Seasonal Property Security: What Fails
Most security advice is about stopping a break-in. At a cottage or chalet that sits empty for weeks, the bigger risk is quieter. Something stops working while you're away, and nobody finds out until you open the door.
Good seasonal property security plans for those failures, not just for intruders. Here is what can fail while you're gone, and how to set up a system that still does its job. For the other side of the plan, making an empty home look lived in and managing who gets in, read security for homes you're not always in.
The power goes out
Winter storms can cut the power for hours or days. Your alarm panel keeps running on its backup battery for a while. Ajax, for example, rates its Hub 2 Plus at up to 15 hours on battery. A two-day outage outlasts that.
Other gear has no backup power unless someone adds it. That includes the modem, the network switch, and the camera recorder. When they go dark, so does your view of the property.
Two things help. First, turn on power-loss alerts, so you know the clock has started. Ajax hubs can alert you and the monitoring station when they switch to battery. Second, put the network gear and the camera recorder on a battery backup, so they ride out short outages.
The internet goes down
If your cameras record to a recorder on site, they keep recording when the internet drops. You just can't watch from the city until the connection comes back.
The alarm matters more. It should have a cellular path, so an alarm still reaches the monitoring station without the internet. If your panel still uses a 3G communicator, read our Ajax vs DSC vs Qolsys comparison. The 3G networks are shutting down.
Starlink needs power too. If the power goes, the dish goes with it. Our guide to cottage internet options covers what each connection can handle.
The cold
A cottage kept just above freezing is hard on battery devices. Batteries drain faster in the cold, and every sensor has a lowest operating temperature. Check the rating on each one before you turn the heat down.
Cameras are the same. A battery camera may not last the winter, and nobody is there to charge it. We compare the two in wired vs wireless security cameras.
The heat fails
The costliest winter problem at an empty cottage may not be a break-in at all. It can be a furnace that quits, pipes that freeze, and water that runs for days.
A temperature sensor alerts you when the inside temperature drops. A water sensor alerts you to a leak. A main line shutoff valve can close the water supply when a sensor finds a leak, so a burst pipe stops flowing. See our water leak protection page. If you're deciding whether to drain the plumbing or keep the heat on, our winter shutdown guide walks through both.
Nobody sees the alert
A system that sends every alert to one phone is only as good as that phone. It might be on silent, in a meeting, or out of battery.
Decide who gets which alerts. Break-in and leak alerts might go to two people. Routine events can stay in the app. With professional monitoring, alarm signals go to the Security Response Center, not just your phone. You still deal with us directly for service and changes. Here is how our professional security monitoring works.
Check it before you leave and when you come back
- Arm the system and test one door and one motion sensor.
- Check battery levels in the app.
- Confirm the cameras are recording, not just streaming.
- Turn on power-loss and low-temperature alerts.
- Update the alert contacts if anyone's plans have changed.
In spring, check the camera recordings and the alarm event log for gaps. A gap often points to something that lost power or connection over the winter.
Questions we get
Which alarm systems do you install?
We install Ajax, DSC, and Qolsys. All three can report over cellular, and all three can be professionally monitored.
Can I check on the cottage from the city?
Yes, when the internet is up. DSC and Qolsys use the Alarm.com app. Ajax uses its own app. Your cameras have their own app too.
Do you install security systems in The Blue Mountains and Meaford?
Yes. We work across Collingwood, The Blue Mountains, Thornbury, Meaford, Wasaga Beach, Creemore, Craigleith, Clarksburg, and Owen Sound.
Plan for the winter you won't see
A good plan covers power, internet, and heat, not just doors and windows. Learn more about our cottage and seasonal home security, or call 249-444-7793 to book a free design consultation.