either contact the same company that installed the system or another reliable alarm company and have them send a repair person to your house. You will be obligated to pay for their fees, which include labor, parts and the trip to your house.
In many jurisdictions there are penalties for having too many false alarms. Besides, your neighbors won't be very pleased with you either.
If you have a wireless system the only thing you can do is to check the batteries. If that doesn't solve your problem then you'll have to contact a trained burglar and fire alarm repair person.
How to choose a professional repairer?
There are several ways to determining whether the company has professionally trained staff. You should ask:
if they passed the National Burglar&Fire Alarm Association training
if their employees are fully licensed, tested for drugs and had their background thoroughly checked
for references
Additionally a professional will:
upon arrival examine the installations to make sure that the connections are untouched and that the insulation is unbroken
test the keypad system, door and window contacts with a voltmeter or ohmmeter
diagnose, repair and perform preventive maintenance
Professional alarm repair contractors work regular business hours and often are on standby for emergency repair work at night and on weekends.
The most important things to remember are that if your security system isn't working properly your family isn't secure; and in many jurisdictions there are penalties for having too many false alarms. Besides, your neighbors won't be very pleased with you either.
