home security surveillance systems - battery backup ?

[Stephen Tashiro]

Do most home security surveillance systems have devices with their own battery backup against power outages? Or must battery backup be provided by a "whole house" type of backup system?

[Rich Riddle]

Our security surveillance system does not have a battery backup; that said, we don't often lose power.

[Wade Lippman]

Any professionally installed system should have a battery backup. Note the word "should"...

They only last a few years and have to be replaced, much like the batteries in a UPS.

[Jim Becker]

Our security system does have a battery backup inside the main panel. In fact, I had to replace it recently as the original was no longer charging properly and was causing system errors resulting in calls from the monitoring folks. (It was 6 years old)

That said, I also recently installed a whole house generator system with an automatic transfer switch at the meter. So the battery backups on things in the house are only going to see momentary service if the power company's product stops flowing until the backup generator kicks in after about 10-15 seconds.

[John K Jordan]

Do most home security surveillance systems have devices with their own battery backup against power outages? Or must battery backup be provided by a "whole house" type of backup system?

I don't know for sure about "most" but the one I installed did have a battery. I had to replace the (gel cell) battery after about 5 years.

In and around my shop I use a multi-camera video system which records video when there is motion. (This is great, I can even check it by internet from my bedroom or the middle of Europe.) It does not have a battery for power outages so I simply plug it into a good-sized UPS made for computers. I also plug the shop WiFi and Femtocell into the same UPS.

I don't see the need for a whole-house backup system unless individual components are plugged into outlets rather than hardwired. I like hard-wired for simplicity and reliability.

(My other security system is charged with a clip full of brass cartridges. It doesn't need any electrical power except for the batteries that run its green laser. :cool:)

JKJ

[Shawn Pixley]

They should. Mine does and I got the "low battery" alert a few months back. A new battery fixed everything. What I hate replacing is the batteries on the smoke detector, glass break and motion detectors. I need a taller ladder.