Types of burglar alarm systems
Firstly, you need to decide what you would like to happen when your alarm goes off:
Bells-only alarms make a noise, but don't contact anyone (such as the police or you).
Dialler burglar alarms automatically dial your phone number, or that of nominated friends and family, when the alarm is triggered.
Smart home-security systems contact you or family members when the alarm goes off through a smartphone or tablet app.
A monitoring contract means you pay a company monthly or annually to take action or call the police if the alarm goes off.
Scroll down for more information on each of these options. Costs vary between the different alarm types; visit our page on burglar alarm costs to find out more about pricing and getting the best deal, including insider tips from installers and our survey of burglar alarm owners.
For ratings of big-name burglar alarm brands, such as ADT, Honeywell, and Yale, based on the experiences of 2,083 alarm owners*, visit our guide to the best burglar alarm brands.
Wireless burglar alarms
The second decision you'll need to make is whether to opt for a wireless alarm system or a traditional wired one. Wireless alarms use battery-powered sensors that communicate with a control panel using radio signals.
These alarms tend to look nicer and are generally easier to install - you can often do it yourself. You can easily add additional sensors, and removing the system when you move house is a lot less tricky than for wired versions.
However, wireless systems are usually more expensive, and you will need batteries for all components, such as the control panel and all sensors.
Wireless alarms look nicer but are more expensive.
Wired systems, on the other hand, need wires running to each of the sensors to work - more than half of the people we surveyed have a wired alarm (52%). These systems may be cheaper to buy, but they are more expensive to have installed: the wires need to be hidden away, so labor costs are higher.
Find out more about the installation process, and the costs, by visiting our guide to choosing a burglar alarm installer.
Bells-only wireless burglar alarm
When a bells-only alarm (also called an audible alarm) is triggered, it makes a loud noise, which will hopefully alert someone in the area to the situation and/or scare off an intruder. 57% of the people we spoke to own one of these types of alarms.
However, unlike a monitored, dialler or smart alarm, it won't automatically contact a named person or the police, so there is no guarantee that any action will be taken if you're out.
Bells-only alarms won't alert you if they go off.
It's worth thinking about the kind of area you live in before deciding to get a bells-only alarm. Is there an active neighborhood watch that gives you confidence that someone will call the police in an emergency? If not, do you have friends and relatives who live close by who you could count on to take action?
You can install one of these alarms yourself, or you can pay a one-off fee to have it installed by a professional.
Pros
You don't have to pay for a monitoring contract (read more on these below).
Having an alarm, no matter what type, can help to deter a burglar.
You can install it yourself.
Cons
You won't be alerted when your alarm goes off unless someone nearby hears it and knows how to contact you.
Without anyone to stop a break-in, the alarm on its own may not deter burglars.
We've spoken to former burglars to find out which security measures are more likely to prevent a burglary. Read do burglar alarms and CCTV work? to find out what they had to say.
Dialler burglar alarm
If you're not comfortable with the idea of relying on a neighbour to let you know if your alarm goes off, you could consider a dialler alarm, also called an auto dialler.
With these alarms, the dialler will contact you, or nominated friends and family, when your alarm is triggered. This means that you or they can then contact the police or ask a neighbour to investigate the issue.
A dialler alarm will contact you or nominated friends and family if the alarm is triggered.
Most dialler alarms allow you to programme a list of between three and 10 phone numbers, which will be called in the priority order you've set. The first person it successfully contacts is able to stop the rest of the numbers from being contacted.
Some more hi-tech models can also alert you if there is a fire or flood in your home, or connect to a panic button.
There are two types of dialler alarm:
Speech diallers use your phone line to call the numbers you have assigned. This means you'll need to have a landline, and wires connecting it to the alarm.
GSM diallers use mobile network signals, so you don't need a phone line and there's no need to run wires. But you will have to buy a Sim card and make sure it's topped up with enough credit to make the calls when needed. You'll also need to make sure your home has a strong mobile phone signal before you go ahead.
Burglar alarms and home security
- Emmaeva9018
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- Joined: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:02 am
Re: Burglar alarms and home security
You provided valuable information. Thank you. Home security has started to gain great importance today. I think everyone should read this article.
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- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:48 am
Re: Burglar alarms and home security
Shop for burglar home alarm system & security devices at best prices only at Godrej. Buy this anti theft alarm system now & keep your home safe & secured ...According to research, yes! Studies have shown that roughly 60% of burglars looking to target a building would in fact be deterred by an intruder alarm system, and most burglars agree that hearing an actual alarm would be enough for them to leave a home immediately.All burglar alarm systems have a dedicated alarm control panel. The control panel is the brain of the system – everything is wired to or wirelessly connected to the control panel.