Security System False Alarm Prevention

While security systems discourage intruders from breaking into your home or business. However, someone or something may trip your security system and cause a false alarm. Prevent false alarms with several false alarm reduction tips to protect yourself from erroneous security system alerts.

What causes false alarms?

• Unlocked or loose doors and open windows
• Kids, neighbors, relatives, visitors, repairmen, etc. entering your home or business without being aware of your security system
• Business cleaning crews, employees & temporary staff
• Wandering pets
• User error
• Equipment malfunction
• Items such as balloons, curtains, plants, or rotating holiday decorations moving in front of motion detectors

Educate Your Inner Circle

Anyone else who has a key to your house or business and is welcome to let themselves in should also immediately be notified when you change your alarm system password. Keep a list of everyone you allow to enter your home or business when you are not there. Contact them all as soon as you change your password or make any other changes to your security system. These include your spouse, children, childcare providers, neighbors, employees, and cleaners.

Re-Entering Your Home or Business After Departing

When you remember that you left something inside of your home or business as soon as you lock the door, STOP and wait for the system to arm itself. This is one of the most important false alarm tips, because it is so often ignored. Always remember to wait the allotted amount of time before you go back in your home or business to ensure that you can easily turn off the alarm, grab your possessions and turn on the alarm again before leaving your home or business without setting off the security system.

Hanging Objects

Memorizing where your motion detectors are in your home or business is one of the easiest false alarm reduction tips to follow. When you keep each location in mind, you are less likely to hang clothing, plants, electronic wires, and other miscellaneous items hanging in front of the detector. This ensures that the detector does not send a false alarm when the air conditioner or heater moves the object in front of the detector.

Open Doors and Windows

Close and lock all the doors and windows in your home or business before you turn on the alarm system. Sudden bursts of air coming in through doors and windows can cause the sensors to give off false alarms while you are absent from home or work. Utilize this often-ignored false alarm reduction tip to safeguard your home or business from varying weather conditions.

At Your Business

Watch for these pitfalls that may activate your security alarm at your business:

• Swinging doors or windows
• Banners or signs
• Mylar balloons
• Plants or curtains caught in drafts
• Stacked items, such as boxes, which may fall, setting off motion detectors
• Unsupervised guests
• Untrained, unaware, or uncaring employees
• Alarm equipment, such as motion sensors or overhead door magnets, being hit by forklifts

Use these false alarm reduction tips to safeguard your security system from sending erroneous signals that cause your local police force to divert their attention from serious crimes. In the event of a false alarm, apologize to the police for the instance, and re-educate the person responsible before allowing him to set the alarm. These tips will keep your system working properly and avoid neighborhood disturbances.

Remember, if your alarm goes off:

• Check to make sure there really isn’t an intruder or fire in your home.
• Don't panic! Remember your keypad code and password.
• If the alarm activation is accidental, using your keypad, carefully disarm your system by entering each number of your keypad code.
• If it takes more than 30 seconds to reset the system, a security monitoring representative will call you.