Considerations
Do-It-Yourself security products include alarm packages, voice dialers, fire detectors, home automation, glass break detectors, keypads, medical alerts, motion detectors, specialty detectors, sirens, video cameras, and window/door sensors. Vander Wiede says outline your goals before selecting an alarm system. Ask yourself if you want an alarm system with all the bells and whistles or a simple, inexpensive model? Will children use the alarm system?
Many home burglar alarm system packages come pre-programmed with a basic home layout. Intella-Home, Inc., says packages include a wiring diagram, installation manual and user manual. The homeowner inputs his specific codes and wires the alarm to window and door sensors or zones within the home. Most packages also include motion detectors and optional phone hook-ups. Most wireless alarm system packages include pet-smart/pet immunity motion detectors and a wireless ready alarm keypad.
Alarm Detectors
Fire and smoke detectors can be added to monitored security alarm systems. These alarms will not only awaken you, but will call the fire department. A residential smoke and heat detector with wireless transmitters is good for hard-to-wire locations such as cathedral ceilings.
Glass break detectors work best with wired security alarms and are acoustically designed to detect breaking glass.
Motion detectors can be mounted on walls, in corners or on ceilings to protect areas.
Specialty detectors include combustible gas detectors for natural and bottled gas and carbon monoxide security alarm sensors.
Other Products
If there isn’t a land-line phone in the home and an alarm monitoring system is not desired, consider buying a security alarm voice dialer that delivers voice and numeric messages to your phone, cell phone and pagers in your own voice. A two-way cellular communications center connects to any security alarm panel and can be used with an existing phone line.
Wireless security cameras provide indoor/outdoor surveillance and remote monitoring for home and business. Some cameras come with built-in microphones to enable users to listen in on an area. Camera systems can help users to observe and listen to individuals at your home or business.
Personal alert alarms are designed for persons living alone or for those with a medical condition. The wired base plugs into any telephone jack and an electrical outlet, and the user wears a water-resistant alert pendant. A wireless wanderer alert system tags individuals, such as Alzheimer’s patients who are prone to wander, and products such as an unsecured riding lawnmower. A wireless pendant is attached to the patient or product with a nonremovable band, and it sends a continuous signal to the alarm unit. No monitoring fee is required.