People who have home alarm systems are encouraged to test them and ensure they are working properly, especially with the return of load shedding.
A stable and correctly programmed system, coupled with a battery that is in good condition, will continue to protect the premises during a power outage – regardless if the outage is because of load shedding or not, says Charnel Hattingh, national marketing and communications manager at Fidelity ADT.
The only time it might not function correctly during a blackout 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,” says Hattingh, adding there are a number of practical steps that can be taken to ensure security is not compromised during power cuts.
These include:
- Checking the system’s batteries regularly to ensure it has an adequate power supply.
- Making sure all automated gates and doors are secured.
- Testing and checking alarms during extended power outages to keep systems running.
- Regularly inspecting and testing fire-control systems as these can be affected by power outages.
- Having fire extinguishers on hand due to the more frequent use of gas and candles.
- Being vigilant and reporting suspicious activity to the police and/or private security providers.
Hattingh says 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 a 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,” she explains.