Home Alarm System
Everyone wants his/her family to feel safe at the most comfortable place that is their own home. Intrusions and Burglaries have always been there since the beginning but the methods of doing so have been improvised with the changing time. Keeping these things in mind, the Security companies have also taken benefit from innovations in technology and have designed many advanced security systems.
What is a Home Alarm System?
A Home Alarm System is an advanced technology security solution with different electrical security devices connected with each other and working as a unit to provide ultimate safety to homes. The whole security solution detects any intrusion attempt being made and alerts the owner or the security personnel about that.
Components of a Home Alarm System:
An Alarm system for home consists of a number of devices working 24*7 in conjunction with each other to provide you the unparalleled security.
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- Video Cameras: Videos surveillance cameras keep on recording their surroundings 24*7 and store the footage in the DVR or on the cloud. The video cameras are installed mainly at the entry-exit gates and the vulnerable points of the home.
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- Perimeter Security Devices: Perimeter protection devices are mounted on the outer boundaries of the home to detect the intrusion attempt being made by jumping the walls.
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- Motion Detectors: Motion Detectors are the sensing devices that detect any type of motion in their nearby environment.
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- Keypad: Keypad is a type of remote that is used by the owner of the home to activated and deactivate the alarm system.
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- Siren/Hooter: Siren is the ultimate reaction given by the home alarm system on detecting any intruder. It generates a sound loud enough to alert the intruder, owner and the neighbours about the suspicious activity going on.
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- Control Panel: The whole processing of all the connected devices is done by the control panel which is the brain of the alarm system.
Types of Home Alarm System:
A) On the basis of wiring, Home Alarm Systems are of two types i.e. Wired and Wireless.
1. Wired – In a wired Alarm system, all the sensors and other components are connected with each other and the control panel through wires. Wired security devices are reliable means of security systems having no effect by factors like network interference, network outage, hacks, etc. Also, the wired system has no risk of power loss at any time.
2. Wireless – In a wireless security system, all the sensors and other components use a network to communicate with each other and the control panel. The demand for wireless devices is increasing due to ease of installation and no wiring concerns that look odd on the walls and ceilings. The wireless security system is easy to upgrade and we can easily add new devices to an existing security system.
B) On the basis of monitoring, Home Alarm Systems are of two types :
1. Self-Monitored – A self-monitored alarm system is the one in which all the devices are observed and taken care of by either the owner or the deployed security guards at the home. In case of intrusion, it is their own job to act upon as per their convenience.
2. Professionally Monitored – In a professionally monitored alarm system, all the activities of the devices are observed and taken care of by the companies that are into security monitoring services. In case of any intrusion, it is the duty of such companies to act upon the situation by either informing the police or by sending their own professionally trained Response team to tackle the intruders.
How does a Home Alarm System Work:
As mentioned above, an Alarm System for Home consists of various components connected with the control panel for detecting and deterring burglars. The whole system of connected devices works in a systematic way with every device active all the time to detect intrusion attempts. All the devices have their own respective mechanisms to detect intruders and then reporting to the control panel.
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- The devices installed for perimeter protection work on the principle of Active Infrared waves with one emitter and a receiver of the waves. Any interruption in the path of the waves is taken as an intrusion attempt by such devices.
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- Video CCTV cameras are mainly installed to keep recording all the time whatever comes in its range. But the latest technology security devices are integrated with them to record only at the time of suspicious activity and provide the recordings.
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- Unlike other devices, Motion Detectors work in a totally different manner due to the advanced technology PIR motion sensors present in them. They scan their environment and immediately detect if any person is moving around.
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- Once any of the devices detects the intruder, a warning signal is sent to the control panel immediately.
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- On getting the warning signal, the control panel reacts as per its programming and activates the siren to generate a loud sound.
Technologies in Home Alarm Systems:
The Security devices that are the parts of the Alarm system for homes, work on different technologies as follows:
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- Active Infrared – Many devices work on the principle of Active Infrared (AIR) waves to detect intruders entering the premises. Such devices have a combination of an emitter and a receiver sending and receiving the Infrared waves respectively. The AIR acts as a beam being propagating in a straight line from source to destination with air as a medium. If an intruder comes into the transmission path of the Active Infrared, the system considers it an intrusion attempt and sends the signal to the control panel.
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- Passive Infrared – Passive Infrared (PIR) is another form of Infrared wave that is utilized in Home Alarm Systems to detect the motion of people. The devices working on the PIR principle are equipped with a PIR motion sensor that just receives the infrared radiations released from the objects and creates a heat map of the nearby objects. Whenever there is any motion in the detecting range of the PIR sensor, the infrared radiation level changes and is noticed by the motion sensor. Such change in the radiations level is an indication of intrusion and thus the same signal is sent to the control panel to act accordingly.
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- Dual Technology – For better efficiency and false alarm free motion detection, many security solutions are built with a combination of two technologies like one with an AIR sensor and a PIR sensor.
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- Magnetic Switches – A Magnetic switch is the combination of two magnetic blades that let the flow of electricity through them when positioned inline and only a few microns apart. This property of magnets is utilized by Home Alarm Systems to detect forceful entry from doors and windows. One magnetic blade is fixed on the door or window and the other one is fixed on the frame allowing the flow of electricity. Once the door or window is opened forcefully, the electric circuit gets broken and the system as programmed considers it as an intrusion attempt and makes the siren sound loudly.
Advantages of Installing Home Alarm System:
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- A Home Alarm System is capable of deterring intruders.
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- It detects suspicious activities in advance and makes you alert for them.
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- It protects your precious things at home when you are not there.
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- It lets you have a look at the surroundings of your home from anywhere anytime just through a smartphone.
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- An alarm system for home reduces the recurring security cost in the form of man guards. When installed, the alarm system will minimize the requirement of man guards.
Challenges of Home Security System:
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- Home Security systems sometimes give false alarms due to your pet jumping around or fast blowing winds.
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- A security system for homes is still the expensive option available in the market.
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- The wired devices working on electricity can go off during a power cut leaving your home unsecured for that duration.
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- Wireless devices are provided with batteries to provide backup but that too does not last for a long duration.
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- Sometimes due to the complicated structure of the building, the security devices can not cover the whole area of the home and thus leaving an option open for intruders.
Conclusion:
As per the crime reports, 70% of the burglaries take place at residential properties and the rest 30% at commercial places. This makes a clear view that the homes require a lot of attention when there is a matter of security. Homes not only have valuable things but also are the sheds for our family members and thus the safety of our homes is of utmost importance.
OPTEX is a world leading manufacturer of high performance sensing technologies. For over 40 years, we have been trusted by thousands of customers worldwide for the accuracy and reliability of our security systems.
Why Choose OPTEX Products:
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- OPTEX products are very accurate in detecting burglars and do not cause false alarms.
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- Our products are cost efficient from the day of buying without any recurring maintenance costs.
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- We have wireless products too with good battery backup to keep your area secured all the time.
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- OPTEX products are immune to harsh weather conditions without any failure.
OPTEX Integration :
OPTEX provides the integration feature in all its products installed throughout the premises. With this feature, anyone having traditional security products like CCTV can integrate it with our products. Such integration of devices increases the efficiency of traditional security products by making them trigger only when there is a requirement of their role and thus avoiding unnecessary recording all the time.