A Home Burglar Alarm Can Greatly Enhance the Security of Your Home
The wireless door/window transmitters are mounted near doors or windows and monitor a set of contacts that tell if the door or window is opened. If the alarm system is armed, and a door or window is opened, the transmitter sends a signal to the base unit. The base unit can then sound an audible alarm, or silently dial a set of pre-programmed phone numbers and report a break-in. Most localities will not allow you to call the police directly, but you can program the unit to call you at work, and perhaps a neighbor, then one of you can contact the police to report a break-in.
For a relatively small monthly fee, you could also have the unit call a professional alarm monitoring company, who could then contact the police. If you get a unit with a loud audible alarm and program it to sound immediately, chances are the burglar will be gone when the police get there.
The PIR motion alarm(s) can be mounted in larger rooms or hallways, and will trigger the alarm when they detect motion in the area they are covering. These can be useful if a burglar manages to bypass a door or window contact and gains access. These units are adjustable to reduce the possibility of false-triggering by pets.
Door and windows transmitters are battery-powered, so there are no power wires to run when installing them. The PIR detectors are usually battery powered as well. The location of the base unit needs to be considered carefully — It needs to be close to the door you normally use for entry, must have power run to it, and must connect to the telephone line.
Most wireless home burglar alarm systems can be programmed with several numbers to dial. In addition, the alarm mode is usually selectable. For example you can choose to have a completely silent alarm, which simply dials the phone numbers to report a break-in. Or you can choose to have an audible only alarm, or program the unit to sound the audible alarm as well as dial the numbers. The last option is likely the one you will want to use, since it will both alert the police and draw attention to the burglar.
Another feature of most wireless home burglar alarm systems is that the person receiving the call will have the option or disarming or rearming the system. If the person chooses not to disarm the system, it will continue to dial the phone numbers that have been programmed into it.
Another aspect of a home burglar alarm system is that it may save you money on your homeowner’s insurance. Many insurance companies offer a discount to people who install an alarm system in their home, particularly if they choose to use a monitoring service. Check with your insurance agent before purchasing a system to see what the requirements are with your insurance policy.
A home burglar alarm system is a good investment — it can pay for itself if it prevents even a single burglary, since a good burglar can make off with thousands of dollars worth of your possessions in a single visit.