How to pick the best security system for your home

Carbon monoxide detectors, also known as CO detectors, are little security devices that do not cost much, but could just save your life and the lives of your loved ones. If you don’t know much about carbon monoxide or the dangers of it, it’s important that you read further to find out.

What is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and extremely toxic gas. Common sources of carbon monoxide are car exhausts, improperly vented furnaces, gas stoves, clothes dryers, space heaters, water heaters, and more. Security devices such as carbon monoxide detectors are extremely useful in detecting dangerous levels of this gas when installed properly inside of a home.

How important is it to have the carbon monoxide detectors in your home monitored?

Stand-alone CO detectors are great security devices to have in a home, but having monitored CO detectors is ultimately the best way to go, especially in homes where the elderly or children reside. Think about it, if your children or elderly parents or grandparents are in the home alone, would they know how to react to an alarm coming from your CO detector?

By entrusting an alarm monitoring company to monitor the CO detectors and any other security devices in your home, you can rest assured that if a carbon monoxide leak or any emergency arises, you and your loved ones will have access to immediate help, 24-hours per day, 7 days per week.

Can being exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide cause death?

Unfortunately, the answer is yes. In fact, approximately 2,100 carbon monoxide deaths and over 10-thousand carbon monoxide injuries are reported each year in the United States alone. Since death and injuries caused by carbon monoxide poisoning can be prevented with the use of CO detectors, all families should be proactive and install these life-saving security devices in their homes now.

One of the top questions most people ask when they begin to compare home security systems is whether a hardwired security system is cheaper than a wireless system is. There really is no clear-cut answer to this question. In fact, there are many factors that need to be considered when pricing a security system for a home, as you will see below.

Hardwired or Wireless?

Keep in mind as you compare home security systems that prices between the two types of systems are actually quite comparable. It’s everything else that goes along with an alarm system that affects the pricing, such as how many devices you choose and how those devices will be installed. Before you compare home security systems, it helps to have an idea of how much coverage you need so you know more or less how many devices you may be required to purchase.

Hardwired security alarm installations can get quite complex and are best left in the hands of the professionals. When you compare home security systems, keep in mind that having a professional install a hardwired system may not come cheap, but paying a pro to install your new hardwired system for you will ensure that the installation is done correctly and your home alarm will work when you need it most.

As you start to compare home security systems, you may notice that many more alarm companies are offering wireless alarm installations over hardwired installations. Most wireless alarm installations go in easier and quicker than hardwired installations do, which generally results in lower labor costs if a professional is doing the installation. Knowing this information will make it easy for you to compare home security systems, wireless versus hardwired.

Hybrid Home Security Alarm Systems

Security systems that are capable of using hardwired and wireless devices are known as hybrid alarm systems. Hybrid alarm systems are very popular these days, and for good reason. If you want both hardwired and wireless devices in your home, a hybrid home security alarm system would be a great option.

Some individuals choose to go hardwired all throughout their home, and then they add wireless devices in areas where running wire may not be feasible. Others choose to protect their home with a completely hardwired system, but select the hybrid panel in order to take advantage of wireless options such as key fobs and portable panic buttons. Hybrid panels are offered by many home security companies and can be the perfect solution for those who just cannot decide what type of home security alarm system they want in their home, hardwired or wireless.

What Home Alarm System is the Right Choice for You?

Both systems do a great job at providing security to a home; however, not all home alarm systems will work the same for everyone. It is important when deciding on a security system for your home that you evaluate your individual circumstances.

• Are you renting a home? If so, wireless home alarm systems are ideal for renters.
• Do you want special features such as a wireless panic button or medical button? Choose wireless.
• Do you want proven durability and longevity? Consider a hardwired home alarm system.
• Is your home currently under construction? Many builders and home security companies pre-wire home alarm systems in new construction homes quite frequently. This eliminates many worries associated with running wires in the home after the walls are closed up.

Can’t Decide?

When you cannot decide whether you should go wireless or install a hardwired alarm system, consider having a hybrid alarm system installed in your home. What is a hybrid alarm system? Hybrid systems have the capability to utilize both wired and wireless devices on them. Home alarm systems such as the hybrid system make an excellent choice for those wanting the reliability of a hardwired security system, but enjoy having the flexibility that wireless alarm systems offer.

Of course, having any alarm system installed in a home is 100% better than having no alarm system at all. It is nice to have options and today’s home alarm systems offer more features and options than ever before.

DIY or Use a Professional?

Now that you know how to compare home security systems, you may ask yourself if you should install your new alarm system on your own or have a professional alarm installer do it for you. DIY home alarms are inexpensive and make a great option for those who want to tackle the project of securing their home on their own, but a DIY alarm install isn’t a project for everyone—even a simple DIY wireless alarm installation.

If you have chosen to compare home security systems to find the lowest price on a system to secure your home with, a DIY home alarm may just be your best option. However, if you feel more comfortable having your new system installed by a professional, don’t settle on a DIY option just because it is the lowest priced. Take more time out to compare home security systems and you will surely find one to fit both your needs and your budget.

Owning your own condominium can be rewarding, and keeping it safe and secure with a wireless security system is easy. Remember, certain areas outside of your condo may be considered common areas that are shared with fellow residents in your condo community, so it is very important to choose wisely when selecting alarm equipment for your new home alarm system.

A hardwired security system is generally a good fit for a single-family residence, unless there are obstacles to overcome during the installation, such as high ceilings or lack of crawlspace for wire runs, in which case a wireless security system would be ideal.

Some condo owners, on the other hand, do not all have the luxury of deciding which system they want to install: a hardwired or a wireless security system. This is simply because most condominiums are set up in a way that wire runs may not be easy, e.g., no attic to run wire through. If wire runs are possible, the next obstacle a condo owner may face is getting the condo board’s approval to install a hardwired alarm system in their unit.

Not only does installing a hardwired security system involve skilled low voltage electrical work, it consists of drilling holes in walls to mount alarm equipment and running wires to areas where protection is desired. A wireless security system does not require any holes to be drilled to mount alarm devices, there are no complicated wire runs, and no electrical work needs to be performed whatsoever.

Many condo owners have made the decision to go without any local sound on their home alarms and opt to have their wireless security system monitored instead. While sound is certainly a deterrent, nothing beats having an alarm monitoring center there 24/7 to take swift action in the event your home alarm system should ever activate.

Thousands of condos are broken into each day. There is something that you can do to help keep yours safe. Start here by getting free condo alarm quotes for a new wireless security system and get your condo the protection that it deserves today.

Burglars are a lot smarter these days. They figured out that if they cut the phone lines to a home that is connected to a 24/7 alarm monitoring company that the communications would seize. They would be able to break in, burglarize the home, and be on their way without the monitoring center ever getting a signal. What the burglars didn’t expect was the security companies to come back with an even better way to monitor an alarm system; a way that would allow it to be monitored without the need of a phone line. That way came in the form of cellular alarm monitoring.

Importance of Cellular Alarm Monitoring

Years ago, most high-security places such as jewelry stores and banks needed a way for their alarm systems to communicate in the event that their phone lines were cut during a robbery. Some insurance companies even required some sort of phone line protection in order to extend insurance coverage to many of these businesses. Security companies quickly began offering cellular radio monitoring as a back-up alarm monitoring service that would kick in if the phone line was ever cut.

Depending on how the system was programmed, the central station monitoring the alarm system would either get a signal as soon as a burglar tampered with the phone line or they would get a signal from the cellular radio once the burglar attempted to break in through a protected zone. While this type of alarm monitoring service was very reliable, it was mainly only used in businesses that needed the back-up protection and were willing to pay higher fees for the service.

Evolution of Cellular Alarm Monitoring

Over time, as individuals started migrating to VoIP home phone service or getting rid of their phone service altogether, the need for another method of primary alarm transmission became apparent. Suddenly, more businesses and homes began using cellular alarm monitoring as the primary way for their alarm system to communicate with their security monitoring center. As the demand grew for this type of technology, more security companies started offering cellular alarm monitoring, and the prices for the service became more competitive.

Though the home security industry has been utilizing cellular technology for quite some time now, having an alarm monitored via a cellular radio has become more popular nowadays than it has ever been. Not only are more and more thieves still disabling phone lines in an attempt to cut off a home from its alarm monitoring company, homeowners are dropping their phone lines in record numbers. The best way to solve both of these issues is to have an alarm monitored via a cellular radio. Cellular alarm monitoring is not only inexpensive these days, it is also very effective!

By now you know that a monitored home alarm is one of the best ways to help keep your home protected and your loved ones safe. But did you know that there are many other benefits that come with home security monitoring?

Home Insurance Discounts

Insurance companies are aware that monitored burglar alarms are great deterrents that help keep burglars out of homes, which ultimately helps keep home burglary claims low. As a result, having an alarm system installed in your home and monitored by a home security monitoring center could save you money on your homeowner’s insurance policy.

Peace of Mind

By having a home security monitoring company look out for your home 24/7, 365 days per year, you sleep better at night knowing that you and your family are protected in the event an intruder tries to break in, a fire breaks out unexpectedly, or the carbon monoxide levels in your home get dangerously high.

Pet Protection

If danger should strike while you are home, you have the capability to pick up the phone and call 911 for help. Your pets, on the other hand, do not have that option. If a fire breaks out or carbon monoxide levels get dangerously high in your home when you are not there, your home security monitoring center will receive the signal and get help to your home right away.

Increased Sense of Security

It doesn’t matter if you are home asleep in your bed, down the street running an errand, or on the other side of the country on vacation, you can feel confident knowing that if you armed your alarm system before you left, your home security monitoring center will be looking out for your home and will alert authorities in the event someone tries to break into it.

When it comes to securing a home, homeowners have many choices. They can choose from a large variety of hardwired and wireless alarm systems, or they even have the option to install a hybrid alarm system, which consists of both hardwired and wireless devices, if they wanted to.

Renters, on the other hand, do not have that luxury. They have one choice really—install a wireless security alarm or go without an alarm system in their rental apartment or home altogether.

Since wireless alarm systems require no drilling of holes and no wire runs in order to be installed in rental apartments, landlords are much more willing to allow their tenants the opportunity to install one, as opposed to installing a hardwired home security system.

Wireless alarm systems are also just as effective as wired security systems are. The reason why wireless technology has gotten a bum rap over the years is due to issues that occurred when wireless home alarms first came out. These issues mainly included wireless interference with everyday household devices such as baby monitors, cell phones, and even wireless doorbells.

Over the years, wireless technology has gone through many changes and improvements, making wireless alarm systems a great way to provide burglary and fire coverage to any apartment or home, whether it is rented or owner-occupied.

Burglars do not care if a person owns or rents the property that they are planning to burglarize. All they care about is getting in and out of the home undetected. That is why it is so imperative for renters to take action and secure their rental apartments with wireless alarm systems, regardless of how long they plan on living there.