How to Choose a Home Alarm System

For many first-time homeowners, the days following their move bring a number of questions that they have likely never needed to consider in the past. Some of the most important amongst these new questions are those pertaining to home security as they address not only the protection of the largest investment that most people will ever make, their home, but more importantly, the family that inhabits the home. One of the first considerations of homeowners contemplating home security is the installation of a home alarm system, which in itself can be a complicated process. However, by following a few easy steps, homeowners can quickly identify the home security system that best fits their needs.
The first step when considering available home alarm systems is for homeowners to familiarize themselves with the basic components of a standard security system. Generally speaking, control panels, contacts for all external doors and windows and a siren or alarm are the absolute basics. Additionally, motion detectors, glass break sensors, security cameras, and additional security keypads, including those that include panic alarms are all important components to research.
Having familiarized themselves with the basic features available in home security systems, homeowners should walk the perimeter of their home, putting themselves in the shoes of a would-be burglar. This will likely expose easy entry points such as external doors in disrepair, or those hidden from the view of neighbors or the street, as well as areas that need additional lighting. Homeowners should also pay close attention to windows, especially those low to the ground and those that could be accessed by way of climbing on the outside of a home or by overhanging tree branches. Any problem areas found in this exercise should be secured, whether by way of motion sensors, glass break sensors, or additional lighting.
Armed with some basic information about home alarm systems and a general idea of the problem areas of a house, homeowners are ready to contact a few home security companies. Many will offer risk assessment of their own, which homeowners can compare with the assessment that they already performed, and should provide some additional input on types of systems to consider. With this in mind, homeowners can request an estimate for the type of alarm system that they have deemed most appropriate, and begin to compare quotes.
When comparing quotes, it is also a good idea to request some references, which most home security companies should be able to easily provide. Some important questions include those regarding the accuracy of their quote, how the service has been, if the contracts were clearly explained, and what their response time was like if the references have had a break-in. Homeowners should also do a little research on the equipment listed in the quote.
After comparing the quotes, chatting with references, and finishing their research, homeowners should be ready to make a decision. Having followed these easy steps, homeowners will know that they have done everything they could to ensure that their home and their family have the best home security system for their new home.

Considerations When Choosing a Home Security Alarm System

A home security system is not only a monetary investment, but it is an investment in your family's safety. Therefore, it's important that you carefully consider each potential home security system before making your purchase. Do you want wired or wireless, security cameras or just entryway sensors, an indoor alarm system or one that monitors both indoors and outdoors, self-contained or monitored by an outside agency? As you can imagine, more features typically mean more money. You can save more than 50% or more if you can install the home security system yourself and depending on the features you choose.

Wireless alarm systems are easier to install and can often be handled by a do-it-yourselfer with a few basic tools. While wireless systems tend to be more expensive, installing it yourself can make it comparable or even cheaper than a hard-wired system installed by an outside company. However, if you're going to choose a continually monitored system (a home security alarm system that calls you and your security monitoring agency with a prerecorded help message), installation will become tricky, and you may need to call in a professional. If you do want to tackle everything yourself, make sure you check and comply with the local codes and regulations.

For large houses full of valuables, you'll probably want to have a security system designed specifically for your needs by a professional security company. They will typically handle installation also as both wiring and programming tends to get quite complicated when covering larger areas.

Home Security System Tips

Why is Monitoring Essential?
To deliver the best possible protection for your home and family, it is vitally important to have superior monitoring. Having a security system without monitoring would be like having a telephone without telephone service. Even though you may have a phone, there would be no dial tone when you pick the phone up if you have no telephone service. Similarly, if your equipment is not properly monitored, then there would be no way for emergency personnel to be notified to respond when there is an intrusion, fire or other threat to your home and family.

How Does Home Security Monitoring Work?
Cellular Backup—Your Security Guarantee When your alarm system depends upon traditional telephone lines, your system is only as good as your telephone lines. If your telephone lines go down, your security system is worthless. Be sure to look for a system that does not require a working telephone line to be functional. Telephone lines can go down for a variety of reasons including but certainly not limited to having the phone cables cut by an intruder. This is clearly not a reliable means of providing home security.
To enable your alarm system to function independently of your telephone lines, ensure that your home security system has cellular backup. If the land lines are cut for any reason, your security system will transmit an alarm even if the land line is cut. Cellular backup transmits on a secure wireless phone network which is wholly separate and unrelated to your traditional telephone lines. With the benefits afforded by cellular backup, you will have a reliable system immune from the obstacles presented by systems dependent upon traditional telephone lines.

Optional Hands Free Communication with the Monitoring Center – No Telephone Required "Two-Way Interactive Audio Verification", is a hands-free technology that gives you the ability to communicate throughout your home directly with a central monitoring station using a speaker. If the alarm system detects an intrusion, a speaker and microphone are activated to enable the homeowner to communicate directly with the central monitoring station. Only the homeowner can activate or deactivate this system from home. Neither the home security system company nor the monitoring center can activate or deactivate this feature remotely. Therefore, your privacy is always protected.



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Home Security Monitoring System

Safeguarding your home is vitally important to the protection of your property and family. Properly placed exterior lighting and good dead bolts can help reduce your odds of being a victim - but unfortunately, an experienced criminal can generally get through nearly all locks within 60 seconds. As a result, most experts suggest investing in a home security monitoring system - preferably one that is monitored by a live service for the utmost protection.
Statistics show that the majority of criminals will choose a home without a security system and bypass those better protected. Security systems can vary greatly in protection and cost. Some systems provide free equipment along with a monthly monitoring contract, while others charge hundreds of dollars for installation as well as monitoring services. Some are flexible with or without home phone line requirements.
Before selecting a home security monitoring system it's important to be familiar with all the services available today. Some important aspects to consider are:
• Equipment and Installation Costs. What does the company charge for the equipment? How many sensors does that include? Is installation a separate charge?
• Home Security Monitoring Service. Does the company provide a 24 hour, 7 day a week, live monitoring service that will quickly contact authorities in the event of a break-in?
• Guarantee. Does the company provide a money back guarantee or warranty for faulty equipment?

Home Security Shop

Insurance Issues:

Many alarm owners can receive discounts of anywhere from 5-25% off their homeowner's insurance. Most of these insurance companies will insist on the alarm being monitored.

Two Main Types of Home Security Monitoring Systems
Indoor systems concern themselves with the opening and closing of doors and windows, and generally go off when this event happens when active. Beyond that, they often include motion sensors to be placed in rooms as a secondary form of protection.
Obviously if you live in an apartment, an inside-based home security monitoring system makes the most sense. Some apartment buildings already have security built-in, especially ones with card-key systems, but many do not. Either way, it is always better to be safe than sorry, especially if you live in a ground-floor apartment.

Outdoor systems are also based on motion detection, security cameras and often include flood lights and driveway sensors. In the past both forms of motion detection were notoriously finicky for triggering over pets and wandering lawn animals, but most good home security monitoring systems today come with filters to distinguish between them and people based on size, shape, and mass. These, as you would imagine, are better for those who have yards and driveways and wish to secure these as well.
Other Factors That You Need To Consider
Beyond the general inside or outside system, there are other factors to consider when purchasing a home security monitoring system. Some systems are run completely from batteries, some need to be plugged in, and still others need wired into the grid. The most reliable of all, however, combines the two to become a grid-powered system with a battery backup.





Available features – depending on the equipment you select

Panic Buttons:
Many people see the "P" "A" and "F" buttons on their keypad and are not even sure what they are for. These are instant panic buttons. Pressing and holding one of these buttons will send an instant panic signal to your monitoring station, who will dispatch either the police, fire or ambulance for you. Without monitoring, these buttons and the benefits they could potentially bring are unavailable to you.

The Time Between The Break-in, And When You Arrive Home:
Many break-ins occur during the day when you and most of your neighbors are at work. If you are broken into, (especially if someone kicks one of your doors in), the burglar obviously isn't going to take the time to make sure the window or door he broke into is secure after he leaves! So now you have an open window or kicked in door, and an alarm that has already been tripped (Depending on the settings, most alarm sirens will stop after 5-15 minutes). This leaves you with an extremely vulnerable business or residence, and no alarm protection whatsoever! And what if you live in an isolated area and have gone on vacation? Your monitoring station will not only contact the authorities, but you and/or friends and neighbors you have on your call list. This way, the home can be secured much quicker.

Fire Protection:
Many alarm owners are opting to have fire and heat detection devices added to their system. If any of these devices go into alarm, your monitoring center will know this and dispatch the fire department for you. We all know that seconds count as far as how quickly a fire can spread, and the sooner the authorities get to your residence, the better. Think of everything you own, not only items of monetary value, but personal momentos that you have collected over the years. And what if you leave pets inside your home while you're away?

Customize Your "Chime" Feature:
Your system is usually programmed to beep if the front door is opened. But you can also have your installer program any of your windows to do likewise. This is handy if you have small children with bedrooms on the second floor. The keypad will beep if any of the kid's bedroom windows are opened, hopefully preventing an accidental fall.

Automatic Paging:
Your system can page you when the alarm is tripped, or when a special "event" happens, such as notifying you when the kids arrive home from school.


Automatic Shutoff And Reset:
Another way to allow access to your home at preset times is to choose a system that allows automatic arming and disarming. With a feature like this, you could program your system to allow a "window" of access for pet sitters while you're on vacation, for example.

Event Log or "Buffer":
You can access system events if you have an LCD keypad, and if your alarm supports this feature. An event can be anything alarm related, such as power failures, when the system has been armed and disarmed and whose code was used, if a zone or device was programmed to be bypassed, and of course, if your system went into alarm.

Remote Operation:
This feature allows you to call your system from any touch tone phone and, by entering a special code, check the system or change features, such as entry and exit delay times.

Special Codes For Occasional Users:
Your housekeeper, for example, can have a code that will only work with your alarm on certain days or times. Or you can program a code that will automatically erase after only one use, to let a neighbor in to water the plants while you're away for a few days.

Duress Code:
If someone follows you into your home and forces you to disable the system, keying in a special code disarms the system, but sends a silent panic signal to the monitoring station.

Two Way Audio Monitoring:
Small microphones mounted throughout the house allow the central monitoring station of your alarm company to listen to sounds in your home when the alarm is triggered. Small speakers allow the operator to talk to you without the phone.

"I'm OK" Monitoring:
Designed for people living alone, and especially useful for the elderly or those with medical issues, this feature alerts the central monitoring station if the system's motion detectors do NOT sense any motion for a certain amount of time. If this is the case, the central station alerts a neighbor or family member to check in on the homeowner.

Lights:
You can send the system a signal from your car as you drive up, or by phone before you head home, so the interior and exterior of your home will be lit when you arrive. You can also program the system to turn on the lights when the alarm is triggered.
 








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