Alarm Systems
The basic common components of a home alarm system are;
- Control Panel
- Motion Sensors
- Siren
The Control Panel is the central processing unit for the alarm and can be as basic or as feature-rich as you like. The amount of ‘zones’ that you can set up will depend on your control panel, with the basic units typically having inputs for 8 zones and more advanced units having up to 32 inputs. The control panel can also have inputs for all types of sensors such as glass breakage sensors, smoke detectors, flood detectors and gas detectors just to name a few.
The control panel can also be configured to have a ‘panic’ function, ‘emergency’ function and are available with a built-in phone dialer function which dials phone numbers that are preset by the owner in case of a breach of security. Back-to-base monitoring if equipped is also configured at the control panel. Other features available include remote controls for arming/disarming your alarm, selective arm/disarm of different areas and remote telephone arm and disarm functions. Many companies offer different styles and colours for their control panels to fit in with your decor and not stand out like a sore thumb!
Motion Sensors come in four basic configurations. The most widely used sensor is one that uses infrared to detect movement. There is also a ‘pet friendly’ sensor available that uses passive infrared technology and sensors that use a combination of both of these, referred to as ‘Dual Tech” sensors. The last one is not very widely used due to it’s sensitivity and it is the microwave sensor.
The benefits of a pet friendly sensor are that if your pet is free to roam inside your home while you are away the alarm is less likely to be triggered, giving you an annoying false alarm. Your neighbours will probably appreciate this more than you, an alarm going off in the middle of the night for no reason can be a real headache, literally!
Sirens come in many different configurations also. You can have a simple internal wired siren, a outdoor siren with strobe light or a wireless siren that can be placed virtually anywhere around your home. The placement of the siren needs to be carefully thought out, an easily reached siren can be taken out of action in a matter of seconds. The outdoor siren with strobe light provides the best visual deterrent and has the best chance of being seen and heard by passers-by. If frightening the daylights out of an intruder appeals to you a internal siren will provide the necessary noise and surprise factor for you!
One good piece of advice is to talk to your Insurance company before making the final decision on which alarm to buy. Many insurance companies have standards that must be met before they will take into account that you have an alarm fitted. Your insurance company may also offer you a discounted premium when an alarm that meets their standards is fitted so it can be worth your while to talk to them first.