Nowadays, home security surveillance is becoming increasingly common as the technology to protect our homes becomes more widely available. Buying a security camera is as easy as visiting an online electronics retailer and places like Best Buy or The Home Depot carry home monitoring systems that the average consumer can afford. Also, many of these devices now come with do-it-yourself installation manuals and are easy to set up. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when installing home surveillance cameras.
1) Camera type
Today there are both wired and wireless home security cameras. Choose the camera type that works best for you and your home. For a hassle-free installation, a wireless camera is the best way to go since you won’t have to worry about drilling holes in your walls or running cables around your house. Nevertheless, there are factors other than the ease of installation that you will want to consider when deciding between wired and wireless systems.
2) Location
The best way to get optimal results from your home security surveillance system is to place the cameras in the right location. For outdoor cameras, it is recommended that cameras are visible since this is the best way to deter would-be intruders. Front door cameras that are placed on the wall over the entrance to your home send a strong signal to potential burglars. The entrance to basement stairs, rear windows, and side gates are also optimal locations for security cameras. For indoor cameras, never place a camera in a location where privacy can reasonably be expected, such as in a bathroom or guest bedroom, since this is against the law.
Glass break detectors take your security to the next level. Traditionally home and office security systems have relied on contact based systems for your windows. If the window is opened then a magnetic circuit is broken and the alarm sounds. The problem with this approach is that if the burglar smashes a pane of glass then the window itself remains closed and so does that magnetic circuit.
Unlike contact detectors, the glass break detectors use radio frequencies to detect the sound of breaking glass and also the vibrations that are associated with breaking glass to offer complete protection for your home or office. Because of the way they work you don’t need a glass break detector for every window. You usually only need one per room or for every twenty five feet of radius that you need to cover in especially large spaces.
It is possible that you may get the occasional false alarm through a glass break detector. This is usually caused by objects that vibrate in a similar way to breaking glass – so the sound of cutlery being smashed together or the ringing of a bell can occasionally set them off, but won’t usually be a regular occurrence and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
A good security installation company can supply you with and install glass break detectors quickly and efficiently, so that you and the people around you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you’ll be able to react quickly and safely in the event of an intrusion into your private space. If you think about it, you’ll understand how much sense it makes to get some glass break detectors for your home or office.
One of the best things about current home security products is that fire alarms and burglar alarms can let your alarm provider and the police know if there’s any trouble in your home. However if the intruders or the flames have cut your telephone lines then there’s a problem. With traditional alarm systems it’s not been possible for home owners to feel totally secure with their security protection.
Plus, what if you don’t use a land line normally? This is a situation more and more folks find themselves in, after all, with advances in mobile phone technology and cheap ways to make calls over it such as VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) it means than families find themselves with the unwanted overhead of a land line just to maintain their alarm system.
If that all seems a little impractical and may be a touch less safe than it could be – then the good news is that you don’t have to rely on a land line to protect you and your loved ones any more. A wireless security system adds additional protection without the need for a land line.
Wireless monitoring for residential homes works by installing a wireless monitoring system in your residence which, in the event that your alarm is triggered, sends out a message over the cellular system to your security provider’s monitoring station ensuring prompt response from the emergency services.
If you like your land line or want to add another layer of protection, the wireless monitoring system can act as a redundancy solution for when the phone lines are down, have been tampered with or if you or any of your family is in a difficult situation such as being held hostage.
Advances in biometric technology have made biometric based security systems available to the homeowner seeking enhanced levels of security for their homes. Biometric security systems include fingerprint scanners, facial recognition technology, iris scanners, and palm readers. Fingerprint scanners and other biometric security devices are now widely used on laptop computers, vehicle entry, ignition, and alarms, and in home security systems.
When used in your home, can operate garage doors or gates, exterior access doors, or access to certain areas of your home. They can also be incorporated into your home automation system and your home security system. Fingerprint scanners can be used to activate almost any device such as a television, computer, lighting, and so on.
One of the primary benefits of a fingerprint scanner is that you don’t have to remember any pass code or carry a key or access card. Pass codes can be forgotten or compromised and keys and access cards can be lost or stolen. Not so with a fingerprint scanner. You will always have what you need right at your fingertip!
Fingerprint scanners can store multiple user prints so you can carefully control who has access to your home or areas within your home. In addition, a fingerprint scanner provides a record of who accessed an area and when.
The two common types of scanners are optical scanners that use photo imaging and capacitive scanners that rely on electrical impulses. Optical scanners are less secure than capacitive scanners because they are more easily fooled by an image of your fingerprint. Like any other type of security device, fingerprint scanners are not 100% foolproof. However, they can be a valuable enhancement to your security system.
Motion detectors play an important role in many home and business security systems and home and business automation systems. For most businesses and homeowners, motion sensing outdoor lighting is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of motion detectors, but in addition to security motion detectors have many more applications including energy savings, home automation, and remote monitoring.
Outdoor motion activated lighting detects motion outside of your home or business and illuminates the area, increasing personal safety as family members and employees enter or leave the premises. The illumination also discourages would be intruders. In addition, the lighting is programmed to turn off automatically after a set period of time, saving energy costs.
Outdoor motion sensors can be used in additional security applications such as monitoring driveways and entryways or other areas around your home or commercial facility and sending an alert when vehicles or visitors are arriving at your home or business or entering one of these areas.
Indoors, motions detectors can be integrated with your security system to sound the alarm when unwanted intruders are detected inside your home or business. In addition, motion detectors are used as occupancy sensors to automatically activate and extinguish lights or other appliances. They save energy by automatically ensuring that the lights or appliances are only turned on when needed.
Motion detectors can also integrated with remote monitoring systems to help monitor elderly family members, babies, or to keep an eye on your home or office while you are away. Talk to an experienced security and automation company about how motion detectors can help meet your needs.
Home alarm systems are a great way to provide security and protection for your home and family. Home alarm systems deter unwanted intruders and are an excellent tool to quickly summon the authorities in the event of a break-in or other emergency.
However, no matter how sophisticated your home alarm system is, it is only as good as the alarm monitoring company. An alarm monitoring company with excellent service and support will enhance the level of protection provided by your home alarm system while a poor company will detract from it. Therefore, you should choose your home alarm monitoring company carefully.
One common mistake made by many homeowners is to choose a residential home alarm service based solely on price. While price is important and you don’t want to feel like you are getting ripped off, keep in mind that the cost of hiring employees and buying and maintaining top quality monitoring equipment and facilities are about the same for most home alarm monitoring companies.
Alarm monitoring companies that offer ultra low rates are cutting corners somewhere. They may be relying on older, inferior monitoring equipment or paying their employees less than other companies and as a result they probably have a difficult time attracting and retaining high quality workers. They may also overload their employees which means your alarm may not get the immediate attention that you need.
Look for a company with an excellent local reputation. Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations and check online reviews. Remember to read these reviews with some skepticism because you don’t know who posted them, but you can often get a consensus if there are more than just a few reviews.
See if the company has a local monitoring station or whether the monitoring is done from outside yoru area. Finally, make sure your existing equipment is compatible with the alarm monitoring company. Some monitoring companies only monitor their own equipment while others have the capability to monitor all types of home security systems.
If you are a homeowner, own or operate a business, or you own or lease a building and have invested in a fire alarm system, it is very important to keep it in good operating condition. A fire alarm that does not function properly puts your family, employees, customers, and property at risk. Avoid an unnecessary tragedy by keeping your fire alarm in good repair.
In addition, a fire alarm that malfunctions frequently can lead to complacency. A fire alarm that gives frequent false alarms is almost as dangerous as a fire alarm that does not work at all. Just like the boy who cried wolf, if a true emergency arises there is an increased risk that your family, employees and others will assume that the alarm is just another false alarm. Frequent false alarms also cause lost work hours and negatively affects productivity.
Ignoring known issues with your fire alarms system not only endangers your family, employees and customers, but there is potential for exposure to not only civil liabilities but criminal penalties as well. Also, your insurance coverage could be affected by any failure to have your fire alarm repaired as quickly as possible.
Regular service and repair of your fire alarm system should be part of the routine maintenance schedule. Never attempt to repair or service your fire alarm system yourself. This could invalidate any warranty and could result in an unreliable fire alarm system. You should have any necessary fire alarm repairs and service performed by a trained fire alarm technician who has experience on your system. Even the most basic fire alarm systems are complicated and require special skills.
Your choice of a home alarm monitoring service is a very important decision that should not be taken lightly. Many people make the mistake of choosing a home alarm monitoring service based on price alone, but there are many considerations that are much more important than price. No matter how inexpensive the monitoring service is, it’s not worth a dime if it does not provide the protection you need.
First, you should ensure that the monitoring service offers the type of monitoring you need. Most monitoring services offer standard monitoring using a standard phone line, but not all offer cellular monitoring.
Next, make sure that the monitoring service is UL approved. There are no laws regulating monitoring services so independent organizations provide approvals or certifications that a monitoring service meets certain standards. UL approval is one of the highest standards in the industry for alarm monitoring services. Alarm monitoring services that are UL approved have to meet strict guidelines and undergo regular inspections to ensure they provide the highest quality of alarm monitoring.
Some alarm monitoring services have additional certifications such as the CSAA Five Diamond Certification. To earn this certification, an alarm monitoring service has to meet additional standards beyond their UL approval.
Finally, check with the Better Business Bureau and online ratings websites to see if any complaints have been registered against the company. Keep in mind that anyone can post a complaint, including an unscrupulous competitor or vindictive customer. A few isolated complaints may not mean anything, but if you see a pattern of complaints or bad ratings, you may be better off with a different monitoring service.
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