The Importance of Maintenance For Your Commercial Fire Alarm Systems
It's not enough to install the latest commercial fire and emergency monitoring equipment. You must also commit to a regular routine of maintenance for the new systems. Whether you hire a security system company to handle the maintenance or make it part of your internal facility upkeep program, the results are the same. Daily, weekly, and seasonal maintenance for fire and security systems is the key to knowing your warehouse or retail space is safe at all hours of the day and night.
Checking Every Part of the System
Commercial fire alarms protect your employees and the facility itself. If you are storing materials that could start fires or at least accelerate them, fire monitoring is essential to trigger the deployment of automated spray, powder, or sprinkler systems. Only testing the alarms and checking the sensors on a routine schedule will catch issues that could lead to a lack of detection. Many components of commercial fire alarm systems still rely on some kind of battery, so a large part of maintenance is checking the charge and replacing the batteries when they're at 50% power or below. Cleaning smoke detectors and replacing worn thermal detectors is also an essential part of keeping the system working as designed.
Identifying Changes to the Environment
Maintaining and testing the fire alarm system also helps you identify when the design needs adjustment due to changes in your commercial facility. For example, changes in how items are stored can necessitate the placement of new sensors and alarms. If you stop using a certain part of the facility, you may want to change the type of sensors used to detect fire in unused areas. Keeping the system updated according to environmental changes is all a part of long-term maintenance.
Catching Issues with Sensors or Alarms
Sensors and alarms used in conjunction with commercial fire alarm systems tend to last around 3 to 5 years before needing repair or replacement. However, that assumes an average environment. Dusty, hot, and other challenging environments may need sensor replacements even more often than that. Working with a security system company to design a custom installation can reduce maintenance costs over time, but at some point, every alarm and sensor will need replacement.
Knowing When to Upgrade
You may need to move up to a more advanced security and fire alarm monitoring system as your commercial facility grows. Knowing when to upgrade will prevent unnecessary risk to your business. Once you're managing more than a dozen different security or fire zones, it's time to invest in a high-end system that combines tracking for all of your security concerns.
Similar maintenance is needed for your commercial video surveillance system. Don't wait until a fire or break-in occurs to discover something is wrong with your security system. Protect your facility with reliable alarms, sensors, and cameras that alert you in case of a wide range of emergencies. Treat maintenance of these systems as essential to get the most out of them.