What To Look For When Choosing An Alarm System

With so many different variations and types of burglar alarms on the market, it can be daunting when it comes to finding the right one for you and for your property. There are many factors to take into consideration, but taking the time to think them all through and come up with a list of must haves when it comes to your new alarm system will give you a good start when it comes to choosing the one that you eventually have installed. Here are some ideas to get you thinking when it comes to looking for an alarm system.

 

Wireless or Wired?

There are two main types of alarm system which are then broken down into other sections. Starting with deciding which of the two main types of system you want or need will eliminate some of your potential choices, making the entire process quicker and easier.

 

These two main options are wireless or wired alarm systems. There are pros and cons to each, so it will depend on what you are looking for. Take wired alarms, for example. These are more complicated to install and will certainly need a professional – the wires have to be hidden and the wiring work is rather specialist. This makes choosing a wired system more expensive when it comes to installation due to the labour involved. However, because a wired system requires less maintenance and is more sturdy and robust in general, it is cheaper to run it once it is installed.

 

Wireless alarms can, if you are proficient enough at DIY, be installed yourself cutting down on costs from the start. They are battery powered, so you will need to ensure that the batteries haven’t run out and test the unit regularly – plus you’ll need to change the batteries as soon as they stop working otherwise you’ll have no alarm. Another bonus of wireless systems is that they are portable so if you move you can take it with you.

 

Bells Only or A Contact System?

Some alarms are a ‘bells only’ system. This means that they will make a lot of noise (ideally scaring anyone off who might have broken in, or attempted to do so). However, these types of units won’t contact anyone such as the police or a key holder. They work well when there are friendly neighbours or a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the area who will take a look at the property if they hear the alarm sounding. Otherwise, if you’re in a rural area or there is no one to check and see what is happening, a bells only alarm system may not help because no one (other than the burglar) will know about it.

 

There are alarm systems that incorporate a contact system. These can vary and will depend on how you – or the person you nominate – want to be contacted. Some alarm systems will send out a text alert to let the homeowner or key holder know that the alarm has been activated, for example. Others will have the information routed through to a central call centre who will phone your home when they are told the alarm is going off and ask for a password to ensure that it is the homeowner who answers the phone. If there is no response or the password is unknown or incorrect, the call centre will contact the police or another key holder depending on the contract that the owner has taken out.

 

CCTV?

It is possible to combine your alarm system with a CCTV system to give you complete control over your home – and complete peace of mind too. A burglar will certainly think twice about even attempting to get inside a house that has both an alarm system and a CCTV camera on it; in fact, they probably won’t even want to get near just in case.

 

If you need help choosing a suitable alarm or CCTV system for your home or business then get in touch with us today.