Keeping your home safe during loadshedding this winter
With winter in full swing, residents are urged to be cognisant and prepared for power outages that may occur in the future.
Many people are under the incorrect assumption that their home 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 good condition, it will continue to protect the premises during a power outage.
It is essential that residents regularly test their alarm systems to ensure that it is in working order. The only time it may 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,” said Theunis Kotze, ADT General Manager Inland Region.
Kotze adds that there are a number of practical steps that can be taken to ensure security is not compromised during loadshedding.
Some of these include ensuring that the alarm system has an adequate battery supply, that all automated gates and doors are secured and lastly to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to your security provider or the Brakpan SAPS.
With the added inconvenience of the lights going out at night due to power cuts, candles and touch-lights are handy alternatives.
Kotze added that home and business-owners should consider installing Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology, which is integrated into the alarm system’s wiring and automatically switches on for a maximum of 15 minutes when there is power outage.
“If there is an additional battery pack, the small, non-intrusive LED lights can stay on for the duration of the power outage, or a maximum of 40 hours, without draining the primary alarm battery,” he concluded.
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