{"id":226173,"date":"2019-12-17T06:30:52","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T04:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/?p=226173"},"modified":"2019-12-17T09:13:31","modified_gmt":"2019-12-17T07:13:31","slug":"steps-take-protect-home-power-outage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2019\/12\/17\/steps-take-protect-home-power-outage\/","title":{"rendered":"Steps to take to protect your home during a power outage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Homeowners have been urged to test their security systems as a matter of urgency and to pay particular attention to the battery back-up systems.<\/p>\n

The message comes from an armed response company, as South Africa finds itself in the midst of widespread loadshedding.<\/p>

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\u201cMany people are under the incorrect assumption that their home alarm system is deactivated when the power supply is interrupted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, if you have a stable and correctly programmed system coupled with a battery that is in good condition, it will continue to protect the premises during a power outage \u2013 regardless if the outage is because of loadshedding or not,\u201d said Charnel Hattingh, national marketing and communications manager for Fidelity ADT.<\/p>

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The only time it may not function correctly is if there is a technical issue, or the battery power is low.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost modern alarm systems have a back-up battery pack that activates automatically when there is a power failure,\u201d said Hattingh.<\/p>\n

She added that there are a number of practical steps that can be taken to ensure security is not compromised during any power cuts.<\/p>\n

Some of these include ensuring that the alarm system has an adequate battery supply, that all automated gates and doors are secured and you remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to your security provider or the SAPS.<\/p>\n

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With the inconvenience of the lights going out at night due to power cuts, candles and touch-lights are handy alternatives.<\/p>\n

Hattingh said home and business owners should consider installing light emitting diode (LED) technology, which is integrated into the alarm system\u2019s wiring and automatically switches on for a maximum of 15 minutes when there is a power outage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is an additional battery pack, the small, non-intrusive LED lights can stay on for the duration of the power outage \u2013 or a maximum of 40 hours \u2013 without draining the primary alarm battery,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

The most important tips to remember about being prepared for a power cut, said Hattingh, are:<\/strong><\/p>\n