At four in the morning, you hear a beeping that pulls you from a deep slumber. Your bed is warm, and you’re comfortable. Annoyed, you crawl out of bed and stumble down the hall. Checking the alarm panel thoroughly, you find that nothing seems out of order. None of the lights indicate a problem, so you push the pound button to stop the beeping.
Sinking back into your pillow, you fall fast asleep, only to awake thirty minutes later to the sound of the same beeping. When your alarm finally goes off in the morning, you are exhausted, you need a thermos full of coffee, and you still have no idea what’s wrong with your alarm system.
Frustration or anger with your provider for installing faulty products may overtake you; however, there are many reasons why alarm system keypads beep. Some sounds are part of the standard operation such as button press chirps or built-in chime features. Your user manual will tell you how to adjust these.
The reason an alarm beeps intermittently, and annoyingly, is because it is intended to grab your attention and raise awareness. It requires you to come to the keypad and view the display. Lights and Text Readouts give you information about the problem, and you certainly want to make sure your alarm is working correctly so that it warns you in case of any trouble.
Take several simple steps to reset your alarm and ensure it is working properly, so it no longer interrupts sleep, dinner, or any other activities.
Look Out For Any Real Risks
First, look at other beeping devices like smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and other safety features of your home to ensure that the beeping is not coming from a legitimate source or threat. You’ve heard the story of the boy who cried wolf, and a constantly beeping alarm desensitizes you to the risks it presents.
Once you have determined that there is no present risk, you can rest assured there’s another way to fix it.
Changing Batteries Could Do The Magic
One of the most common causes of beeping security alarms is the need to replace batteries. Alarm systems, smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors have enough residual power to continue beeping even if the batteries are dead. Changing the batteries is an inexpensive way to troubleshoot the beeping.
The notifying mechanism built into these systems beeps to prompt you to change the batteries, so you and your family remain safe inside your home. They function at their full potential with fully functioning batteries, so go through your home and test all of the battery operated parts of your security network with a battery tester to ensure emergency notification systems are in working order.
Just Silence The Chirping Alarm
If battery is not the root cause of the problem, just try silencing your alarm next. Disarming & arming your system immediately by entering passcode could do the trick. If not pressing the status button on the keypad is another way to silence the alarm.
These options are available in some capacity on all manufacturer models. If none of these work, check your owner’s manual for further assistance. It should give you some guidance on how to silence your alarm. If you can’t find it, call your provider and ask them for help.
Check The Wiring For Any Issues
If the beeping persists, check for corroded wires. You can acquire a simple voltmeter from the hardware store to determine problems with wiring. If the voltmeter detects an issue, don’t attempt to fix it yourself. Call a certified electrician to replace the wiring, or contact your provider for a reference. These services may be included in your warranty if you have one.
Contact Your Provider
If you’ve tried everything and your alarm system is still beeping, bypass the sensor causing the beeping and let the rest of your system operate normally. Refer to your owner’s manual for specific instructions on how to bypass sensors.
Once you bypass the desired zone, let your provider handle the rest. They will ask what you tried, so you can knowledgeably say you attempted everything you knew how to do before you called.
Some providers will help you troubleshoot over the phone, so you don’t have to pay for a service call. If they can’t assess the problem over the phone, they will send someone out to determine the cause and then put a plan in place to fix it.
A constantly beeping home alarm system is a great source of frustration, but there are steps you can take to fix it. In most cases, you can fix it yourself, and you won't have to call for help. Consult your user manual for any questions you may have, and use your provider as a valued source of information when you need it.