In an effort to help you make informed decisions when looking into a security system, we have started the following series:
Listen Back – You ask, we answer:
Our first question comes from Josh B in Evansville, IN.
Josh asks a two-part question:
If the power goes out, does it switch over to battery use? For how long?
Thanks for the question Josh.
We can’t speak for everyone, but at Sonitrol of Evansville, we put back up batteries in all of our alarm panels. When the power goes out, the equipment we use automatically provides power with in 10 seconds. Typically the power transfer occurs without notice and it happens very quickly.
How long the battery will last is based upon several different factors.
- Age of the battery – Rechargeable batteries are used in all the security systems we install. Battery capacity does diminish over time. As it is used and recharged, the capacity can be reduced. Best practice is that these batteries should be replaced every 5 years for maximum protection.
- Also a factor is how much your system is being used. If you arm or disarm the system, this will require power from the battery. If you have push notifications to see when a door opens, this requires battery. If your system is set to test during the time the power is out, this will require battery.
Basically you should have approximately 4-6 hours of battery power before the battery will need to be replaced.
While our operators may suspect the power to be out in your area, we will never assume that you know the power is out. It is our standard operating procedure to contact you on a power outage. That way you can take the steps necessary to get power restored as quickly as possible without any loss of coverage. If we are your security service provider, we will also let you know if your system communicates that the battery is low.
Josh, I hope this answers your questions.
If you have questions, post them to our Facebook page or email us at info@sonitrolev.com so we can get those answered for you!
