Even if you’ve got the best home security system around, you should nevertheless extend its useful life with proper maintenance on a regular basis. It is not only a mere suggestion. Maintenance is highly recommended in order to keep your home security system in tip-top shape and also to safeguard your home and your family for many years to come.
A number of people recommend that home security maintenance should be done annually by a highly trained professional, for obvious reasons. Security needs are of no small matter so they should be addressed and solved in the best way possible.
When you do decide to call a professional to come over to your home, they may do any or all of the following:
- Check to see that the batteries are working properly.
- Check that the signals over Wi-Fi are being properly transmitted to and received by the monitoring center.
- Check and perform tests on the panic buttons to see if they’re working correctly.
- Check the working condition of the sensors and ensure that they are secure and have not come loose.
- Check and repair any damaged or malfunctioned components of the system.
Apart from the professional checkups, you should also learn to recognize any glitches and failures in your home security system on your own through the following suggestions:
- If you have a home security system that is already old, have it checked on a quarterly basis.
- A smoke detector usually triggers an alarm even when it detects the faintest amount of smoke. But if you discover that the smoke alarm’s sensor is somewhat “jammed” and the alarm fails to go off even in the obvious presence of a smoke or even fire, call in a professional who specializes in smoke alarms. Do not try to check the smoke detector yourself. You may wind up adjusting the settings, and this might cause the failure of the detector to trigger the alarm in case of a thick smoke or fire.
- If you use the conventional home security system (wired), check for damaged or cut wires.
- The batteries should be regularly changed every three to five years, whether you use a traditional or wireless home security system.
- Clean the lens of your closed-circuit television (CCTV) or video surveillance camera. If your camera gathers dust and dirt over time and has not been regularly cleaned, it will result is a fuzzy picture. You do not need special cleaning materials for a CCTV lens. Just use a damp cloth to wipe off the dust and dirt (a dry cloth would probably scratch the lens). Keeping the lens clean will also ensure any unusual activity near it will be caught.
Oftentimes, people tend to forget or neglect to keep regular maintenance on their own home security systems. That’s why it’s important to make reminders on your calendar (or journal) for the maintenance and servicing of the security system installed in your home. Better yet, enlist the services of a security company who provides regular maintenance for your home security system equipment.
You may have the top rated home security system or have gotten it from the best home security system deals. Nevertheless, they all require proper and regular maintenance to ensure that they provide protection and safety to your home and family for many years to come.