The hottest topic at the moment, is the role out of load-shedding all throughout our beautiful country.
Phase 1, Phase 2, phase 3, is becoming the new lingo in which we communicate.
Besides the fact that we cannot go about our daily lives at 100% functionality without electricity – we thought we’d give you some information on how this affects your alarm system and security.
Every alarm system should have a 12V 7A lead acid back-up battery, installed in the control panel. When the power drops, this battery should maintain the load, and power up the alarm system for a certain period of time.
ESTIMATED POWER UP TIME?
- On a basic set-up (8 zone system with only 4-6 indoor devices on it), the estimation is that 1 Amp will be used from the battery every hour. Your 7 Amp battery should therefore last up to 7 hours
- On bigger systems, we estimate power up time to be between 3 and 5 hours
- NB! Outdoor devices draw up to three times more from the alarm than indoor devices. It is always suggested that an additional power supply be installed when going with outdoor sensors- in order to even out the power distribution. This additional power supply also has its own back-up battery, which will ensure your alarm is powered up for longer during a power outage
HOW THINGS WORK FROM THE TIME OF A POWER OUTAGE, TO THE RESTORAL:
- Depending on how long the alarm has been without power, your back-up battery will start sending ‘battery low’ signals. Thereafter, the battery will be drained, and your system will shut down
- Some alarm systems malfunction slightly when power goes down or comes back up:
a. A Panic signal can be sent when power comes back up
b. The alarm loses its date and time setting
c. When power comes back up, the alarm memory might need to be cleared
d. The Siren might not sound for alarm activations, due to the power distribution going to more important sources
- Your user manual will explain how to reset date and time, as well as how to clear the memory
Although the life span of a battery should be 4 to 7 years; the consistency of power outages due to load shedding will have an impact on the performance of your battery. Make sure you watch out for the trouble indicator on your alarm system, indicating that your battery is low; and get it replaced. Princeton is currently running a battery special in order to accommodate residents in keeping their alarms powered up during load-shedding!
You can contact: shelleys@princeton.co.za for more information.