Burglar Alarms

Can Home Security be Achieved in a Cost-Effective Manner?

One of the biggest reasons that consumers will pass on investing in a burglar alarm is based on the costs involved with owning one. Even though you can get a free burglar alarm for a small installation fee and a monthly charge under $40, people still balk at the idea simply because they believe that this sort of valuable investment would lead to much more responsibility. The truth is that burglar alarms are meant to take responsibility out of your hands and put it into those of professionals who will monitor your home for you, but there are some cost-effective steps you can take for a do-it-yourself method which is still better than nothing.

Lighting. Although many burglaries occur during the day when we are at work, there is still a proportion that happens at night when it’s difficult for your neighbors to witness and provides the burglar the cover of night to commit their crime. Installing some motion detecting lights on the exterior of your home above doors and possibly up the walkway to your home will deter the criminal from moving forward with targeting your house for a home invasion. Read the rest of this entry »

The basics of burglar alarms that everyone should consider

There are 3 primary components of basic burglar alarms that you need to be aware of if you are considering installing any of these alarms in order to prevent a burglar from breaking into your home and stealing your valuables.  These include:

• the central control panel
• additional detection devices
• a siren or sounding device

Your central control panel is the brains of your burglar alarms as it processes critical information that is sent to it by the detection devices integrated in your system in order to decide what action it should take when the alarms are triggered.  Depending on how you have programmed your system, the siren can be triggered to go off immediately or it can be placed on a time-delayed set up.

Conversely, if your system is connected to a 24-hour monitoring service, there may be no need for a siren at all as this will not be a necessary component.  You can also use your central control panel for arming or disarming your burglar alarms by using the keypad or by using a remote device.  You can also program it to include or omit different zones within the home or around your property if you want.

There are hard-wired and wireless burglar alarms and the central control panel on the hard-wired systems is typically Read the rest of this entry »

Dispelling the myths about burglar alarms

As with any other consumer electronics product on the market, there are always myths or false claims that you will encounter when you are shopping around.  The same holds true for burglar alarms whether they are hard-wired or wireless.  From the very basic to the highly sophisticated alarms, you are going to hear a variety of “falsities” about every one of them.

Remember that your goal is to protect your family and home from the activities of a burglar and that is your sole purchase for purchasing one of the burglar alarms currently available.  Here are 7 myths that you will most likely encounter during your search:

Myth #1:  Burglar alarms are too expensive – false.  Due to technological advancements and new innovations, you are going to be surprised at how inexpensive burglar alarms are today.

Myth #2:  Only professionals should install your system – false.  The avid DIY’er can install burglar alarms if they have the necessary skills and tools to perform the job as it is not that difficult.  Besides that, this is a great way to save money.

Myth #3:  Monthly payments and a service contract are always required – false.  Although commercial burglar alarms may require Read the rest of this entry »

Before you purchase any burglar alarms here are 6 things to consider

Every year, over 2 million homes are victimized by a burglar, hence the growing popularity of burglar alarms throughout the US today.  You can purchase very basic alarms or those that are extremely sophisticated.  It all depends on one’s budget.  However, before you purchase any of these burglar alarms, here are 6 things that you want to consider before making your purchase.

Survey the home and its property – how many doors and windows do you want to integrate into your burglar alarms? Remember that 2/3 of all break-ins involve a front door or window entry.

Make a list of 3-6 burglar alarm companies in your area – always support the local economy whenever possible.  You can check with numerous agencies or your own family members as well as neighbors regarding who they might recommend.  It’s also a great way to figure out who you want to do business with and who you want to avoid.

Don’t forget about 24-hour monitoring services – granted, burglar alarms are the best first step to take for protecting your family, home, and personal property from the deeds of a burglar, but not having a monitoring service for your burglar alarms system doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Look at the lifestyle of everyone in the home – not everyone works an 8:00 am to 5:00 pm day.  Additionally, if there are Read the rest of this entry »

Is it easy to disable burglar alarms?

One of the best deterrents of keeping intruders away, burglar alarms is a necessity of every family in US today. With the rising crime rates and social instability, protection of the family and possession is on everyone’s mind. And considering that any burglar is smarter than what they were a decade ago and can disable the alarms has intensified the search for better quality burglar alarms in the market. Current statistics show that nearly every 12 to 15 seconds, there is a burglary in US. Doesn’t that sound alarming?

With advanced techniques and technological sophistications, burglar alarms have incorporated the cutting edge innovations to be fool-proof and any burglar is aware of this fact. However, to keep up with the changing technology and better security systems, they keep themselves updated so that disabling alarms is easy. Not only do they use innovative methods, but use simple solutions that actually baffle homeowners who rest peacefully thinking their homes are safe at all times.

However, the truth remains that yes, burglar alarms can be disabled by Read the rest of this entry »

Burglar alarms features to look for

Before you actually start shopping for burglar alarms, you need to be clear on two important aspects of these security systems. Check if you are aware of the types of burglar alarms available in the market and what are the features or aspects of these when you intend buying one. Additionally the two basic categories include the security alarms systems that can be installed as a DIY project and the other which requires professional installation. But if you have the skills of doing it yourself, you will be able to save on installation costs. But those who are not proficient about doing it on your own, it’s best to get a professional installer to do it.

With a variety of available burglar alarms available, you can mount them on the doorways and on the walls. This is extremely helpful as the neighbors can be alerted if Read the rest of this entry »

Tips on Troubleshooting Burglar Alarms Systems

With the level of crime and uncertainty rising all over the country, people are becoming more conscious about installing security systems and burglar alarms to safeguard their families and properties than in the past years. When the home is protected with alarms and the burglar has no clue while trying to break in, the chances are high that the intruder will try to escape or the burglar alarms monitoring company will be notified.

However to ensure that the alarm systems are working efficiently at all times, troubleshooting is an integral part of maintenance. This is a critical aspect as your system might have a few glitches that you may not be aware of and in the event of any eventuality, the system might not function as required. Another key consideration is that chances of false alarms are high when the burglar alarms system is not working properly and that can not only be frustrating but scary also. Although you can do it on your own if you have some experience with circuits or read through the burglar alarms manual.

Here are some tips to help you troubleshoot your burglar alarms system to ensure the security and safety of your family and property at all times.

Control panel: Examine the control panel and the keyboard. Apart from the battery backup, it is important to examine these critical aspects of the burglar alarms. It is important to see that the connections are wired properly with a proper connection to the power source.

Back up battery: While checking the system if the alarm does not Read the rest of this entry »

Are wireless burglar alarm systems better?

If you are shopping for burglar alarms, it is good to know that broadly categorized, they are wireless and hard-wired. The basic difference is that hard wired alarm systems can be directly connected with the electric system of the house while the wireless, as the term is, does not need any wiring. But as both work well in keeping your home safe from intruders and intimidating burglars, you can buy as per your budget. Just a few years ago, the only burglar alarms that you could buy were hard wired but with the changing technology, wireless systems have got an edge over the other.

If you want to compare and then buy, here are some of the advantages of wireless burglar alarms over the basic hard wired alarms:

Budget: It is best to first consider your budget before you go and shop around for burglar alarms. Even though the hard wired alarm systems are less expensive, the wireless ones turn out to be nearly equal, once you pay for installation and other secondary expenses.

Ease of Installation: It is easier to install wireless systems as you do not need to move around furniture or drill through walls. If you are one of those who prefers DIY projects, installing a wireless system is a breeze.

Mobility Features: If you are looking to move residences soon, wireless burglar alarms are for you. As these do not require Read the rest of this entry »

Are burglars intimidated by security systems or burglar alarms?

It is a fact that there is a break in every 15 second in US and still many individuals feel that burglar alarms are an unnecessary expense. However, with spiraling crime rates in nearly all cities of US, not having an alarm system might pose a risk to your own security. In most cases, burglars are getting smarter by the day and prefer breaking into homes that have no security cameras and burglar alarms. But, does it really intimidate an intruder? Is it enough to just have CCTV cameras and save on a security system?

Based on the personal experience of victims, security cameras have limited significance when it comes to burglaries and break-ins. But burglar is deterred more when alarms have been installed. The real reason is that basically no one sits home monitoring the security camera videos, unless of course you have a sprawling estate and have people to do it for you. Additionally, just having security cameras mounted over the wall really doesn’t scare away the intruders as much as having a good security system can.

To ensure the safety of your home, family and possessions it is best to Read the rest of this entry »

Security Steps to Take before Installing Burglar Alarms

There are numerous benefits of installing burglar alarms in homes and more homeowners are realizing the value of getting them installed at home. Not only do these alarms protect you and your family but prevent the possessions from being stolen.  Additionally, when the burglar knows that a home has alarms installed, it keeps them at bay. However, if you are contemplating buying and installing burglar alarms that are available in the market today, it is best to start taking precautions.  Noises, high security locks and CCTV cameras can be of aid when you are trying to increase the security of your home.

Here are some steps that will help you burglar proof the house, before buying and getting it installed.

Assessing the exteriors- It is important that the walls are well lit from all sides and it is best to remove any vegetation that can act as a cover for hiding.  However, it is best to do a survey on your own and look for potential weaknesses that can be used by a burglar. It is best to have proper lighting to deter the intruders as darkness is an advantage to them. Even though burglar alarms will of aid, it is best to seal the potential weaknesses in your home.

Keep a dog: Yes, the old time system of keeping off intruders still works. Even the ‘beware of dog” sign makes an intruder think twice about breaking in. If you cannot keep a dog, Read the rest of this entry »