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
