Burglar Alarms - A Homeowner's Guide

Within about the last 10 years or so, the home security sector has experience some great leaps in innovation. In order to understand home burglar alarms better, you should start your examination at the most fundamental level. In simple terms, a burglar alarm is just an electric circuit that is built into the entry of a home or office building. The said circuit acts as a holder of electricity, thus allowing a straight pathway between 2 points (of opposite charge) where the electrical current can flow.

If you were to open a section of a circuit, this would change the path and disrupt the electric flow. Alternatively, if you were to open a circuit, you are actually allowing the electricity to flow freely. For example, in a closed-circuit burglar alarm system, the circuit is closed while the points of entry remain closed. When you turn on your alarm you are actually starting a new stream of electricity that can flow through the closed circuit. When a door is opened, the circuit is broken, the electrical current stops, and the alarm is triggered.

An alternative to guarding each individual window and door in your home would be to use motion and heat detectors for added protection. The specific type of sensor that needs to be installed is dependent on the environmental change that will trigger the alarm. Some sensors are triggered when then notice that someone has broken a beam of light, others are able to sense disturbances by looking at radar reflection patterns or a sudden spike in temperature that looks like body heat. However, like anything else, these sensors also have their cons (ie. false alarms).

This information is only intended to explain the logic behind a tradition alarms system, at its most basic level. There are a plethora of hi-tech upgrades that one may choose to use. For this reason, it is best to research a specific area once you have a better idea of what kind of system you are interested in. For instance, companies can now build the electric circuits right into your window glass using foil wire. Your alarm would then sound as soon as the glass is broken. Also, some burglar alarm systems can control lights in your home so that they come on and off randomly. This feature can trick criminals into thinking you are home.

Another thing to consider is the wireless trend that will inevitably become mainstream as time goes on. Wireless burglar alarms have the advantage of being more cost effective because of their easy installation. You can also take your burglar alarm system with you when you move to a new home, this alone is enough for some home owners to opt for a wireless solution. Wireless systems may one day eliminate the need for old fashioned hard-wired systems completely.