If you are thinking about getting an alarm system for your family home, you probably have a whole bunch of questions that you want answers to before you go ahead and place the order with an alarm company.
If you are looking to provide a reliable way to protect the home that you live in, a burglar alarm system is definitely something you need to consider.
According to FBI statistics, there is a burglary taking place somewhere in the U.S every 13 seconds, so you need to get the odds stacked more in your favor and divert attention away from your property as a potential target, which you can do with an alarm system.
Having established that you want to protect your home with an alarm system, there are three important questions that you do want to ask the alarm company in particular.
System set up and maintenance
Some systems are easy to install yourself and others will require a technician. If you decide to go the DIY route, find out the level of installation difficulty from the supplier. Find out how long it typically takes and what tools you will need. If the installation requires a technician, ask the supplier to recommend one to you if they don’t provide one themselves. Also, check with them too see how easy it is to maintain the system once it is up and running.
Some of these systems can take just 30 minutes to set up and as they are capable of being checked remotely to see if everything’s working OK, the alarm company can usually confirm your system is working fine without having to schedule a home visit.
Interactive wireless security systems might be a good choice for you in terms of maintenance visits and ease of use, but check with your supplier to see what they can offer to give you good protection with minimal disruption to your work schedule.
Cellular monitoring
You need to ask whether your alarm system will be using cellular monitoring.
There are wireless alarm systems and then there are wireless alarm systems. Not all of them are the same. Some systems are described as wireless due to the individual sensors being wireless. This means that the engineer doesn’t have to drill as many holes in your home to run cables through.
What true cellular monitoring means is when your alarm system has a cellular connection to the monitoring center and this is what others commonly refer to as a wireless system.
Many alarm systems are wholly dependent on a standard telephone line connection or broadband connection, which can make them potentially vulnerable to a burglar cutting the phone line or cable to disarm the system.
A cellular connection is more convenient because you don’t have to rely on a standard telephone line and it can add an extra layer of security because a burglar can’t cut a cellular phone line.
Interactive features
The third important question you need to ask your alarm company is whether the system they are selling offers interactive features.
Modern alarm systems should be designed to make full use of the technology available these days so make sure to ask what features your potential system has.
Some of the features that you should be looking for in a modern alarm system should be the ability to arm or disarm your system using a web-based device for remote access.
Check whether the alarm has an app that allows you to set and monitor your system using your iPhone, Blackberry or Android device. Other features to look out for include email and text notifications to let you know when there is a problem or a sensor has been breached.
Many homes are now benefitting from smart technology which allows you to view your property from a remote location via a web connection from anywhere in the world. Smart home technology apps on mobile devices already offer the ability to remotely turn the lights in your home on or off. Other apps allow you to adjust the thermostat, making the home just the right temperature for when you arrive.
Not all of these features can currently be set through an alarm system, however these divergent technologies are merging as time goes on. You can at least get a sense of how smart technologies will soon merge with modern alarm systems, so make sure you ask the company quoting you what their alarm can do for you.
There are plenty of questions you need to ask your potential alarm company provider, but if you ask about these three key points, you should end up with a system that does everything you want it to.
Deborah Whitson is a mother of three and avid blogger. When she finds something that catches her interest, she likes to share it by posting on the web. You can read her illuminating posts on a variety of websites and blogs.
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