How To Test Your Monitored Alarm System

When you protect your home or business with an alarm system, you have two choices for monitoring: self-monitoring, in which only you are notified of triggers; or monitoring services provided by a reputable monitoring center. If you want 24/7 alarm monitoring that includes dispatching fire and rescue, then you'll definitely want to add on the services of a qualified monitoring center. But in addition to checking in with your monitoring center every month to make sure that their line of communication to you is in perfect working order, you will also want to test your alarm system on your own. Here's how and what you'll want to test: 

Test your armed entrances by turning on your system, but not actually arming it. Stay by your alarm system control panel while a family member or friend goes around your house and opens one door or window at a time. Confirm that each opened entrance is confirmed as opened by your alarm system by moving on to the next one. 

Test your motion detectors by keeping your system on, but not armed, and have your assistant walk directly in the path of a motion detector. Check each one in close proximity, as well as at the maximum coverage area. Once again, stay by the alarm system control panel to confirm that every motion detector is working. 

Test your communications system by calling your monitoring company directly from your alarm system control panel. Also, have your monitoring company put your account into test mode, and then test any panic buttons you have in your house, on your key ring, in your vehicle, etc. Make sure to call your monitoring company at the conclusion of testing so that your account will be taken out of testing mode! 

Test your alarm system security codes. Once you have confirmed that they are working, change them. Ideally, you will want to change your codes once per month. If during the testing procedures you notice that any component of your alarm system is not working, immediately contact your alarm system's manufacturer to request a technician.

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