Home Burglar Alarm Systems

A home security system can have different types of

sensors. The most common are magnetic contacts. Magnetic contacts create a small circuit that when opened or closed signals the center unit that something is happening. They usually consist of two devices that are meant to be placed so that one faces the other. When someone opens a door or a window these two devices are separated and the alarm triggers.

Motion sensors like the name implies detect movement. When movement is detected the signal is sent. These can be used indoors to monitor areas inside the house like the living room, or can be used outdoors to detect suspicious activity in areas like outdoor garages or the back yard. They work in the same way that motion activated lighting does. Most of them have some sort of sensitivity adjustment mechanism to help avoid false alarms from small animals like cats or birds.

Glass break sensors detect shock waves that travel throughout the surface of the glass. While not as common as other types of sensors they are still useful. If someone breaks the glass where it is installed or tries to, the sensor activates the burglar alarm system. They are to be placed where there are large glass surfaces that if shattered someone is able to enter easily without triggering magnetic sensors installed on the frames

There are some miscellaneous sensors that can be part of the burglar alarm and are not really related to burglars like smoke sensors and heat sensors. These are very handy to have around in case the emergency that arises is that something in the house caught fire.

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Keypads are used to activate or deactivate the system. They are to be placed outside or inside the house depending on the system itself. Some of them are able to trigger the alarm if someone tries to break them. These are ideal for outdoor use in order to be able to activate from outside the residency when everyone is out of the house without worrying that a burglar might tamper it and shut down the alarm.

Horns are also part of most security systems. A loud horn can be enough to scare away a burglar and at the same time alert neighbors that something strange is happening inside the house. The best thing about horns is that they can easily be heard by nearby police officers that can come to check things out.

So what monitors all these sensors and receives input from keypads? The main console or center is what receives signals from sensors and keypads and is in charge of triggering the alarm. It is the main brain behind a home burglar alarm system. The total amount of sensors and keypads that you can have working at the same time is determined by this device.