Here’s the scoop: If you have a Vivint system installed in your home—security, energy management, or home automation—then you are automatically a member of our customer discount program. This means that you have exclusive access to the Vivint Saver’s Guide on your online account center. On the Saver’s Guide, you can find more than 500,000 discounts and promotions from more than 135,000 local and national retailers. It really is that easy.

Visit account.vivint.com/resources/saversguide today to check out our deals and start saving!

So how is a doorbell home automation? In a nutshell, our new doorbell is designed to integrate with your touchscreen panel. Not only does it chime through your panel to make sure you can hear it, it also sends push notifications to your smartphone. If you’re down in the basement or on a business trip, you’ll still know exactly when someone drops by.

This doorbell can also be synced with your system to trigger automated events—like turning on the porch light when someone comes ringing. Or turning on your inside entry light so you can find your way to the door. Have a room where you can never hear the doorbell? Program your lights to flicker so you’ll always know.

Here are a few more cool features of our doorbell:

Illuminated button—When wired to your home’s circuitry, the doorbell button is illuminated.

Weather resistant design—The doorbell is waterproof and can withstand temperatures between 14°F and 104°F.

Configurable chime—You can choose your doorbell chime.

3-5 year battery life—This doorbell is guaranteed to work for 3-5 years and notifies you through your panel when its battery is running low.

Well, the answer is pretty simple actually: because the relationship between Vivint and our customers is a mutually beneficial one. We invest in you and you invest in us. This means that we offer our services and equipment at a very low upfront cost because you commit to pay for those services and equipment over a certain amount of time. The truth is that our contract is the reason why we’re able to offer affordable home automation.

It’s similar to a cell phone plan. You can choose to buy your new phone at its retail value of $600, or you can pay $50 for the phone and sign a service plan contract so the company has a chance recoup the discount over the life of your agreement. Our services are no different: we charge an affordable activation fee, install the equipment for free, and make up the cost of that equipment over time.

And the fact is, if you’d rather pay for your equipment upfront—all of it or just a portion—you can do that and shorten your contract length. As always, we’re dedicated to providing affordable home automation that works for you and your family.

So in a nutshell, our contract exists because both company and customer benefit from them. We’re offering reliable monitoring and affordable home automation for you, and you’re providing us with reliable business. Companies need to make money to survive, and with this model we have been able to succeed so we can continue serving customers and innovating the market. The benefits go both ways.

“Jules! Someone was in here!”

And I ran downstairs. (I ran downstairs? I blame the adrenaline.) Our house was ruffled and Chris grabbed a knife. The intruder entered through our side door that leads into our garage, which Chris had accidentally left unlocked. The door was still open when we woke up. Chris was surveying the house (yes–still in his towel) and I called the police who came and thoroughly checked every corner of the house to make sure no one was still here. It was clear. They wrote up a full report and calmed me down. Apparently there was another situation reported of a man in our area during the night and they were guessing it was the same guy. Chris had to leave for work and I shook all day at every little noise and cried a lot. The only way I can describe the feeling is, we felt violated. I thought I was safe in my own home. Did he come upstairs? Did he open the door to our daughter’s room? I couldn’t even think about.

We were completely caught off guard and are grateful nothing serious happened, but we also know that something could have. We were naive in thinking it could never happen to us. We didn’t have a security system. We didn’t have any self defense handy near our bed. Our nephew was selling security systems for Vivint and I texted him to see if there was any way we could get one installed that day–because I was ready to check into a hotel. He came right over with an installer and before we went to bed, all of our windows and doors had alarms. I felt my muscles relax for the first time that day as we signed our contract at 9:00 pm. Now, even when we are away from our home, we can check that our doors are locked and our alarm is on remotely from our phones, which has given us a lot of peace of mind.

Our security system is extremely affordable (around $2 a day!), and heaven’s yes–I would recommend one.   Not only will it alert us when an intruder breaks in–but we have it set to let us know if a door or window is open–completely invaluable when you have a toddler that likes to escape outside undetected lately. We’re also loving the keypad locks on our exterior doors for our own personal use.  But more than anything we feel safe in our home again–a feeling that, at the time, I thought we’d never feel again.

Julia Marcum is a color and design enthusiast who studied art in college, but enjoys painting walls as much as canvases. She and her husband, Chris, write the flourishing DIY/Home Design blog, Chris Loves Julia, about their successes and failures renovating and redecorating their first home in Utah with their daughter, Greta (and thousands of readers,) rooting them on.  You can find more from Julia Marcum here:
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Here’s the scoop: If you have a Vivint system installed in your home—security, energy management, or home automation—then you are automatically a member of our customer discount program. This means that you have exclusive access to the Vivint Saver’s Guide on your online account center. On the Saver’s Guide, you can find more than 500,000 discounts and promotions from more than 135,000 local and national retailers. It really is that easy.

Visit account.vivint.com/resources/saversguide today to check out our deals and start saving!

If your current system has more than $480 in equipment, we recommend moving your system to your new home.

If you are an existing Vivint customer and would like to reinstall your current system at a new address, there is no fee if:

• You have been with Vivint for at least one year and
• You sign a new agreement with the same terms as the original contract

If your current system has less than $480, we recommend installing a brand new system.

If you are an existing customer and would like to have a new system installed at your new address, there is no fee if:

• You have been with Vivint for at least one year and
• You sign a new agreement with the same terms as the original contract

Of course, we know that every home and every move is different. That’s why we always recommend calling our customer support professionals at 800.216.5232 to find out what will best for you.

Flashing white envelope

• Select the notification with the envelope next to it and read the message.
• Look for “Delete” or the trashcan icon.
• Select “Yes” to delete the message when the confirmation pops up.
• Press OK.

Flashing alarm bell

• Select the notification with the bell on it and read the message.
• Select “Clear Alarm History” box.
• Confirm there is a checkmark next to the notification in question.
• Press OK.

Flashing yellow exclamation point

• Select the exclamation point and read the message.
• Press OK.
• Further troubleshoot the link issue and call Customer Support—800.216.5232—if you have questions.

Click here to watch Cynthia and Ivan tell their “going green” story.

1. Pet immunity. All of our motion detectors come with pet immunity; however, depending on the size of pet you have, you can increase or decrease the sensor’s sensitivity (to 33 or 55 pounds). Also, make sure to talk to your technician about where the sensor is placed. You’ll want to mount it where pets cannot come within 6 feet of it by climbing on furniture, boxes, or other objects.
2. Bugs and insects. This sensor has built-in protection that keeps bugs from getting into the sensor area and causing false alarms. This does not prevent insects from crawling across the lens of the sensor, which will cause an alarm to trigger.
3. Reflected light. Infrared energy can be reflected off any glossy surface such as mirrors, windows, floors or countertops with a glossy finish, and slick finished concrete and cause the alarm to trigger.
4. Windows. Windows not only reflect infrared energy, but they can also allow sunlight or lights from cars to pass through to the sensor. For example, the sensor can detect a quick change in infrared energy if sunlight comes through a window (which may not be detected by the sensor) and shines on a hardwood floor (which can be detected by the sensor). If the change in infrared energy is quick enough on the floor, the sensor can trigger an alarm. Lights from a passing car can also pass through the window at night and directly into the lens of the detector.
5. HVAC. Heating and A/C ducts are also important aspect to consider because if they blow air onto an object within the fields of view, the temperature of that object could change quickly enough for the detector to see a change in infrared energy. Detectors cannot see air current, only the change in temperature of a physical object.
6. Moving objects. Anything that can sway or move because of an air current can cause a change in infrared energy within the fields of view. Heating and A/C ducts and drafts from doors or windows can cause this to happen. Other objects to be aware of are curtains, blinds, balloons, loose paper, plants, hanging banners or baskets, etc.
7. Vibration. Make sure the sensor is mounted on a solid surface and does not vibrate. Vibration will not only cause the sensor to move a little, but it can also cause the fields of view in the room to move. A little vibration can cause the sensor to see a change in energy and trigger a false alarm.

What are severe weather alerts?
Vivint tornado alerts use data provided by the National Weather Service to ensure you get timely and critical weather-related information.

How do they work?
Once a tornado alert has been issued by the National Weather Service, the information is relayed to Vivint customers via our touchscreen panel (in the same way it is transmitted to local TV and radio stations). The panel issues a series of three loud beeps inside the home, as well as a detailed warning message on the touchscreen. The alert will continue every minute until you deactivate the warning, or until the alert is discontinued by the weather service.
 
What are the benefits?
The main benefit is that our tornado alerts take place within your home—no matter what time of day or night it is. So even if you aren’t watching TV or listening to the radio (like when you’re asleep), you can be aware of dangerous weather patterns in your area.

How much does it cost?
We provide tornado alerts completely free to all customers with our touchscreen panel. There is no charge to download the application and no additional monitoring fee.

Where are they available?
Tornado alerts are currently available to customers in tornado-prone areas. This includes Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.