Burglar Alarms

Burglar alarms are more popular now than ever before.  It stands to reason since the crime rate in certain areas rarely declines.  Plus, the economy is very unstable and the once passive burglar has become more aggressive and considerably more brazen, even when alarms are installed and operating properly.  Despite the fact that this is all common sense, many individuals still insist on pinching their pennies and purchase cheap burglar alarms instead of investing in a quality system.

As a result, there are a number of problems that may be encountered whenever wasting your money on a cheap system.  Remember the primary goal is the protection of your family and home, so be aware that the following issues may arise with installing cheap burglar alarms.

More vulnerability – cheap systems breed a false sense of security.  The burglar today knows the difference between a quality system versus cheap alarms, which will not deter them at all from completing their mission.  We have even heard of cases where the intruder triggered the system several times, making the homeowner think that their burglar alarms were malfunctioning and turned them off.

Delayed response times – although this isn’t always a problem of the cheap system, it is still a consideration.  The cheaper alarm companies or monitoring services won’t always contact the PD until they know that a burglar has really triggered the alarms.

False alarms – this is probably the main reason you should avoid purchasing cheap burglar alarms.  The cheaper systems do not have pet-sensitive functions or ones that work well.  If your pet wanders around the home at night when you are sleeping, they can easily trigger false alarms.  When enough of these occur, this also inhibits the response time mentioned above.

Malfunctions and poor operation – another one of the key reasons to avoid buying cheap burglar alarms is that they just don’t operate as effectively as a better quality system and numerous malfunctions are not uncommon.

Difficulty with maintenance and repairs – in some cases, the maintenance or repair of security systems is not for the average DIY’er and you should rely on a professional technician’s expertise.  In many cases, where cheap burglar alarms are in place, repair and service technicians will not work on them if you didn’t purchase the system from their company or once they realize that you ordered a substandard quality product over the internet or from a discount retailer.

Photo via coltera

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Throughout the world today, burglar alarms have become quite common in many homes.  The state of the economy combined with a rising crime rate in larger cities and metropolitan areas has increased the odds of being victimized by a burglar.  So it is easy to understand the need for installing these alarms in order to protect one’s family and home.  Advances in the technology of the better burglar alarms have also enabled the integration of other components such as flood and fire alarms.

Earlier burglar alarms

Originally, burglar alarms were not home security systems as we know them today.  Before these systems were invented, homeowners used other methods or techniques to alert them of a burglar being in the home, such as using dogs or even livestock as their warning system.  In other cases, the homeowner would place things in front of their doors that would make a noise should an intruder enter the home.

Bell burglar alarms

The first acceptable burglar alarms were invented by a British inventor named Tildesley who linked bells in a certain configuration so that they would make a noise if an intruder tripped them.  This would alert anyone who was sleeping and wake them up so that they knew that a burglar had entered their home.

Electric burglar alarms

The first electric burglar alarms were invented in the early 1850’s by a gentleman named Edwin Holmes.  Holmes actually improved upon the technology that was originally developed by Augustus Pope by obtaining his patent rights and expanding on Pope’s invention.  Holmes added a bell to Pope’s system in order to alert the owner of the home whenever a burglar opened a door or window to the home.  In the beginning, the majority of Holmes’ income came from selling his alarms to the wealthier residents of New York City.

Present day systems – over the past 160 years, burglar alarms have evolved into the sophisticated systems that we know and use today.  Advancements and innovations in technology have enabled the incorporation of other components such as fire, flood, and smoke detectors.  Additionally, these systems can be monitored by outside companies who watch over your home 24 hours a day and inform the authorities of any criminal activity that is occurring in your home whether or not you are there.

Interestingly enough, the potential for further improvements to these systems will depend on how sophisticated criminals get in the methods they use and the advancements that will be necessary to adjust to them.

Photo via O B McClintock burglar vault alarm

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One of the aspects of burglar alarms and their operation that you need to be aware of is avoiding false alarms when operating them.  Obviously, the purpose of them is to deter a burglar from breaking into your home and hopefully being able to alert the police in the process.  Interestingly enough, 80% of the false burglar alarms are caused by only 20% of the people that have them according to statistics presented by the False Alarm Reduction Association.

Suffice it to say, false burglar alarms are preventable.  They are very problematic in the fact that they prevent emergency response personnel from responding to what is a genuine emergency.  The most common causes of false alarms are broken down into 3 categories – installation and service problems, alarm system failure, and user errors.

Installation and service problems – needless to say, proper installation and set-up is critical.  If a homeowner is suspicious that their burglar alarms are not operating properly, they should notify their security system company that was responsible for the installation of it.  Preventative maintenance is a must and will oftentimes help you to avoid any false alarms so that if a burglar tries to break into your home, the property authorities are alerted accurately.

Alarm system failure – as a homeowner, one of your primary responsibilities is to inspect your system on a regular basis.  You want to make sure that the magnets or switches on your doors and windows are functioning properly so that a false alarm isn’t triggered.  It is recommended that you test your system no less than once monthly and don’t forget to check your battery back-up system as well.  As the old saying goes, “it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

User error – as was mentioned above, 80% of all the false alarms are committed by only 20% of these burglar alarms end users and a key point here is that user error is a big part of those statistics.  One of the first things you need to do once the system has been installed and is fully operational is to thoroughly educate everyone in the home who is going to be using it.  User error can also involve moving objects that falsely trigger the alarm such as balloons or curtains hung in drafty areas of the home.  You also want to make sure that sensors are placed in unobstructed areas.

Photo via mv4

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One of the best steps to take in order to protect your family, home, and possessions is with the installation of burglar alarms.  There is a greater likelihood that a burglar will avoid your home if they know there are alarms present.  However, something you need to consider is that numerous false burglar alarms will work against you.  Here are some tips to prevent triggering them.

Anyone with a key to the home should know how the system works – typically, most false burglar alarms are triggered when the system is being turned on and off repeatedly.  It is important to know that the system ready prior to activating it.  Make sure you verify with everyone who operates the system that they fully understand these and other key issues.

Preventative maintenance is a must – in addition to your regular monthly system checks, you should have professional maintenance done on your burglar alarms every 24 months at most according to the SIAC (Security Industry Alarm Coalition).  They also recommend that batteries for the system be replaced every 3 years, even if they still appear to be operating properly.

Eliminate moving objects that could set the system off – and if you have pets, you’ll need a system that enables you to reduce the sensitivity of the sensors based on the weight of the animal.  Objects that can falsely trigger burglar alarms include balloons or curtains that have been mounted in areas that are continually drafty.

Consider employing Enhanced Call Verification procedures – this type of feature enables the alarm monitoring company to call you at home and verify that it is a true emergency.  If they are unable to contact you, they will notify your local police department immediately.

If you are changing anything in the home your burglar alarms company should be notified – for instance, if you are planning a remodeling project that will affect the system’s operation, you should inform the company that is monitoring it.  Additionally, if you are planning on switching to internet phone service they should be notified of this as well as if you are suspicious of improper operation of the system.

Never use your panic button instead of dialing 911 – the only time you should use the panic button is if you cannot access your telephone during an emergency situation.  Remember that using that panic button excessively could constitute a false alarm and cost you money in fines.

Photo via ell brown

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