Alarm System Equipment – What’s Right For You?

Choosing the right home alarm company is important. Choosing the right alarm system equipment is equally critical. Now, most times the best alarm companies will be using the latest alarm system equipment and technology, however, learning about alarm system equipment and what’s currently on the market can help you weed out the companies who aren’t using the best.

The most common manufactures of alarm system equipment are General Electric (GE) and Honeywell. GE is a leader in do it yourself alarm system equipment and also manufacturers a series of hardwired systems. The GE Simon series is the most widely used by top alarm companies including the Simon XT, which is the updated model of the Simon 3. The Simon series is mainly a do it yourself model as all alarm sensors are wireless and the Control Panel is set up for use with a cellular monitoring. A few of the companies offering GE alarm system equipment are FrontPoint Security, Protect America and ADT.

Honeywell is another major manufacturer and provides many alarm companies with “proprietary” equipment. Basically Honeywell manufactures the equipment and it is re-branded by the company. This is not always the case but has become the main model for Honeywell. Ademco, used by ADT and Broadview is now under the Honeywell umbrella as well. Honeywell is also known for their Lynx and Vista alarm systems. Honeywell manufactures wireless and hard wired alarm system equipment but is mainly installed by a technician.

Choosing the right alarm system equipment for you might seem like a difficult task, but there are few things to keep in mind. The first is the ease of installation and the ease of use. As mentioned above GE provides a great line of do it yourself alarm system equipment which is extremely easy to install and use. FrontPoint Security and Protect America offer these alarm systems with the do it yourself model. You also want alarm system equipment that will last. GE and Honeywell both manufacture alarm system equipment that is built for longevity. With wireless systems batteries only need replacing every 4-5 years and the sensors themselves rarely go bad. Not to mention some alarm companies like Protect America offer lifetime warranties on the equipment.

In the end, not all alarm system equipment is created equal. GE and Honeywell are two you really can’t go wrong with – and the great thing is many of the top alarm companies are now using these manufacturers.