​Troubleshooting Your Home Security System


Nothing can function perfectly all of the time. And this includes the home security system. Things can go wrong from time to time. But do you always need to call your security company to come and fix the issue? The good news is that there are many common home security system issues that you can fix yourself.

Understanding The Terminology
Before you begin the repair of your system, you should become familiar with its main components.
The control panel is essentially the 'brain' of your security system. This may be located near your front door.
The seismic sensor is what will detect vibration. This sensor is usually found on or around your windows.

The bell box can be found on the outside of a home. This is what emits the alarm sound. The dummy bell box has the same housing, but doesn't contain any alarm hardware.

The magnetic contact is a switch which remains open when no magnets are present, but closes when a magnet is in close proximity.

The remote keypad can be found in more than one area of your home, and there could be several of them. The remote keypad communicates with the main control panel of your system. Your panel may also have an on-board keypad as opposed to one or more keypads placed remotely.

A P.I.R., or passive infrared sensor is what monitors specific rooms for movement. This type of sensor is usually located near the ceiling, at a point where the most room space can be monitored.

How To Troubleshoot A Security System
Your control panel may be able to help you with identifying issues; consult your owner's manual to learn how to run a diagnostic of your security system.

If the diagnostic doesn't show anything but you are having issues in one particular area of your home, check that area for malfunctioning sensors or windows or doors that haven't been completely closed.

Important: Before doing any kind of work on your home security system, you must ensure that it has first been turned off. Otherwise, you could risk damage that could prove quite costly.

If you need to replace your sensors, you may be able to call the security to get them, or you may be able to purchase them from your local electronics retailer. Although there are many different types of sensors, most of them are located within a bracket. Simply unscrew the sensor and pull the wires out. Then reattach the new sensor to the wires, and screw the sensor back into its bracket.

Your system's power supplies could also be the issue. Any batteries in motion detectors or other areas of your system that are low could be enough to cause issues. Accessing the battery may be as simple as rotating the detector, or could require having to unscrew a part of the housing.

Alerting your security company like ADT home security that you will be making repairs before you begin is a good idea, as this will help you avoid costly false alarms.