Avoiding false alarms with your security system
August 18th 2010 05:04 pm
When your home security system connects you directly to a monitoring network, you can trust and rely on the fact that authorities will be there quickly in the case of an incident. However, they will also appear if you don’t prevent false alarms with your system, and these unexpected visits can end up costing you much more than your time. They will result in fines of hundreds of dollars as well, and can also tax community resources that may be needed somewhere else.ADT lists three main causes of false alarms: user error, faulty equipment or design, and acts of nature or vandalism. They don’t list the percentages for each one, but before you go blaming your equipment you should probably make sure you’ve followed all of the instructions first. Make sure your family is also educated in how to use the system, and any trusted friends or relatives that may be stopping by the house on a regular basis.ADT’s equipment has its own set of precautions. For example, don’t point motion detectors at vents or heat sources, and make sure your glass-break detectors are adjusted so nearby loud noises won’t set them off. To ensure that your equipment remains at its original level of quality, test it every month. If something seems iffy, don’t try to fix it yourselfgive ADT (or your security provider) a call and inform them of the problem.Communication with your provider is the one sure-fire way to make sure your equipment and information stay in working order. If you ever need to change your password, phone number, home layout, or other relevant data, let the good folks at ADT know about it. Of course, the best way to prevent false alarms is to know how to cancel one if it accidentally goes off, so be sure that your password is always known by anyone that will need to use it.