On January 9th thru 15th, give or take a day, the metro Atlanta area was crippled by one of the biggest winter storms in a decade. Unlike the January 23, 2000 ice storm which left more than 300,000 homes and businesses without power for days, this past storm was a little kinder and gentler. The metro area experienced no widespread power outages which brings me to this question,...what happens to your alarm system when power does go out in a storm or any other situation? Answer,...your system simply depends on it's back up battery. Most systems contain a 12 volt battery in the main control unit (mcu) enclosure. A low amp current is constantly fed to the battery in order to maintain a good charge, so that in the event of a power outage your system should operate without failing. The length of battery only operating time depends on the system size, number of powered devices (motion detectors, glass break detectors, keypads, etc.) and battery amp size (4,6,7,or 8 amp etc.). The average life of the battery is 3-5 years, think car battery. When the battery can no longer sustain a charge is when you experience problems.
* My alarm always goes off (false alarm) during a storm
* My keypad beeps for no reason
* When the power goes out I can't silence my alarm
* My keypad is unresponsive after a power failure
Most of these issues can simply be resolved with a new battery. When was your battery last changed? If more than 3 years ago, don't get caught out in the cold. A low cost solution will give you peace of mind the next time your power flickers.