Beginners’ guide to home security
Posted on 01. Aug, 2004 by rob in Grand Designs, Home Automation, Portfolio, Technology
With the police increasingly reluctant to answer house alarm calls, something more sophisticated is needed
Keeping our homes safe and secure is something we should all be concerned about, especially when you consider that somewhere in England and Wales someone’s house is broken into almost every minute, with 430,000 burglaries taking place in 2003 alone. For many of us the obvious response is to fit an alarm or security system, but even that isn’t without its problems.
According to the latest statistics one in ten of all alarm activations are ever reported to the police – partly as a result of ‘alarm apathy’ where people become so inured to the sound of alarms that they just ignore them, and partly because the police no longer respond to alarm activations per se.
This has led to the rise of alarm confirmation systems which comprise a series of sound and movement sensors located in different zones around your home, and which require at least three of these sensors to be activated before an alarm is triggered.
Increasingly popular too are ‘monitored’ security systems where alerts are transmitted to a control centre that can tell whether an alarm activation is false or not, or one that contacts you directly via your mobile phone or email. Some systems even enable you to monitor your home from a distance by using CCTV cameras linked to the internet – although being able to see someone robbing your home on your work PC may cause more distress than anything else.
At the more affordable end of the market BT can sell you a Home Monitoring system for as little as £179 with the first quarter’s monitoring free and charges of just £5 per month thereafter. It comes with a control panel, one magnetic sensor for a door or window, two motion sensors, a keyfob with panic button and a dummy siren.
Since it’s wireless there’s no messy installation and you could even fit it yourself – although the basic cost can escalate depending on how many additional sensors – including smoke detectors – that you choose to include. More sophisticated, hardwired solutions like those from ADT require professional installation (check with the British Security Installers Association for a list of approved installers) and monitoring costs are higher, averaging around £30-£50 per month.
At the upper end of the spectrum are fully integrated security, lighting, fire and home automation systems that can proactively deter potential intruders by learning your habits and then triggering the appropriate set of actions when you’re away. Lights switch on and off, electric blinds open and close. Some systems can even turn on your hi-fi or TV to give a burglar the impression that someone’s at home.
The most sophisticated systems even enable you to let visitors through your electric gates and then follow them up the driveway to your front door using a combination of CCTV and external sensors that flood your visitors’ path with light.
Home automation specialists like AMX and Crestron are major players here, enabling you to monitor your home from the inside looking out or outside looking in, enabling you to open up certain parts of your home to authorised visitors – a repairman, say – so they can carry out essential works without you having to stay at home to great them.
The sophisticated checks and balances built into the most expensive systems can even enable you to have a hot-link to the local police station with virtual ‘panic buttons’ programmed into every touch panel to summon an instant response.
Such systems need to be approved by the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board, although in most instances the police will pay a visit to your home anyway if someone calls to confirm that a burglary or other incident is taking place. Choose the right alarm system for your needs and you won’t just be able to fend off unwanted intruders, you’ll be buying peace of mind as well.
Need To Know
Five things to consider when choosing a security system
- Make sure that the security system you buy features alarm confirmation technology and that it has some kind of monitoring setup so it contacts you or a third party when a trigger takes place. Professional monitoring systems are best, and monthly subscription costs are surprisingly modest.
- You also need decide to how extensive your system should be – not only in the number of rooms and outbuildings that you want covered, but also whether you’d like to integrate fire alarms and personal security too. The British Security Installers Association has a list of members in your area who you can consult for advice, or if you plan to include a security setup as part of a complete home automation network, the Custom Electronic Dealers and Installers Association should be able to help.
- Most alarm systems use a mixture of strategies and technologies for detecting enforced entry into your home. The most common are Passive Infra Red (PIR) detectors that respond to movement, although vibration sensors on doors and windows often prove more reliable. More complex systems also use hidden microphones and CCTV cameras, while the alarm can also be linked to in-wall or in-ceiling speakers so you can speak to family members at home or to the perpetrator directly. Consult your local installer to find out which solution will work best for you.
- PC alarm systems are becoming increasingly popular as they’re cheap and can contact you via email or SMS the minute they detect a problem at home. Webcams can also be used to monitor your living space while you’re at work using an internet connection and a regular web browser, although there is some concern that such systems can be hacked – enabling someone else to access your camera and spy on your home instead.
- Unless you’re a competent DIYer or are opting for a wireless alarm, it pays to have your security system expertly installed, checked and serviced on a regular basis. A good alarm badly fitted is worse than no alarm at all and even the best system will fail unless other security safeguards are in place: make sure all your windows and doors are fitted with insurance company approved locks and that you use them. You should also never divulge your alarm system’s PIN (if it has one) to anyone other than approved keyholders. You should also change your PIN on a regular basis – ideally once a month.
This article was published in the August 2004 issue of Grand Designs Magazine.
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