Home Alarm Systems

If you're thinking about buying a new home, then home alarm systems are a great way to protect your personal property, assets, and your loved ones.  And if you've lived in a home for any length of time, then we're sure you've seen plenty of offers from installers of home security systems.

If you're interested in buying a home alarm, then we're going to explain some of the features of today's systems, and what to look out for when hiring a contractor or supplier of home security systems.  We'll also be providing you with some tips on how to choose an alarm system based on the installation challenges in your home.

Home Alarm System Components

Today's home alarm systems are more than just security systems; they are integrated home monitoring services.  They typically include a mix of hard-wired and wireless components as determined by the system's installer.

Today's home monitoring systems are normally composed of the following sub-systems:

• Burglar Alarms
• Smoke and Fire Warning Systems
• Carbon Monoxide Alarms
• Water / Temperature Sensors

Each of these functions is discussed in more detail in the sections below.  And these features fall into three categories that consumers need to carefully consider when buying such a system: security, safety, and the protection of personal property from damage.

Burglary Alarms

When most of us think about home alarm systems we usually think of burglar or home intrusion alarms.  These security systems monitor the perimeter of the home and / or the movement inside a home to detect the presence of a burglar.

When most consumers think about the basic functionality of a home alarm system, they're thinking about burglar alarms.

Smoke and Fire Alarms

Fire alarms are usually one of two types.  Most consumers are familiar with smoke detectors, which are typically sold in large home centers.  Heat detectors are used to supplement smoke detection in homes equipped with alarm systems.  Heat detector sense a sudden rise in temperature that may indicate the presence of a fire.

Smoke and fire alarms supplement the security features of a burglar alarms with a safety feature.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas.  Home alarm systems include carbon monoxide detectors, which are usually installed on each floor of the home.  Fortunately, carbon monoxide normally builds up slowly in a home, and these detectors will alarm when it is present at levels above a recommended threshold.

Carbon monoxide is another example of a safety feature that can be added to basic home security systems.

Temperature and Water Sensors

This final set of alarms has to do with temperature and water sensors.  Home alarms can be used to monitor the inside temperature of your home, and warn you if it becomes too cold in the home.  This type of alarm protects the home's pipes from freezing in the wintertime.

Water sensors are used in the basement of a home to detect water intrusion or a ruptured pipe.  These sensors protect against flood damage to the home, and can also be used to detect a broken water heater.

Temperature and water sensors provide the third category of benefits derived from home alarm systems: asset and property protection.

Home Alarm Monitoring

Home alarm systems are typically sold with a centralized monitoring service.  In fact, most alarm systems are sold at a deep discount to consumers, and the monthly monitoring fees are used to supplement the cost of installing the alarm system and the equipment itself.

 Home alarm systems are normally integrated with two or three local authorities:

1. Police - your local police will be the first responders to a burglary alarm and home alarms systems are integrated with the local police systems.
2. Fire - local fire departments are the first responders to a fire, heat, or smoke alarm.
3. Ambulance - some home alarm systems come equipped with a medical alarm that alerts the local ambulance squad to an emergency in the home.

Researching Home Alarms Systems

Before you reach out to a contractor or home alarm service provider to install a home security system, there are certain steps you should take as a homeowner when researching your options.

Surveying Your Home

Take a walk through your home, and figure out which doors and windows you'd like to be integrated into the home security system.  Try to figure out where you'd like to have control panels and keypads installed.  Alarm keypads are typically installed near the two most common entrances to the home along with the master bedroom, which might also include a panic alarm.

Wired versus Wireless Alarm Systems

Since the control panel is the centralized location for gathering all of the home alarm sensor information, make sure you understand how the wires for a wired system or the wireless devices for a wireless system might communicate with the security control panel.

Because of the limitations of pulling wires through an existing home, most wired home alarm systems are installed during the construction of a new home, while wireless home alarm systems are installed in existing homes.

Tips for Picking a Home Alarm System

In most areas of the country you will have a choice of several well-known home alarm system providers which work with local installers, and offer alarm systems at a discount if you purchase a monthly monitoring service through them.  The following are some things to consider when choosing an alarm system or working with an installer / service provider:

• When working with an installer, make sure you thoroughly understand where they intend to locate the control panel, and how they expect each sensor to communicate with the alarm / control panel.
• Sensors are usually grouped into zones, and zones communicate back to the alarm panel.  Again, make sure you understand how each zone is going to interact with the control panel.  If the installer is running wire through the home, then make sure you understand where holes will be drilled, so you have an idea of the number of repairs needed following installation.
• Make sure the home alarm system you're choosing has all of the features you're interested in such as burglar, carbon monoxide, smoke, heat, temperature and water sensors.
• Have the installer demonstrate to you how the key pad and control panel work before deciding on an alarm system.  Make sure the codes and the overall security process does not seem overly complex to you.
• Finally, if you own a dog or cat, or are thinking about buying a pet in the future, make sure the sensitivity of the motion detectors can be varied to accommodate the pet's size.  This feature will prevent false alarms caused by the pet's movement through the home once the motion detectors have been activated.

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