Installing a security alarm system is a fundamental step to protect your home, family, and business from a variety of threats. The security assurance comes with peace of mind, allowing you to concentrate on your day-to-day activities with the knowledge that your home is under watch. Additionally, it’s now possible to monitor the situation at your home remotely with the incorporation of smart security devices. This said, an effective security alarm system should have the following elements:
- Control Panel
The control panel serves as the “brain” of the security system. The control panel determines when to sound the alarm or contact an emergency authority.
Moreover, cables running through your system enter and leave the panel. Typically, it’s installed in a secure place such as the basement or a utility closet to prevent any malicious tampering. Besides, the package consists of a circuit board and battery pack, all put in one box. Notably, several security companies have evolved their services to incorporate online and remote control, consequently, eliminating the need to install an on-site panel.
- Sensors
A sensor detects a threat and sends a signal to the control panel which determines the next appropriate action. There are several types of sensors that you can employ in your system. Door and window sensors will trigger an alarm when someone opens your door or window. Additionally, you may consider adding a glass break sensor to detect vibrations and noise of glass shattering. It’s recommendable to connect the smoke sensor, motion detector, and water sensor to your alarm system.
- Keypad
A keypad offers you essential control over your alarm system. You should use it to deactivate or activate the system. Moreover, a keypad features a panic button to summon the monitoring company immediately. It’s highly advisable to install more than one keypad in your home. This will allow you to control your system from several sections of the room. Additionally, several data input devices ensure that you still have control over your system when an intruder tampers with one of them.
- Output Devices
The conventional output devices for security alarm systems are the strobe lights and siren/horn. A horn serves to alert your neighbors about an emergency in your home and also scare away burglars and intruders. Strobe lights can also notify your neighbors about the activation of your alarm system. Besides, strobes are fundamental visual devices to warn people with hearing impairments of a security breach. Hence, you may install a strobe inside or outside your home, depending on your intended purpose. Nonetheless, consider mounting a siren/horn outside your home.
- Central Monitoring Service
An alarm company offers central monitoring services to enhance the effectiveness of your alarm system. The service comes between your system and the emergency authority and serves to assess and verify alarm triggers before contacting the authorities. This helps to avoid contacting authorities in case of false alarms which can be caused by user error.
Conclusion
A security alarm system protects your home or business from burglary, theft, intrusion, and fire among other hazards. It works by triggering a siren or sending alerts to the appropriate authority. An effective system should have a control panel, keypad(s), and sensors among other elements outlined above.