During winter months, it’s important to make sure your home or vacation home is protected against falling temperatures. Temperatures can drop rapidly if the power fails or the heater stops working, causing the pipes to freeze and burst. Maintaining an optimal temperature is critical to preventing frozen pipes and thousands of dollars in repairs.

Installing a home freeze alarm can help give you peace of mind when you’re away from home for long periods of time.

What is a home freeze alarm?

A home freeze alarm is a device that monitors the temperatures inside your home. It sends an alert when temperatures drop dangerously low. This allows you to quickly take action and address the issue before frozen pipes burst and lead to costly water damage.

There are many different types of freeze alarms to choose from, including landline, phone, and cellular-based options. Here are the top considerations to make when choosing a model for your property.

1. Conditions to Monitor

Deciding which conditions to monitor is key to protecting your home while you’re away. All home freeze alarms monitor temperatures in your home and notify you when temperatures reach dangerous levels. Many systems connect with additional sensors to monitor other environmental conditions such as power, humidity, water leaks, smoke, and break-ins. Decide what conditions you want to monitor and look for a model that supports those types of sensors. Some home freeze alarm brands work with their own sensors and others.

2. Communication Mode

Communication mode – landline, internet or cellular service – is an important consideration when choosing a home freeze alarm. The right system for your home will depend on the type of communication available or most convenient for you.

Basic phone-based models like the Sensaphone 400 offer an easy and inexpensive way to remotely monitor conditions. The device allows you to change telephone numbers, temperature set points, security codes and alert messages from anywhere. You can also call in by phone to check the status of all monitored conditions.

The Sensaphone Sentinel is a great option for homeowners who don’t have a landline. It allows you to receive alarm notifications through a standard internet or cellular connection. You can check the status of monitored conditions or make programming changes at any time on the Sensaphone website or free mobile app.

3. Alarm Notifications

Another thing to consider when choosing a home freeze alarm is how you want to receive alerts when temperatures fall outside of your set range. Most models send you an alert by email, phone call or text message. Some models allow you to customize the alarm message to receive alerts in your own voice. And your custom voice alert can name the specific problem, for example, high/low temperature or power failure.

4. Number of Phone Numbers to Call

When most freeze alarms detect a problem, they will continue to call the pre-programmed phone numbers until someone responds or the alarm is disabled. Before you decide on a specific model, you will need to decide how many phone numbers you want the system to call.

Basic models will only call one phone number in the event of an alarm. More advanced models can notify three or more people by phone. For example, when an alarm is detected, the Sensaphone 400 can call up to four people. The system will continue to make phone calls until someone responds to the call. This increases the chances that someone will receive the alert and have enough time to solve the issue before serious damage occurs.

Whatever home freeze alarm model you choose, this device will help safeguard your vacation home during the winter. If you need help deciding on the right solution for your property and budget, contact Critical Power Systems today!