A lot of homes in Fountain Hills, Scottsdale and Rio Verde sit empty from May to October. An empty house in 115-degree heat has its own risks: break-ins, power outages from monsoon storms, and cameras that quietly stop recording. Run through this list a week or two before you leave.
Alarm system
- Test it. Arm the system and open a door to make sure it sounds and the monitoring company calls.
- Update the call list. Make sure the monitoring company has current numbers, including a neighbor or friend who is in town.
- Tell them you are away. Let your monitoring company know your dates so they know not to expect you to answer at the house.
- Check the backup battery. If the panel has been beeping about a low battery, replace it before you go. Summer storms knock out power.
Cameras and doorbells
- Check every camera from your phone, away from home, before you leave. If one will not load on cellular data, fix it now.
- Turn on offline alerts so you know if a camera drops out.
- Clean the lenses and clear spider webs so night video is usable.
- Think about heat. Cameras in afternoon sun can shut down in July. See cameras in Arizona heat.
Wi-Fi and power
- Put the router and modem on a small battery backup so cameras keep recording through short outages.
- Reboot the router before you leave and make sure every device reconnects.
- Do not leave the router in a hot garage if you can avoid it.
Around the house
- Put lights on timers so the house does not look dark every night.
- Hold your mail or have a neighbor collect packages.
- Give a trusted neighbor your alarm code and your number.
Want someone to check it all before you head north? Call or text us for a quick walkthrough.
General information only, not legal or professional advice. Rules, fees and products change, so check with your city or the manufacturer. See our terms.