Burglar Alarm Systems: How They Work and What They Do

Since our homes are not guarded by moats and drawbridges which used to serve as one’s primary defense against intruders, we have to develop and install something that conveniently serves the same purpose. The best home security systems used today can do the same thing, without the ancient dramatics and with more efficiency.

A home alarm system is a series of sensors that do something. They can tell when a door has been opened, they can tell when a pane of glass has been broken or when a window has been opened. They can see, hear and sense intruders. And when all these elements are put together and connected to a control panel, which in turn is connected to a central monitoring station, you have the ideal system. When you are in the process of building a new home, the ideal security products will be hard wired. If the system is being installed as a retrofit, wireless sensors are best. Regardless of whether the system is wired or wireless, the end result is the same – A signal that announces an attempted break in.

The best home alarm systems are dedicated to the detection of an intrusion and usually consist of door and window sensors, motion detectors, and in advanced systems, CCTV cameras. It is not necessary to stop at protecting your home, your family and your possessions from burglars; you can also protect them from fire and flooding.

Burglar alarms usually work within a zone and their efficiency depends on the zone, the time of day and other aspects which are considered to be important during installation. The system will initiate specific actions depending on the zone and time and can be instructed to do a number of different things – anything from ringing a local alarm to calling the police, fire department or other emergency numbers.

A typical example of a zone alarm is flooding. The sensor can indicate to the control panel that it is to be the homeowner that is called rather than the police. The homeowner is then at liberty to return home or immediately contact a plumber. All alarms are valid and the actions that are required from responders are different. The alarm system must know when to call the police, the fire department or the homeowner. The best security systems will understand what is required and will communicate effectively.