ADT is one of the most renowned home security solutions providers operating in the United States for over a century now. With security equipment coupled with advanced modern technology, ADT has revolutionized and massively improved home security. ADT security options include a number of equipment, including a variety of home security alarms.
Home security alarms alert users on plenty of things, which include external as well as internal threats to one’s property and safety. Moreover, these alarms can provide alerts through ADT’s smartphone app as well if you’re out of range of the alarm itself.
Let’s take a detailed look at how these alarm systems work, what type of alarms ADT offers, and how you can control these alarms efficiently.
Types of ADT Alarms
There are different types of ADT alarms to help you secure your property and loved ones. Let’s take a look at them here.
Fire/Smoke Alarm
One of the most common alarms or sensors people opt to have in their homes is the smoke or fire alarm. A fire alarm keeps track of your home’s temperature and instantly turns on the sprinklers if installed, in case there’s a sharp rise in your home’s temperature. Similarly, if the sensors detect excessive smoke in your home, they will alert you accordingly.
Water/Flood Alarm
If there’s a water leakage in your home that results in excessive accumulation of water, be it the bathroom, kitchen, or any other part of your home, the flood sensors will be activated and you’ll get an alert promptly.
Carbon Monoxide Sensors
Carbon monoxide sensors are perhaps the most important sensors and everyone needs to have these in their homes. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that is colorless and odorless. This means that a person can not tell if carbon monoxide is present in their homes. Exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to loss of consciousness and even death, all in a matter of minutes.
Carbon monoxide sensors detect if there’s carbon monoxide present in your home and can send you a timely alert which ends up saving you and your loved ones’ lives
Burglary Alarm
Burglary alarms, or motion sensors, can alert you if they detect any sort of motion inside or outside your house. These sensors are extremely sensitive and can detect even the slightest movements. You can disarm the motion sensors inside your house when you’re at home to avoid false triggers. Similarly, if you have a pet, make sure you keep your disarm motion sensors inside to avoid false alarms.
How do ADT Alarms Work?
ADT alarm panels have a simple working mechanism. When a sensor gets activated, it sends out a signal to the control panel. The panel then analyzes the signal and triggers the relevant alarm and sends out a notification.
Apart from this, when an alarm gets triggered, ADT’s control panel sends out a signal to the company’s central monitoring station for that area.
ADT offers professional monitoring in a lot of their home security packages, which means a professional is constantly monitoring your alarm and security cameras. If they notice an alarm being triggered or a motion is detected in any of the security cameras while the security system is armed, they’ll inform you as well as the relevant authorities to take necessary action immediately.
How to Reset ADT Alarm Panels?
A lot of times, you may be required to reset your ADT alarm panel in order to arm it again. This is usually after a long power outage, false triggers, or battery replacement of the control panel. There’s a simple process of resetting the alarm panel, but it has to be carried out very efficiently to avoid any hassles. Let’s take a detailed look at it here:
1. Find and Enter the Reset Code of Your Alarm Panel
Before you can do anything with your alarm panel, you need to find the reset code. The reset code initiates the process of resetting and is usually found on the keypad or the owner’s manual. Your installation service provider may also have left this code in one of the documents they provide you.
Entering this code will reboot the alarm system. Wait till it turns back on and then proceed to the next step.
2. Enter the Security Code
After the system reboots, it will require you to enter your security code. The security code is the code you and only authorized personnel know. Entering the wrong security code can lead to ADT’s control center being notified of an attempt to log into your alarm panel. The company will immediately call you, and if you don’t respond and explain the situation, they’ll consider it an attempt of a break-in, alerting the relevant authorities immediately.
If you’ve forgotten your security code, you can dial the ADT phone number and talk to their representative before proceeding.
3. Arm or Disarm the System
If you have your security code and have entered it, the alarm panel is now reset and will allow you to either arm it or disarm it, as per your requirement.
Factory Resetting the ADT Alarm Panel
In case you’ve forgotten your security code, or moving into a place that already has ADT’s alarm panel installed and you want to configure it according to your settings, you may need to factory reset the alarm panel. In order to do that, you can follow these simple steps:
1. Access and Remove the Alarm Panel’s Battery
In order to perform a factory reset, you need to access the battery of the alarm panel. Turn the alarm system off and remove the back plate of the panel to access the battery. You’ll see the alarm’s battery there. Remove the battery by detaching the wires from the terminals. Make sure the wires don’t get detached from the motherboard though.
In case the battery is attached to the panel’s keyboard and isn’t removable, you can’t perform the factory reset yourself and will need to call a technician to help you with the process.
2. Reattach the Battery
After removing the battery, wait for a couple of minutes before reattaching the wires and putting the battery in place again. Connect the wires to their respective terminals the way they were done before, or it may not power the alarm properly.
3. Turn the Alarm On
After attaching the battery, put the back plate back on and start the alarm panel. The system will now reboot and will be reset to its factory setting. You can now program it according to your preferred configurations.
Final Thoughts
ADT alarms are one of the most common ways people protect their homes these days. The alarm systems are professionally monitored for added protection and give you peace of mind regarding your property and your loved ones, even when you’re not home. If you’re planning to get ADT alarm systems installed at your house, you can check out these ADT security packages that include a variety of options. If you have any questions or concerns, you can address them with ADT customer service.
