When to Replace a Home Security Door Sensor Battery?

The Sensor is Blinking

• Security door sensors use a transmitter to send a signal to the control panel when it detects movement of the magnetic strip on the door. The transmitter will sometimes have a light on it indicating the state of its battery. Some sensors will change from green to red when the battery starts to weaken while others will stay the same color but will begin to blink when the power is getting low. If you have sensors that have indicating lights on them, change the battery as soon as those lights start showing activity.

The Panel Shows a Warning

• The security panel is programmed to detect the status of every sensor in the home so if a sensor starts losing power, the panel should start showing a warning indicating a sensor is malfunctioning and giving the location of the sensor so you can check it. Check the panel regularly to make sure everything is working properly and that there are no concerns. Investigate any warnings issued by the panel immediately and always have spare batteries on hand just in case you need them.

Multiple False Alarms

• As a transmitter starts to lose power, it will begin fading out and the control panel could register the loss of power as alarm tampering. As a result, your alarm could start going off sporadically as a sensor loses power. One of the first troubleshooting steps you should take is to check and replace the sensor batteries when the system starts behaving unusually. If one sensor is having power problems, the others may start to shortly as well so consider changing all the batteries at once.

Annual Maintanance

• Change the batteries in each sensor annually even if the sensor is working properly and the panel is registering no problems. This preventative maintenance will keep your system working properly and eliminate possible system glitches before they can occur. Keep track of when the batteries were last checked and then change them again on the anniversary. Change the batteries for all the sensors at once so you don't have to remember multiple dates.