There is a very real need to protect your property and possessions from being stolen or vandalized in this day and age, and installing an alarm is a good way to do that. An alarm can act as a deterrent to intruders and effectively protect your home or business premises when you are not there. In fact, it is a good idea to set your alarm even when you are home, particularly at night.
There are many types of alarm on the market so it's possible to find and alarm system to suit most budgets. Alarms are typically composed of some kind of detector, one or more sounders, a control pad and possibly a remote control. A remote control is useful as it allows you to activate or deactivate the alarm when you are not standing beside the control pad, and it can also act as a remote panic or duress alarm. Before you start looking at makes and models, it is advisable to determine what your security needs are. For your home and/or business you would most likely want to have either an indoor or outdoor alarm, or both, depending on your budget. It is important to distinguish between the two as they are constructed differently. Outdoor alarms, for example, are built to withstand the weather in a way that an alarm designed for indoor use is not. Another reason why you would not use an indoor alarm on the outside of a building is that the detectors of indoor alarms tend to be more sensitive and, as such, increase the possibility of false alarms from being triggered unnecessarily.
There are a number of different kinds of sensor on the market suitable for indoor alarms such as motion, contact, infrared and invisible infrared beams, and window-break sensors. In the case of outdoor alarms, electric fencing is frequently used as a first line of defense. Electric fencing forms a barrier around the perimeter of your property or premises, keeping intruders at bay by means of an electric shock. Electric fencing is usually mounted on the tops of walls or perimeter barriers in South Africa. Outdoor infrared sensors can be used to cover certain points within the grounds from where an intruder is likely to make an approach such as the side of a house or building. There is even a type of infrared sensor specifically designed for use in semi-covered outdoor areas like patios.
Alarms can be stand alone or 'closed' systems, or be monitored remotely by a contracted security company. It is preferable to take out a contract with a security company as they will respond to the activation of your alarm regardless of whether it is a false alarm or not. False alarms happen with enough frequency that an alarm going off in the neighborhood tends to be ignored, therefore, it is wise to employ a security company to respond as there is just as much likelihood of the sounding of your alarm being genuine. A final tip when selecting an alarm: make sure the alarm you choose is connected to a back-up battery and transformer-supporting system that will kick in if there is a power failure.
Once you have determined what it is you want to protect and how, it will be easier to choose an alarm from the many makes and models on the market that is tailored to suit your security needs.
Author Resource:
Verne Eliasov manages the website http://www.waynet.co.za , a site devoted to providing you with the best information about alarm
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