What are the five most common faults with burglar alarms?

There’s no doubt that equipping your property with a burglar alarm system will bring a number of benefits, including deterring intruders, protecting your family and possessions and giving you peace of mind when you’re away. However, those benefits will only last if your alarm system continues to function properly. And for this to be the case, it will need to be serviced regularly. The last thing that you’ll want is to find that when it was needed, it failed due to a lack of care and attention.

In our experience, there are five main faults that tend to occur with burglar alarms, and our servicing schedule will routinely check for these and ensure that they are not present in your alarm. In essence, burglar alarms can be worth their weight in gold, but they can also be a neighbourhood nuisance, especially if they repeatedly trigger false alarms or beep all night, and the problem is usually caused by one of the following issues:

A battery failure

Every burglar alarm has a battery, whether it’s the sole source of power or used as a back-up, and in general batteries will have a lifespan of two to five years. Batteries are therefore a vital component of any burglar alarm system and the most common fault here is that the battery simply runs out. A low battery can cause the system to fail completely, so it’s important not to ignore a beeping keypad or a flashing light or warning code on the display. It may be that the battery simply needs fully charging, but if the issue persists it will need replacing.

A faulty sensor

All burglar alarms function through sensors. These are designed to detect vibrations/movement measuring heat changes/door position using a magnetic door contact. Sensors can develop faults and either not detect when they are supposed to or if faulty they can also cause false alarms as they detect intrusions even when there are none. Correct installation and regular maintenance can prevent issues with your sensors.

Loose cables and connections

Almost any electrical device can be prone to loose connections, and their existence is frequently due to poor installation. A loose connection can cause a number of problems, including complete malfunction, an inability to charge correctly – which can in turn render the system useless during a power cut – and a lack of intrusion detection. Connections can commonly be affected by extremes of weather resulting in excessive heat or moisture.

A faulty control panel or keypad

The control panel is the system’s engine room, in that it controls and connects everything together. On modern systems, the control panel will carry out a number of functions such as managing zone types and capacity, arming and disarming the alarm, and logging events and activation records. If the control panel isn’t functioning properly it can show tamper and zone faults, which might make it difficult to set the alarm, or it might freeze and become unresponsive.

The bell doesn’t ring

The loud ringing that an alarm makes when it detects an intrusion is known as the ‘bell’. If this is faulty, it may fall silent when activated and therefore fail to attract attention. This could be caused by a low battery, in which case we would repair or replace it during the service.

Here at ATL Alarms, we carry out annual servicing on all our burglar alarm installations, and we also offer servicing for clients who have a pre-installed alarm. As owner Stuart Drummond confirms, having a regular service is a great way to ensure that your alarm will work correctly when you most need it. ‘We pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive burglar alarm installation service, and we also offer an annual servicing contract to make sure that everything with the system functions as it should,’ comments Stuart. ‘There are a few golden rules that will help to maintain your alarm system in great condition, such as keeping it clean, avoiding placing sensors where obstructions such as moving fans and curtains can affect performance, and ensuring that rooms are not subject to excessive heat and moisture. If you have a cat or dog, we can also install pet immune sensors where needed. At the end of the day, though, there’s no substitute for a professional annual service, and that’s something we’re delighted to provide for new and existing clients.’

ATL Alarms offer burglar alarm installation and servicing in Cambridge, Newmarket and surrounding areas, so why not call us on 01353 722882 or complete our enquiry form to request a no-obligation quotation?