A burglar alarm system consists of several sensors placed at specific points in the house to detect people entering the premises. Through low-voltage wiring or narrowband RF signal the census are connected to a central control unit.
Most commonly security sensors are used to indicate the opening of a door or window or detect motion via passive infrared. New construction systems are predominantly hardwired for economy or retrofit installations usually use wireless systems for a faster and less intrusive installation.
The pending on the alarm system they can range from a loud horn sounding upon intrusion to complex multi-zoned systems which alert a security company when someone without authorization enters.
There are many different types of sensors like ultrasonic detectors, microwave detectors and photoelectric beams but for home and small business use, the large majority is passive infrared detectors as they are inexpensive.
More advanced systems also have glass break detectors. They are placed close to the glass panes and listen percent frequencies associated with glass breaking. If the alarm is placed when the building is constructed sometimes seismic glass break detectors are installed and they “feel” glass breaking.
Entry-level alarm systems do not include monitoring but they may have indoor and outdoor sounders. These may work the scare of amateur burglars but it often won’t scare off professionals especially in rural areas where it may take some time before someone hears it and responds to it. These days the larger security companies offer inexpensive monitoring of your alarm system and respond quickly of an alarm goes off.
It’s always advisable to let professionals install your alarm system. That way you can be sure that everything works as it should and that the sensors are placed in appropriate locations. Also this doesn’t have to cost a fortune and over time earns back itself as having an alarm system will offer you a nice discount on your home owner insurance.