How To!

How To Test Your Home Security System

It is essential to test your Home Security System regularly to ensure proper function. Ideally, your system should be tested each month.

There are usually two types of tests to perform:

  • Testing signals within your home
  • Testing the signal from your home to the Central Monitoring Station

Depending on the manufacturer of the system, the test procedures may vary slightly. It is recommended that you refer to the user manual to test according to your system type. If you can’t find a user manual of your system, the following procedures should apply to most home security systems.

Testing signals within your home

  1. Make sure you put your system in “READY” mode. Do not arm it!
  2. Open each protected door or window, one at a time.
  3. Check that the keypad displays the door or window you are testing is open.
  4. Close the respective door or window. The keypad should display the correct status.
  5. Repeat this procedure for each sensor in the system.

Testing the signal from your home to the Central Monitoring Station

  1. Call the Central Monitoring Station and ask that your system be placed in “TEST” mode.  Make sure you have your monitoring account number and password ready. You can find the contact phone number of our Central Monitoring Station here.
  2. Arm your system as usual, and set the alarm off by opening a door or window, or by tripping a motion detector. Allow the alarm to sound for at least one minute.
  3. Disarm the system using your code.
  4. Wait one minute, then call the Central Monitoring Station to verify that the signal was received.
  5. Advise the Central Monitoring Station that you have finished testing.

It is highly recommended that you test your system monthly.  This will alert you to any issues that need to be addressed, and avoid the possibility of equipment related false alarms.