Burglar Alarms

Interestingly enough, the concept of burglar alarms dates back thousands of years to a time when dogs were used to warn humans of an intruder like today’s burglar.  Their barking was the alarms that alerted the people around them that something may be amiss.  After a while, people began using chimes as burglar alarms.  Today, these security systems have become extremely elaborate thanks to technological advances and innovations.

The first of these modern day burglar alarms was invented in Boston in 1852 by a gentleman named Edwin Holmes.  His design was very basic and involved the use of a tripwire which powered a solenoid with electricity and caused a gong to be struck once it was activated.  At that point in time he moved to New York to start his business.  The American Telephone and Telegraph Company purchased Holmes’ business in 1905.  By using the city’s more advanced electrical grid, AT&T was able to link a person’s alarms to local fire and police departments.

Beginning in the 1970’s, motion sensors were added to a number of burglar alarms on the market.  They employed very simple ultrasonic technology which was emitted by the sensors and then reflected back.  If a burglar entered a person’s home, and tripped one of the sensors, it would cause a change in the sound and trigger the alarms.  Further advancements in the 1980’s introduced the use of infrared technology so that sensors could avoid false positives.

Electrical components that were more sophisticated and employed superior technology enabled the advent of full home security systems.  The prices of burglar alarms began falling during the 1990’s and many companies started including the installation of these systems in the price of them.  Many of these companies also began including a monthly monitoring fee that was then paid to the service who handled that part of the equation.

Today, burglar alarms come in a variety of sizes and types based on whether you want a system that is directly wired into your home’s electrical, known as a hard-wired system or you can purchase wireless systems.  Additionally, the systems available today have integrated with a number of different safety services as well as with phone support from the companies themselves.

With all the technological advancements and innovations that have developed with burglar alarms in recent years and their declining prices, many homeowners today have a number of viable options to choose from for protecting their homes.  Although today’s burglar is smarter than what they were years ago, these alarms are still a wise decision as a means to protect one’s family and home.

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One of the interesting aspects of the home construction industry is the fact that many builders are installing burglar alarms in these newly built structures.  Once you learn how these alarms operate, they are easy to use and will protect your family and home from a burglar that would otherwise victimize you.  There are a few aspects of burglar alarms that you will need to understand initially, specifically the three basic modes of these systems.

At home setting

If you are going to be home for a while and you are positive that no one will be entering or leaving, you can set burglar alarms in the at-home mode.  If the children are running in and out through one specific door while they are playing outdoors, you can always set your system to exclude that particular zone.  That way, the alarms won’t be triggered whenever the door is opened or closed.  In most cases, a burglar will not try to enter your home if they know you are there, but it always better to be safe than sorry.

Away setting

Anytime the house is empty and will be for a considerable length of time, you should always employ the away mode setting with burglar alarms.  This mode activates your motion detectors and sensors.  Remember that if you have cats, dogs, or other pets that will be moving around freely while you are away from home you will need to install what are called pet-immune motion detectors.  These usually operate based on the weight of the animal.  So if you have a 40-pound Labrador, you will want a pet-immune motion detector for animals that weigh 40 pounds or less.

Off setting

The off mode is the third setting that basic burglar alarms employ.  This setting is not advised as it offers you no protection against a burglar entering your home and no alarms will sound.  Normally, the off mode is only used when you are frequently entering and exiting the home and the protection isn’t necessary.  This is especially true if you are having a family gathering or a party and people are using different doors during those get-togethers.

Knowing your burglar alarms and testing them

Make sure that you and your family read the burglar alarms’ manual, especially the segment on how to operate the system.  Additionally, you want to test your system once a month to ensure that it is operating properly.  Make sure that you test your motion and smoke detectors as well.

Photo via michele cat

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Many people are well aware of the purpose of burglar alarms and how they protect our families, homes, and personal property.  They also know that the noise that the alarms make will deter a burglar from breaking into a home.  Ironically, many people don’t really understand how burglar alarms actually work.  Here is a breakdown on how they work depending on the type of system you install.

Circuit alarms

The circuit principle is the most basic and common types of burglar alarms on the market today despite the growing popularity of wireless models.  There are two types of circuits – open or closed.

Open circuit – these alarms are triggered when a burglar opens a door or window which completes the electrical circuit.  The downside to open circuit burglar alarms is that if the perpetrator realizes it is this type of system, all they need to do is cut the right wires to deactivate it and enter your home without anyone noticing.

Closed circuit – these burglar alarms work in opposite fashion to open circuit systems.  If the door or window is open by the burglar, it breaks the electrical current and then triggers the alarms.

Additionally, you can use closed circuit burglar alarms to protect the perimeter of your home by surrounding your home with this type of system.  When the intruder breaks the circuit this triggers these alarms and with any luck it will cause the burglar to run away and leave your home alone.

Burglar alarms and zones

Burglar alarms are typically set up to protect “zones” within the home, the zone being a specific area that the system is protecting.  Normally, your front door is labeled zone one and your back door or other doors entering the home will be labeled as different zones.  Sliding glass doors and whatever windows you choose will be protected and labeled as additional zones.

Remember that the basic burglar alarms on the market will protect up to 8 zones in the home.  The more sophisticated systems can protect up to 32 zones, depending on your budget and what you are willing to spend to protect your family and home.  You can set up your system to exclude certain zones as well.  With wireless systems, each zone is protected with its own sensor.

When a burglar breaks in, you can usually see on your control panel’s keypad where the entry occurred.  Many individuals install the keypad in their master bedrooms so if the alarms are triggered at night when they are sleeping, they know where the break-in has happened.

Photo via quapan

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