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Home alarm systems fall into two general categories: hard wired and wireless alarm systems.
For DoItYourselfers, wireless alarm systems are more easily installed and can be added
to or moved to a new location with ease. Hardwired systems, on the other hand, have
a lower equipment cost, but are more time consuming to install and require the ability to
hide wires in walls for a neat installation.
The typical alarm system, as sold to most middle income homes by alarm dealers, consists
of the following components:
- An alarm control panel
- Keypad control to turn the system on and off
- Alarm triggers around your home
Major alarm companies and their authorized dealers, using telemarketing, direct mail,
media advertising and other marketing techniques, market these alarm systems.
There are many home security systems, all offering different policies, services, and
support systems. Before you buy or rent a system, check out the competition.
Security systems can cost anywhere from $19 to $300 per month. The higher the cost
usually means the greater amount of security. It is possible purchase an affordable
system along with a monthly monitoring which will provide plenty of protection for you and
your family ... but shop around!
Some companies will waive the installation fee if you ask, and others will even give you
the alarm equipment free when you sign a long-term contract for monthly monitoring.
In order to achieve a balance of cost-effectiveness and still cover security concerns, the
basic bare-bones system should include the following:
- provide security for both burglary and fire detection.
- have alarm trips for all entrance ways, including the door into
the house from the garage and have "glass breakage"
sensors at your back glass door.
- have alarm trips for all windows, at least those not secured
with bars.
- use an electronic keypad and code to arm and disarm
- dial emergency numbers for you.
- sound an audible alarm if the phone line is cut
- provide a "silent" alarm which can be activated if an
intruder tries to force you to disarm your security system.
Other options you might consider include:
- multiple keypads - one in your entry-way, another in your master
bedroom so you have access to a panic button, activate and
deactivate the system in the middle of the night.
- panic-buttons you can wear on your person while working in the
yard. This will provide you security both in the case of a sudden
health situation, such as a heart attack, as well as police
protection if you are being harassed or robbed while outside.
- fire sensors in each bedroom (if your security system doesn't
provide this, you should consider having a regular battery-powered
smoke detector in each bedroom).
- glass breakage sensors on all windows
Here's something that may surprise you. Over half the burglaries in the U.S.
occur during the day--between 6am and 6pm. That's when most people are gone
to work and school. And empty houses are magnets for burglars.
If you're going to be out of town, you need to make sure the mail is not piling up
in your mailbox and the newspapers are not piling up at the front door. If you're
a busy business traveler or if you come in and out of a door other than the front door,
it could be easy to forget and make your house a sitting target for a burglar.
Many burglaries do occur at night, of course, and there are several things you can do
to protect yourself then, too. Set inside lights on timers so they will go on
and off during the early morning and evening hours while you are away. And remember
to change the setting once in a while so they don't become too predictable.
Outside, you should install lights with photo sensors that will turn on automatically
when nighttime comes. For added protection, install a light with a motion detector,
which is actually an inferred sensor that turns on the lights. What looks like
pitch black to the naked eye is seen by the sensor as a series of thermal patterns.
When someone approaches your house, the patterns change, and the sensor triggers the
lights to come on.
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