How To Fix Your Alarm System: A List Of Possible Problems

An alarm system is considered one of the viable security systems that promise homeowners peace of mind. However, if the alarm goes off in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, it can affect you and the neighbors. In some cases, people may end up ignoring it. However, some faults can occur in sensors, leading to false activation of your alarm. There are different things that you should know together with solutions that you can apply. Read on to learn how to fix your alarm system.

Keep the Sensors Clean

The alarm sensors are sensitive, and you need to keep them clean to provide reliable feedback. Some sensors use motion detection, while others use heat sources to detect intruders in the house. Therefore, you must ensure that you switch off the alarm system and clean the sensors regularly not to give false triggers caused by dirt or other debris. Make sure that the sensors are free from dust and other unwanted particles that can cause problems. Additionally, make sure that all the sensors have backup batteries to provide power in a power failure. However, the batteries have a limited lifespan, making sure that they have sufficient energy to keep your alarm system in good working condition.  

Loose Contacts 

Some alarm panels may have keys consisting of pushbuttons, but newer pads have membrane-type pads. The membranes are flexible, and the rubber presses against the PCB to complete the circuit. If the conductive rubber pads ultimately lose their conductivity, you will lose all access control since it may be difficult to operate the system. However, the good news is that this problem can be easily repaired. You need to diagnose the cause of the problem and get other control panel rubbers to ensure that your system is in good working condition.

The resistance of the microswitches found in the sensors can also increase over time, making the alarm contacts lose or faulty. The resistance of any closed circuit must be zero ohms, but this can become higher when the switch ages. The switch can also become sticky if the windows and doors are not opened frequently. This can prevent the alarm from activating if there is an intruder inside the house. If the magnet becomes weak, it fails to keep the contact closed. You can resolve such issues by checking the microswitches' resistance and setting the DMM to the ideal ohms range. Also, make sure that you measure the resistance between the screw terminals and remove the voltage from the terminals by disconnecting the alarm panel. 

Loose Connection Repairs

Loose connections cause problems with almost all electronic devices. It is essential to ensure that all screws are tight when installing sensors and the cores of the alarm cables. Bootlace ferrules must be used to maintain the wire strands together to ensure no unnecessary movement that can affect the sensors. The ferrules must also help prevent the delicate strands of ware from being damaged by the screws. Contact between adjacent terminals and loose strands of wire should be avoided since it can affect the functioning of the alarm system. Make sure that all the connections are dry and free from moisture. In most cases, damp environments will lead to corrosion of contacts. Therefore, check that all the wires and switches are located in cool and dry places.  

False Triggering Alarms

Most alarm systems use motion detection, and they can affect your peace of mind when they go off in the middle of the night. For instance, the movement of pets can trigger the alarm system that uses sensors to detect motion. These false triggers constitute one of the significant shortcomings of the alarm system since they can cause people to be reluctant when actual incidents occur. To fix this problem, you need to keep your pets away from the security system sensors. Build a shelter for your favorite friend away from areas where there are sensors, so the alarm will not receive signals from triggered detectors. 

An alarm system is designed to protect your property since it activates and alerts you if there is an intruder at your home. However, alarm systems can experience specific problems that can affect their normal functioning, like false activation. This can disturb your peaceful sleep. To fix some of these problems, you need to keep all the sensors clean and repair all loose contacts. It is vital to ensure that there are no loose connections and the alarm system since they can also affect its normal functioning.