A home security alarm system is shown to decrease the likelihood of a break in on your property. Burglars choose the path of least resistance and so security measures such as CCTV, security lights, burglar alarms etc all work in tandem to keep your property safe. Burglar alarms alert your neighbours and local police force that your home has been breached, reducing the risk of further damage. Whilst this is a good thing it can be frustrating when your security alarm is set off accidentally.
Reasons
Although it may be a nuisance when your security alarm gets falsely activated, it shows at least that it is in full working order. A well maintained burglar alarm is worth its weight in gold.
There are many reasons why a false alarm may occur on your property. For instance, a large proportion can be blamed on homeowners inputting the wrong code. Another aspect could be that it is a faulty alarm.
More bizarrely however is that a recent Which? survey revealed that 30% of false burglar alarms are triggered by insects inside the home! The same survey showed that 22% of alarms were turned on by mistake and 7% were triggered by indoor pets such as dogs, cats etc.
False Alarm Prevention
- When you initially install your security alarm think of a code that every member of your family can easily remember. This will reduce the amount of false alarms triggered by a family member not remembering the code. Obviously, don’t use easily guessed security codes like ‘1234’ or say for instance your house number/ post code.
- As stated above there’s a large proportion of insects setting off false alarms. They can trigger motion sensors and inadvertently set off your alarm system. Install fly traps/ tape and electric fly zappers. If you dust your sensors regularly it will deter spiders from crawling across it and creating webs. Prevent a build up of dust and dirt by cleaning your sensors and alarms regularly.
- If you have house pets such as cats, dogs, budgies etc then invest in a pet friendly motion sensor alarm. You can adjust the sensitivity of your alarm to allow house pets to prowl your home without setting off the alarm. PIR sensor alarms are great at determining whether an intruder is present or whether it’s just your pet. Pop birthday balloons so they don’t float around the house triggering your sensors!
- A well maintained and fully useable security alarm is a great weapon in your fight against crime prevention. Service your alarm system routinely, say once a year, to make sure it is in good working order. A healthily maintained burglar alarm reduces false alarms dramatically. Replace the batteries in your PIR sensors and units regularly, alarms will set themselves off if the batteries are about to die.
