Stickers
Home alarm systems usually need stickers or signs so that would-be burglars know that the home is protected by a burglar system, which will deter many burglars from entering the home.
Door Sensors
Alarms have door sensors that detect when a door opens, setting off an alarm. You must have an alarm installed on every entrance to the home. Some of these sensors are hidden so that the burglar does not know where the alarm sensors are. However, there are also window sensors that are visible. Homeowners can have the alarm sensors prewired into the door and then have the sensors installed after the doors are finished.
Window Sensors
Window sensors serve the same role as the door sensors, eliminating a place where potential burglars can break into the home. The sensors should all connect to a single system since installing a system in each window can become very expensive. Drilling into the window can void the warranty on the home. However, the homeowner can use very strong double-sided tape to stick the alarm onto the window. Window break sensors are available for when a burglar tries a more forceful entry into a home.
Motion Sensors
Motion detector sensors set off an alarm when the sensor detects movement in the home. Homeowners usually wait until they go to bed to activate the motion detectors. Normally, homeowners do not install the motion detectors upstairs since the occupants can easily set off the motion detector when they go to the bathroom. Homeowners usually install these motion detectors in the corners so that they can capture the broadest range of motion. They are generally installed in the most important rooms in the home to cut costs.
Alarm Network
Many times an alarm system is connected to a network of professionals who monitor the alarm system and send police when an alarm system is triggered. However, they usually call before sending the police and ask for a code word so that the police are not unnecessarily sent to a home during a false alarm.
Control Panel
Alarm systems usually have a control panel with a keypad so that the owners can program the alarm and also turn on and shut off the alarm using a code that the homeowners memorize. Some homes have multiple control panels so that homeowners do not have to rush to the control panel on the other side of the house when entering the home through a different doorway.
Wiring
Home alarm systems must have wiring that runs throughout the home to control the main control panel to all of the sensors. Sometimes, a stranded wire can come loose in a home alarm system and cause the wires to short circuit, which can cause the alarm system to stop functioning. Therefore, many homeowners and home alarm technicians prefer solid copper wires.