Surge Protection Helps Prevent False Alarms

SILVER SPRING, Md.—With lightning season coming soon to different regions of the United States, the False Alarm Prevention Committee of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) are reminding everyone that power and phone line surge protection is one way to help control false alarms during a power surge or lightning strike.

Surge protection has been used to protect sensitive electronics for many years. By installing a surge protection device at the electrical outlet where the transformer is plugged in, it allows the damaging transient to be bypassed to ground before it gets to the control panel. This reduces the potential for false alarms and/or damage to the control board. The same is true when installing surge protection on the phone line before it enters the panel.

Here are some tips to remember:

* Use surge protection that self-restores after dissipating the surge harmlessly to ground.

* Provide training for all installing employees on proper installation procedures regarding surge pro tection and grounding (NTS Level 1 and other NTS courses cover this topic).

* Properly ground panels.

* Add surge protection on both the AC and phone line.

* When multiple alarms are tripping during a known power storm, contact the customers and schedule to check the battery. Also, check the load that the panel and battery are required to carry when AC power fails.  Source: The False Alarm Network

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