Return of load shedding – make sure your alarm system and the battery is ready

The return of rotational load shedding means that homeowners, as well as business owners, need to make sure their alarm and security systems are tested regularly and in a working condition.

These tests need to focus in particular on the battery backup systems, to ensure that it will still offer monitoring and protection when the power goes out.

“Many people are under the incorrect assumption that their alarm system is deactivated when the power supply is interrupted. However, if you have a stable and correctly programmed system coupled with a battery that is in a good condition, it will continue to protect the premises during a power outage, regardless if the outage is because of load shedding or any other technical problem,” explains Charnel Hattingh, national marketing and communications manager at Fidelity ADT.

The increased occurrence of load shedding means also that there are more alarm activations signals received by armed response companies than usual.

“If the alarm is triggered because of a power surge or because of load shedding, please contact your security company as soon as possible to cancel any false alarms.

“This helps ensure that armed response officers are allocated to legitimate emergencies.

“We have introduced an automated call centre ‘agent’ to make it easier for customers to quickly cancel false alarms, which also frees up our call centre staff members to concentrate on legitimate incidents that they need to respond to,” says Hattingh.

The only time any alarm system might not function correctly is if there is a technical issue or the battery power is low.

“Most modern alarm systems have a back-up battery pack that activates automatically when there is a power failure. We recommend considering an additional battery backup pack, as load shedding puts additional strain on the battery,” she says.

She adds that there are a number of practical steps that can be taken to ensure security is not compromised during any power cuts.

Hattingh recommends:

1. Always remain vigilant, and report suspicious activity in your suburb to the SAPS
2. Ensure that all automated gates and doors are secured
3. With the added inconvenience of the lights going out at night due to power cuts, candles and touch-lights are handy alternatives
4. Test the battery backup system and consider an additional battery pack for standby. Tests of alarm systems should ideally be conducted every six months
5. Power cuts can impact on fire systems and fire control systems, so these also need to be checked regularly
6. The more frequent use of gas and candles can increase the risk of fire and home fire extinguishers should be on hand

“The best approach is to test your alarm system for your home and your business today and to make any fixes that are required as soon as you can,” says Hattingh.

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