Burglar Alarm System

Owning a home is for many a dream for others a reality. For home owners, a burglar alarm system is very important. The security of your home is something that should not be neglected regardless of the situation. In simple terms, if your house is protected so is your family and your prized possessions. One very interesting fact is that the majority of people that have been robbed had thought for a long time that their homes would never be penetrated by an intruder. This is not a personal opinion, it has been proven over and over by statistics in many police departments. Many owners though that simply having pad locks and doors locked would protect them from intruders. What makes matters worst is that many burglaries have been committed while the owners or their relatives are inside the house. This is not only a frightening situation it is also very dangerous and in the worst case can lead to disaster. There is nothing more dangerous that standing face to face with a criminal that is willing to do whatever it takes to take your belongings or do potential harm to you and your family.

A burglar alarm system can help protect your home by warning you and authorities of a possible intruder. It can really help you and your love ones avoid a face to face confrontation with a dangerous criminal. If you have been thinking twice about adding a home burglar alarm to your property you should not think it a third time. These systems have many devices that are aimed at detecting an intruder. Some of these devices detect if the burglar is trying to break open a window or door or if he is already inside the house lurking inside it. Some of these systems are also monitored. A Monitored burglar alarm contacts the monitoring company if the alarm is triggered and that company is responsible for giving the details about your property to security agencies or local authorities.

Installing a burglar alarm system is not very difficult since there are many DIY kits available. This kits are very good and are made of wireless devices that are to be placed around the house. Some alarm monitoring companies offer these kits for free if you take part in an offer that that involves a contract for their monitoring service. Most of the time that money that these monthly services cost is depending on the devices that you will be getting as part of the contract. The more sensors you get the higher the cost of the monthly service. The truth is a monitored burglar alarm system is better than one that is not monitored. If you are interested in one of these systems why not take advantage of one of these offers?

As you can see securing you home from criminals is not that hard but does require an investment. Either way you put it your life and that of your loved ones is priceless. Secure them with a burglar alarm system.

Tips For Hiring an Alarm Monitoring Company

Crime cannot be predicted. It can happen at anytime of the day. It can anywhere and to anyone. The problem is that we are not safe even if we are in our own homes. Domestic burglar alarms systems are one of those protective mechanisms that are very effective against crime especially against burglary. Thanks to today's advancements in technology, security alarms are electronic. Some samples of these are easy to install door sensors, portable vehicle protection devices and sophisticated wireless home security systems.

It is very recommended to anyone that is interested in a home security burglar alarm to avail to professional services to monitor their alarm systems. These home security companies have the experience necessary to take action in case some emergency happens. The real value of having a professional agency assist you in times of need is something that should not be neglected especially when it comes to your security and that of your loved ones. Burglar alarm companies use technology efficiently to provide efficient monitoring to their clients property. Most of these companies use special computers and phone lines and have competent staff in order to be able to perform their work and look after the security systems of homes and commercial businesses. They also coordinate with authorities in case there is a security emergency in any of their clients properties.

There is always a price to pay for any service and burglar alarm companies are not exception to the rule. Most of them charge a monthly amount for their service but are definitively worth it especially for people that spend a lot of time away from home. You should also measure the experience and quality of the service been offered to ensure that if you decide to hire the service of a burglar alarm company you get what you actually pay for. This is the reason why you should do some research before you sign any contract with any company.

Here are some tips to help you find a good burglar alarm company in your area.

Examine Burglar Alarm Monitoring Agencies First. You can try the steps that follow:

Call the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. Request for a copy of the registered member companies in your locality. The National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association is the leading organization that deals with home security and is a very valuable source for information on local burglar alarm monitoring companies. This agency is actually a non profit organization and offers non biased information.

You can also ask from them copies of brochures or magazines that provide information about home security. Read them so you can get acquainted with the basics of home protection and the terminologies employed by the industry. Or at the very least you can read the archives in this blog to prepare yourself with the basic knowledge that you should have. Surf around the archives. There is a lot of info here about the different types of burglar alarm circuits, home security tips, sensors, home surveillance and other topics like the different types of home security burglar alarm systems that you might be offered including wireless and wired systems. There are also many tips on home security that you can implement on your home that do not involve domestic burglar alarms like using motion activated lighting, guard dogs, and security tips that you can implement when you are traveling or spending a considerable amount of time at home.

Solicit referrals from your neighbors, relatives, friends, and insurance agents. This is very important. The opinions of others will help you get a good idea of how a company performs. If you can try talking to an insurance agent. They usually know some information about the subject and many of them are very informed about the performance of a alarm monitoring companies through their client's experiences. Give it a try if you can.

Call the companies suggested by your neighbors, relatives, and insurance agents, as well as those listed by the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. Make sure that they are duly licensed and recognized by the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. Moreover, inquire if they take part in the Installation Quality Certification Program. Do not fall for scams. Hire a legitimate company that does their work as expected and has a reputation that backs up their claims.

Arrange for a meeting with the representative of the companies. Schedule the appointment in an occasion when all the members of the family can attend. This is to be sure that all of them will know what the representatives have to offer about their systems. Your families opinion is very valuable and having a few of your loved ones with you will help you get a second opinion of how the services offered to look. Having more opinions will greatly help you make a better decision. It fairly easy for a sales person to sell you a service out of hype. Avoid it with second opinions.

Some Questions You Should Ask the Representative

During the appointment, ask the agent the following questions:

For how long has the company been running? This will give you an idea of the experience of the company in the industry.

Is the monitoring station operating 24 hours in a day? Is the customer service line accessible 24 hours a day, as well? You do not want to hire a monitoring agency that is not available in times of need.

Is the monitoring centers’ power supply well backed-up? You should be assured that in cases of power interruptions, your home must still be under continuous monitoring. You need to be sure that their is no excuse for services not responding on time.

Has the company undergone proper training programs? Are the staffs of the company equipped with the required skills needed for the installation or operation of employed equipment? Are they trained in troubleshooting or repairing the system, as well? You want a company that can repair you equipment as fast as possible.

Ask the representative to make an inspection of your area. In addition, you can also insist that he write recommendations with supportive explanations to help you understand what they will actually be installing and how would that particular equipment would help you protect your home from burglars. You can also ask them to identify vulnerable areas in your property and to check how sturdy and secure windows and doors are.

You can make your personal assessment of the burglar alarm company through your interview with its representative. If he has provided you with honest and appropriate answers, it is a sign that you can have a good deal.

Guard Dogs and House Burglar Alarms

Most of us home owners are very concerned about home security and the overall security of our loved ones. How about increasing your home security and having a new friend at the some time? Guard dogs are very effective as a burglar alarm. This is one of the most overused techniques that people have used for centuries in order to maintain homes as safe as possible. Now let me tell you a more personal anecdote. During the second year that I owned my house. Things were not good in the area I was living. Crime was ridiculously high. A good amount of people were burglarized in one way or another. My turn was due next. During those times I did not own a burglar security system and was not paying any real attention to what was happening around. To tell you the truth it really wasn't that I was not paying attention. In reality, I was not giving it importance. One day during that time an intruder attempted to try to enter the house while me and my family were out on a small vacation. Luckily at least as some neighbors told me later. A local police car happened to pass by while the burglar was trying to break into the household by opening one of the windows that was not closed like it should. While nothing really bad happened since the intruder ran away as soon as he saw the flashing lights of the police car I decided to ad a guard dog to the family. We actually sent her to training while she was a puppy and provided support and protection for me when I was around and to the house when I was away. To some people having a dog is more of a chore but to me it was family.

Like I said in the first sentences of this post, dogs act as a home alarm and with the addition to a security burglar alarm system your home is mostly safe from the average burglar. Of course, you have to decide how you set up your system if you have pets around the house. For example, if your pet sleeps outside the it would make sense to have your home security system monitor the interiors. You can have motion sensors in rooms like the living room, and other devices installed in windows and doors. You can also install automatic lighting devices in the interiors of the home but it is better if you can install them in areas where your pet can't go. This way, you are sure that your pet does not trigger the motion detecting lighting devices if it is just walking or playing around the house. The opposite of this example is that if your pet sleeps indoors, you will be better off installing motion detectors in the out side of your home to avoid unnecessary trigger. You can have motion sensors outside so that they detect if anyone gets close to windows, this includes motion activated lights and regular motion detectors. If you have a big yard you can also consider installing cameras pointing outside the house to help you monitor if something strange is happening outside.

In my opinion, it is best to have your pet outside if it is a big dog since the noise of a dog's barking scares away burglars in the middle of the night especially if entering the house would expose the dog one on one with the intruder. Now picture this, If you were someone trying to break into a house, would you try to enter a house that has a big guard dog that will make a lot of noise barking and would do so at the moment that you approach the house's fence? Perhaps a more experienced crook would do so but, the common thief would probably back off after the first minutes of barking. Now like I wrote on a previous post when I said that some alarm warning signs on your yard would make intruder rethink about entering your home. If you have a dog on your yard and a sign that says you have a house burglar alarm system installed most thieves will probably think that entering your property simply because it is too much work. First, he has to deal with the dog then he was to deal with the house burglar alarm then, he has to make he's move before authorities are contacted and arrive at the scene and having to worry high chance of getting recorded on a home surveillance camera getting his face showed eventually the every police officer in the area.

Now that is the whole concept of protecting your property. Making possible intruders rethink about where they are trying to enter and make them turn around. It is all about making your most prized possession a difficult target that requires more work and that is a high risk job for them. To put it this way if the same people were interested in hard work would they be robbing houses? This is one of the main reasons why house burglar alarm systems increase your property's security and is one that should not be overlooked. If spending some money can help avoid higher loses and possibly a tragedy, is it worth it? Of course it is.

How Monitored Burglar Alarm Systems Work

Have you ever wondered how a security burglar alarm system works? The common set up even for a simple system has a one or more sensors and a set or a single control panel. When the sensors are activated the control unit is responsible for announcing the alarm. Systems can be either hard wired or wireless. The ones that are wired usually are connected with cables. This ensures that the sensor is powered at all possible times ensuring a reliable operation. However, they are difficult to install requiring more money to install. On the other hand the ones that are wireless have one very important advantage and it is the ability to detect tampering plus, they are very easy to install. The downside is that they need constant supervision and maintenance to ensure that they are working in top shape. This includes changing batteries since they use transmitters instead of wires to communicate with the control panel.

Alarm monitoring is used in systems that have a remote output. In these systems, the main control panels are connected to monitors that are predetermined then they are configured. One of the methods that its used for configuration is a connection to a central station such as a local authority such as a police station of perhaps a private security company that has a contract with the manufacturer. Although, commonly a connection to a local police department is more convenient and secure. This type of configuration is more expensive and is becoming less popular. Examples of these type of connections can be found on government agencies, banks, school campuses and places that require dedicated security.

More conventional alarm systems use the PSTN of Public Switched Telephone Network. This type if configuration uses a digital phone dialer to communicate to the central station that will announce the alarm. The monitoring system is able to find the location of the sensor that has been triggered with the use of encoders.

The vast majority of control panels are designed with a backup dialer that can be used if the connection to the Public Switched Telephone Network is not functioning like it should. This secondary dialer is sometimes connected to a separate phone line or other communication device to evade the PSTN. This is very important if for example, the primary line has been disabled or tampered, alarms could be triggered vie the secondary dialers.

In some situations the building in which the monitored burglar alarm system is installed is located where there is no PSTN service and using a direct line is too expensive. The solution to this problem is using a mobile device as the main line.

Monitored burglar alarm systems permit communication between to central station and the home owner and even with the intruder.

Some systems use video capturing to record the incidents in case evidence is needed to back up legal processes.

Home Security: Burglar Alarm Systems

A home is the most valuable property for quite a lot of people. According statistics, every 15 seconds, an intruder enters a home either with or without occupants. This statistics clearly illustrate that burglary can happen anytime of the day, to anyone perhaps to you. Normally, a home does not have drawbridges, moats, ramparts of thick walls like those found on a castle. Since these are not available for a normal home it is better to make your home safe using technological devices. For this reason, a security burglar alarm system might help you secure the safety of your family and your properties from criminals and burglars.

Some time ago the only the rich home owners could benefit from true home security. Burglar alarm systems have dropped in value ever since and they are not as expensive as they used to be. Today it is very common for the average home owner to have an alarm system at home to increase its security.

There are different types of systems. These are created to serve different purposes. It may feature alarms which can handle fire, intrusion, and simultaneous safety alarms. The features and designs range from computer controlled systems to small noisemakers. They can either be wired or wireless each with their own pros and cons.

There are two basic types of domestic burglar alarms one features an open circuit while the other type operates with a closed circuit. How they work depends on the type of circuit in question. Open circuit systems activate when a burglar tries to open a secured window or door and closes the circuit. Closes circuits work the other way but achieve the same goal, activating an alarm when someone tries to sneak into the house.

Other options are sensors. These activate when they sense any type of motion within a certain area. One the sensor is triggered it sends a signal that is received in a control panel that is capable of analyzing the signal and determine if the alarm should be activated of not. Some of these more sophisticated burglar alarm systems even send a signal to local authorities that inform them that there is some suspicious activity in the house.

Some motion sensors can be adjusted at different sensitivity levels to avoid them from being activated by pets or any other normal activity avoiding false alarms. The combination of motion sensors and magnetic switches tend to be the most efficient. While magnetic switches can help protect doors and windows, motion sensors will help to protect large spaces like rooms.

Another gadget that is very efficient is a home security camera. Video cameras an help you monitor what is happening around the house from the place you installed them. Most people like to install their monitoring systems from their bed room to be able to see what is happening in case suspicious activity. The other benefit of a security camera is that it allows for video recording which serves as great legal evidence for authorities.

Some home security companies also offer alarm monitoring. These companies have people that look after the system. In case that an alarm is set off, the company informs local authorities or send their own personnel to your home. This insures that your home is protected even if you are away day and night.


Some of the Features of a High End Home Security System


The features that may be available is very dependent on the system itself and are mostly devices that can detect motions, changes in temperature of a room and disturbances of people passing by. Some of the components that intruder alarm systems might include are the following:

A Control panel: this is the power source of the security system and it its usually hidden in a not so easy to find area.

A keypad: a keypad can be placed at the homes entry and it is used to activate of deactivate the alarm system, the best systems allow for a pass code to be used so it cannot be deactivated by the burglar or anyone that does not know the security code.

Motion sensors: these detect movement and they detect when someone is trying to break into the house. They are usually set in windows, indoor walls and doors.

Contacts: these trigger the alarm when a window or door is opened and are usually magnetic gadgets.

Glass Break Sensors: these sensors are triggered by the shock waves that are created when a glass is broken.

Fire protection: while this is not directly related to intrusions, this feature can be of big help if a fire occurs in your home. These sensors detect smoke and heat and sets of the alarm so that you can respond as quickly as possible. Some more sophisticated designs even alert the authorities of possible fire.

Two way monitoring: this helps establish communication between the home owner, alarm monitoring company or local authorities.

The newest designed systems are chiefly hardwired to be more cost-effective. However, wireless systems are also more economical and very easy to install.

It is worth mentioning that there are local agencies and insurance companies that require alarm system codes upon installation. They may also require certification from third parties to assure the efficiency of your security burglar alarm system. If your have and independent certification make sure that it meets the required guide lines and qualification level. This is to be sure that your security burglar alarm system is efficient and reliable. It is important that your home security system has these qualities to be sure that you can obtain the safety benefits that you are expecting from it.