Learning About Alarm System Equipment

It’s no secret that the experts at Alarm System Report are sticklers about consumers educating themselves before making a purchase. Our alarm system reviews are meant to give potential customers an idea of what to expect and to learn all they can about the alarm system and the alarm system company before signing up. We often use our blog as a way to educate consumers and to go a little more in depth on specific topics. Today we’re looking at alarm system equipment and learning about some of the major pieces of alarm system equipment you’ll find on most alarm systems. So, what are some of the most common pieces of alarm system equipment?

Control Panel

The main Control Panel is like the “brain” of your home alarm system. The Control Panel is likely considered the most important piece of alarm system equipment associated with your system. The Control Panel receives alarm signals from the alarm sensors and also sends notification to the monitoring station if there is an emergency. Every alarm system must have some sort of Control Panel or “hub”.

Door Sensor

The door sensor is usually the first thing mentioned after a Control Panel. Doors are the most commonly intruded entryways in a home. It is recommended that you place a door sensor on each of your entry doors. The door sensor is also one of the only pieces of alarm system equipment that has two parts. One part goes on your door and the other on your door frame. One piece has the actual “sensor” while the other piece houses a magnet of some kind. When your door opens the two pieces will “separate” from each other which will trigger the alarm.

Motion Sensor

An alarm system motion sensor is another very common piece of alarm system equipment. While a motion sensor is pretty self explanatory there are a few things to keep in mind. Most motion sensors will detect motion in an area of about 1,000 square feet and will only detect movement from something over 40 pounds. While most intruders are heavier than 40 pounds this may come in to play if you have a large pet. In this case you may find motion sensors that are less sensitive for large animals or go use different alarm system equipment altogether.

Glass Break Sensor

A glass break sensor detects the sound of broken glass. When glass is broken it emits a sound at a certain frequency. The glass break sensor is designed to pick up this frequency. Glass break sensors are great for area with lots of windows or for rooms with very large windows. A broken window is a common method of entry in to a home, so having alarm system equipment like a glass break detector can be very beneficial.

Smoke & Heat Detector

While fire was discovered centuries ago, humans have yet to figure out a way to stop them from happening accidentally. Whether you left the stove on or had a chimney fire doesn’t really matter. What matters is being prepared if and when something happens. A smoke and heat detector will detect smoke or a rapid rise in heat in your home. It will trigger the alarm and prompt the monitoring station to dispatch the fire department immediately.

Hard Wired or Wireless Security Camera

Security cameras can be a great add on to your hard wired or wireless alarm system. With newer security camera technology you can now view what’s going on in your home while you are away. You can view live and recorded video online or on your smartphone. You can also be alerted if the camera picks up any activity. A security camera can be a nice add on if you’ve been having trouble with vandalism or just want to keep an eye on the dogs.

These are just a few of the common alarm system equipment devices. Of course, there are many other devices out there that can make your life easier and your home safer. For more information on alarm system equipment offered by certain alarm system companies we suggest reading our alarm system reviews.