Picking a Home Security System

by Dan Grushkin
dan.grushkin@abouthomesecurity.com

Home security systems, the safety of your belongings and your family, are some things you should spend a lot of time considering when you decide how you want to secure your household. There are numerous home security systems out there and the choice you make needs to be the right one for your home.

Home security systems come in many forms, but they all share the same three basic components. There's the keypad/control box that you use to control the security system. This acts as the brains of the system.

There are the various types of sensors placed around your house. These act as the detectors in your house. Finally, there is the announcer. The announcer reports the intrusion by either a ringing an alarm or sometimes sending an automatic signal to the police.

Perimeter Detectors

Many homes have perimeter detectors, devices that are put on your doors and windows that detect whether someone has infiltrated. There are several methods of securing your entry points.

A good home security system starts with having heavy doors and window locks. Often windows are lined with electronic tape, a kind of foil that conducts the electric current from the control box.

If a window is broken, the foil breaks and the electric circuit is broken, thus signaling the alarm. Many home owners use magnetic switches on their windows as an alternative, which are less apparent and slightly less inexpensive.

Space Detectors

Other home owners also use space detectors in their home security system. Space detectors use several technologies sometimes alone and sometimes in unison. Most employ motion sensors. Motion sensors use infrared, microwave or even sonic waves to detect movement in secured areas of the house.

Final Thoughts

Home security systems can range from very simple and inexpensive to extremely sophisticated and highly expensive. It's ultimately up to you and your budget to decide what kind of system suits you.

About the Author
Dan Grushkin is freelance writer in Brooklyn, New York. He has written about world affairs for Agence France-Presse news wire, various international publications and has contributed to a book on the Middle East crisis. Dan holds a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.