Home alarm systems only work when they are engaged. If you are in the habit of not turning your alarm systems on, well, even the very best system is going to be of no use. To avoid compromising the safety and security of your home, follow a few steps to ensure you never forget to power on the alarm.
Leave a Reminder in Plain Sight
To make sure you have engaged the alarm, you should leave clear visual cues to yourself before walking out the door. You do not need to employ anything elaborate. Simply putting something around the interior knob of the front door might be all you have to do.
Placing a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the knob or even a hanging cat toy from it after you turned on the alarm might be more than enough to let you know you really did type in that all-important pass code.
Employ the Double Reminder Strategy
For those of us who have a tendency to be very forgetful, it might be best to set up a second reminder. Here is a three-step plan for the absent-minded to follow:
Once you are outside, turn around and make a visual acknowledgment of the item in the window. If nothing is in the window, go back inside the house and check to make sure you have turned on the alarm.
Remove Your Reminders
Needless to say, the first thing you should do when you get home is remove all the reminders. If they are not reset, you are going to get mixed up. You may wish to put a little basket in the living room and place your first and second-stage reminders in them.
Integrate the Alarm with a Home Automation System
What if you are in bed at night and are not sure whether you have turned on the alarm? You have two choices. Unless the alarm system is part of a home automation unit, then you just have to get out of bed and check.
You really should have the alarm connected to a home automation system. This way, when you are in bed at night, you just have to check the remote control to see if the alarm has been engaged. If not, just turn it on.
Without an automation remote staring at you from your bedside, you just might doze off and find yourself and your home very vulnerable while you sleep. Again, even the best home alarm system is worthless in such scenarios.
For more tips on using your alarm system effectively, contact a company like Atlas Alarm Corporation.
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