As a rule of thumb, the main system standby battery should be replaced every 3 to 5 years.  As the battery ages it will deliver less of its rated capacity, which means shorter periods of backup during power failures.  

  If your system does not transmit a daily test to the Central Station you should be testing your system once a month into the Central Station to check actual operations and to confirm the telephone connection.  IMPORTANT! ... Any time you have a telephone serviceman to your premises, be sure to test your system into the Central Station before he leaves, to confirm that you are still connected.  ALSO!, if you are adding or deleting ANY telephone services you should talk to your alarm dealer to find out if there are possible compatibility problems with your alarm equipment and the service(s) in question.  As an example, there are reports of difficulties with DSL on the same line as the alarm system, and there are splitter/filter solutions available.

  Inexpensive Surge protection for the power and telephone connections can prevent damage to your alarm system components.
 

  The same parameters for general maintenance apply to systems that use hardwired alarm sensors.  In addition to general maintenance, ALL hardwired sensors should be periodically checked into the Control Keypad to verify their Zone operations and/or alarm signals to the Central Station (use the daylight savings change as your check interval for your alarm as well as any system or battery operated smoke detectors).

  IMPORTANT! ...  Sometimes severe lighting storms and/or power failure/surges can cause permanent damage to alarm controls and the hardwired sensors.  It is recommended that you check all sensors operations into the keypad zones and transmit at least one alarm to the Central Station after being subjected to severe lighting storms and/or power failure/surges.

  Check motion sensors during season changes for signs of insects setting up housekeeping, possibly make a light bug aerosol spraying in the vicinity of the motion sensor or setoff a bug bomb for household control.
 System smoke detectors may be sensitive to bug bombs, it is advisable NOT to place the bug bombs in the same room. Upon activation of a bug bomb standby outside with a phone, should an alarm occur you can call the Central Station to cancel the alarm.  System smoke detectors should be tested and cleaned along with the intrusion sensors to guard against failures and false alarms

 

  The same parameters for general maintenance apply to systems that use wireless alarm sensors.  In addition to general maintenance, ALL wireless sensors should be periodically checked into the Control Keypad to verify their Zone operations and/or alarm signals to the Central Station (use the daylight savings change as your check interval for your alarm as well as any system or battery operated smoke detectors).

  The batteries in your wireless sensors will need to be replaced periodically (some types last 5yrs or more) depending on the type of battery and the amount of traffic the sensor receives.  The newer supervised sensors can notify the system individually of a low battery condition.  When a sensor gives a low battery notice, its battery should be changed within that next week to prevent failures or false alarms.

  In the early wireless systems the sensors did not give low battery notice or last very long.  It is recommended that this non-supervised type get new batteries in all sensors once a year, and test each sensor into the system.

  These maintenance guidelines are beneficial preventatives against false alarms and sensor or system failures.  Whenever you have problems or concerns about your system, contact your service dealer right away, he's there to help you!