alarm goes off in middle of night - advice!

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podgeandrodge

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3.30 this morning the alarm goes off. Mrs PodgeandRodge is away so I'm alone, startled and trying to decide whether to switch the alarm off immediately so as not to wake the neighbours or leave it on for awhile. The blaring noise forces me to switch it off. I'm informed that the reason is "Back door/Downstairs Window". Great. I have a "Do I or don't I" debate and figure I have to find out. So lights on and downstairs to check the windows and back door. All closed. Try to put alarm back on - it tells me something is open. Pull the back door inwards a millimetre just in case there is some slippage. Alarm works. Reluctantly go back to bed, though aware of every little noise now. I'm in the "It's just the wind" stage.

1) Should I have put the alarm off immediately or waited?

2) Should I have gone downstairs (on the basis that if I had met someone there was absolutely nothing I was going to do other than run back upstairs)

3) If it was a burglar trying the back door, that would explain why pulling the door inwards a couple of millimetres might have fixed the problem. But if it was the wind - well , the wind would not have "pulled" the door out, so pulling it in would not have helped.

4) Should I just cop on and forget about it. Until tonight...!
 
On the rare occasions it has happened to me, or even when Mrs fm says she hears a noise it's Lights On !! Clothes On!! Stomp Downstairs!! Turn off Alarm Open doors loudly!! Huff and Puff a lot !!

If there are any burglars still left in the house at that stage they're either deaf or stupid!!

efm
 
alarm

good point efm - going downstairs in the pj's makes you feel that bit more vunerable!
 
alarm

...start shouting made up male names ("JOHN GET UP - WE'VE BURGLARS. WAKE FRANK. TELL HIM TO BRING HIS BASEBALL BAT BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE TRY TO CONTROL HIM THIS TIME...")
 
Re: alarm

When did you last service your alarm ?

We should have a situation like in the UK, where if your alarm goes off repeatedly, the council will issue you with a written notice, and then fine you if you don't sort it out.
 
alarm

I didn't say it was going off repeatedly! This was a once off. Recently serviced. I'm not one of those who ignore regular false alerts and decline to do something about it. Even have the alarm set to turn the bell off after 5 minutes so as not to annoy the neighbours.

Your issue is probably for another thread!
 
alarmed

this happened to me last week, could've been the same nite and jumped up in a panic to knock the alarm off....got my mobile in my hand a proceeded down the stairs, heart pounding
knocked it off and went up and got my 15 yr old daughter and asked her to watch my back as i checked every window and door.....everything seemed alright so went back to bed...thinking my hollowfibre duvet would protect me until daylight...when i got up the following morning discovered the mop and bucket had been left outside the back door and reckoned it must have been this that set it off (don't tell me any different or i wont sleep tonight)
I hate windy nites
H
 
Alarm

Had the same problem with my front door for a while. Even resorted to locking myself in my bedroom one night - but scolded myself the following morning for that.

Anyway, turns out I needed to get one of the magnetic sensors moved and haven't had a problem since.

FYI - have read an interview with a burglar(reliable source I'm sure) in which he states that it's a pretty brave burglar who'll stay in the house once an alarm goes off.

In any case - yes I'm certain all those noises are the wind and the water pipes/radiators/fridge - all the usual house noises.

And Jules - yep, more than likely was the mop and bucket
 
Anyway, turns out I needed to get one of the magnetic sensors moved and haven't had a problem since.
Click to expand...
This is most likely the reason for the alarm going off p&r. Even if the alarm has been serviced recently, get the alarm company out to check the back door/window specifically for over sensitive/faulty sensors. False alarms are not only annoying for you and your neighbours, but can eventually lead to reluctance to set the alarm at all, which is not desirable.
 
what servicing does an alarm require ?
Click to expand...
Some commercial premises require, for insurance purposes, that a service agreement be in place with an alarm company. This contract is often fulfilled by someone from the alarm company fluting around the premises once a year looking at the sensors and setting off the bells, then invoicing you handsomely for the bother. The servicing I expect is actually triggering the alarm from each sensor individually, making sure none are too sensitive or indeed too difficult to trigger. The battery should be changed every few years, and if monitored, the monitoring sensor should be able to confirm seeing all the activations during testing.
 
The Cat.

Happened to me. Forgot to feed the cat. He was knocking on the window with his paw and meowing "feed me, feed me".
I wouldn't mind but it was next doors cat!
 
Re: The Cat.

He was knocking on the window with his paw and meowing "feed me, feed me".

Didn't I see your cat years ago on That's Life?
 
The alarm company can usually adjust the sensitivity of the sensors (!) so that there are fewer false alarms, e.g. due to wind against a back door or whatever....
 
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