There are a lot of views and options available for home security systems. There is obviously a personal preference involved for both the
As a homeowner you would, broadly, want to look for an alarm system that is not badly priced (I’m avoiding saying cheap or economical because that would not be accurate). In most cases, alarms are priced in such a way that you get what you pay for. A cheaper model will be reflected in the lack of features, and may even fail you when it’s needed. A highly priced using may have many features that might never get used and will end up being a waste of money.
The features that you will want as a bare minimum are;
- ease of use; the unit should be easily set and unset and reprogrammed. A difficult unit to use will typically fall into disuse
- have a battery back up that works; make sure you test the unit’s battery back up, and how long it actually works for. What’s the period of time you would expect it to work for?
- include a way of remotely contacting you or a security control room in the event of an alarm. The most practical method currently is a wifi tie-in that will alert an app on your phone. Be aware these often fail in the event of a power outage, so look for a mobile sim card back up.
- be discrete; an obvious alarm could be a target for a vandal, especially if it is a popular model where instructions might exist to dis-arm without the correct codes (not common, but this is possible with some models)
- reviews that might tell you of occasions where a model alarm has dissuaded a potential thief or foiled an attempted burglary
- types of detectors and how they work; a combination of motion and infra-red is most popular, but you may also want to look at switches on accessible doors and windows to detect when they open, or even cameras that activate and record when movement is detected.
And for an installer, the following considerations are some that would be taken into account;
- how easy or hard is the installation – some alarm systems are just not compatible with a particular property type; this could be practical concerns such as availability of power, or considerations based on appearance. An important consideration is – can remote detectors be wired in, or can wireless signals make it through walls and bulkheads
- can the eventual user be easily shown how to use the alarm system; there is no point in installing a system that will never get used because the user is not able to work it out
- does the system have the features that minimally will be needed; ensure the system has all the detectors that will actually be required, and not leave obvious blind spots that could allow a burglar easy access.
- Can the system be upgraded if needed without too much difficulty, this could include firmware of hardware upgrades, and can it be maintained if there is a problem without a problem; as the original installer you may not be the person doing later maintenance, so can the unit be located and accessed. Consider user type maintenance, such as regularly changing batteries and so on.
There is a probably long list of other points that a user or installer may want to consider when installing a new alarm system, but the ones I have listed here are the ones that I would consider are the most important, and will possibly help you to think of some others that you may find necessary too.
And since we are in the subject, here are a few points that I think may have a very much lesser importance, or are even downright wrong. Take this under advisement though – don’t take my general advice to heart and find that it was actually something really important for your set up.
- trying to save money on minor points; a cheaper sensor that doesn’t cover a whole room could be a serious mistake. Spend a little more and get the one that covers the whole space.
- getting a cheap security system; while I’m not advocating that you overspend, don’t look for the cheapest on the market either. I have heard far too many stories of the dirt cheap security systems just not working when they were needed
- take all of the advice of the alarm salesman. Do your own research and speak to a few experts before committing
- get a system installed or sold to you by someone you are not personally sure about; if you feel you can’t trust the company you are buying from – don’t go ahead with them. The reasons should be fairly obvious
- be cautious about monitoring plans – these can be a great idea, and will provide you peace-of-mind to ensure you have a complete service provided, but look at exactly what you are getting, is it what you expect, is the pricing competitive, what term is the contract, can you get out of it if it doesn’t work out
Follow these points and you should find yourself more secure and trusting your security system.
Is there something else you feel is important? Let me know what you think.