Security Alarms - Protect Your Home and Family

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One in every six homes is burglarized in the United States every year.  Every 14 seconds someone breaks into a house, usually during the day when most people are at work.  In addition, homes without an alarm system are three times more likely to be broken into.

It’s clear that an alarm system is valuable to any home.  But with so many alarm products available, how do you know which one is right for your home, your family and your budget?

This site will explain the types of security alarms and help you find the right security system for your home.

How a Home Security Alarm System Works

At their core, all home security systems consist of a few basic components:

  • A control panel to activate or shut-off your alarm system
  • Door and window sensors to detect break-ins
  • Motion sensors to detect an intruder in or around your home
  • Sirens or alarms to scare off intruders

A home security system can also include other devices to increase the surveillance and protection of your home, such as security cameras, glass-break sensors, and motion activated lighting.

To install a security alarm system into your home, a professional needs to come to your home to install and wire all of the sensors and alarm components to your keypad and control panel.  Once this is done, you will be able to monitor your home and protect it from intruders.

There are three basic types of home security alarm systems.

  • Basic Alarm System - In the most basic home security alarm system, sensors monitor your home and sound an alarm or siren if they detect a break-in or intruder.  The alarm is designed to scare off any burglars who naturally don’t want any attention drawn to them.  Since this kind of system isn’t monitored by and outside security agency, you will be relying on your neighbors to call the police if they hear your home security alarm.  Some basic alarm systems are also equipped with flashing light to help your neighbors quickly figure out which house has sounded an alarm.
  • Centrally Monitored System - If you’d rather not depend on your neighbors to call the police when your home gets broken into, you can choose to have your security system tied to a central monitoring system.  In this setup, when your system goes off, it sends a signal directly to an operator at a nearby monitoring center.  This operator will alert the proper authorities and send them to your house.  Most home security providers offer central monitoring service for a flat monthly fee.
  • Wireless Security System - Most home alarms need to be hardwired into a home.  This involves drilling holes in the walls and running lines from any room which has an alarm component (window sensor, motion detector) to the central control system and keypad.  Running that much wire can be impractical in larger homes, and impossible for older homes with plaster walls.

In these situations, a wireless home security system is the best option.  Each component in a wireless alarm system beams a signal directly to a central control system without the need for internal wiring. These components are independently powered by a battery or nearby wall outlet, and can be positioned anywhere within range of a central control receiver.