When it comes to securing your home, very few measures provide as much value as a monitored security system. Alarms create multiple forms of security upon detecting a threat. Upon activation, a security system’s blaring siren response warns anyone at home to a potential security threat. Additionally, this racket often scares off intruders. Moreover, monitored alarms also prompts a response from our central station. In the case of an actual emergency, this in turn creates a dispatch by the proper authorities. Finally, the mere presence of an alarm often persuades potential thieves to pick another target. In addition to installing these systems, we also work hard to educate our customers on how to maximize the security that an alarm offers. In today’s post, we’ll share some of this valuable information to make your security system as effective as possible!
First, we’ll explain the importance of working with a security company to design and install your alarm. While taking care of these security matters yourself can save money, it often does so at the expense of valuable security. From there, we’ll detail the importance of creating multiple codes for residents and visitors to disarm your security system. Then, we’ll shift our focus to our preferred monitoring method, and all of the extra security and convenience benefits it provides. And last but not least, we’ll review some alarm equipment that tackles threats other than burglaries. Now, let’s dive in to our alarm use tips with a look at why we recommend working with a professional security outfit — such as ourselves — when installing an alarm.
Work with a Security Company to Install Your Alarm
Over the last decade or so, many projects formerly done by service providers have started to fall into the “DIY” realm for many homeowners. While this can save a bit of money up front, it can cost you in several ways in the long run. For starters, the opportunity to have your alarm installed by properly-licensed electricians represents one of the biggest benefits of working with a professional security company. Our company and our technicians have the proper credentials to ensure proper installation of your alarm. These licenses include state-specific electrical licenses for our individual technicians. Additionally, each of our employees has received a renewable security certificate that requires a background check to receive. Finally, our company also has licenses to install security equipment on a state-by-state basis. When you work with a security company to install your alarm, you know that you will experience top-of-the line workmanship and installation practices.
Additionally, people looking to install their own security systems often do so without knowledge of every product on the market. Oftentimes, “DIYers” end up installing improper or out-of-date equipment that doesn’t quite fit their needs. For example, installing indoor-rated security contacts in garages or exterior areas of your property can lead to quick equipment failures. People who get their hands on what they can, without the industry’s complete repertoire of security products — as well as the know-how to choose and install the chosen equipment correctly — often end up disappointed with their overall security experience. More importantly, they also find themselves more susceptible to the security threats they wanted to avoid. Let’s now turn our attention to the importance of careful alarm code management, and why it represents one of most important alarm use tips.
We highly recommend adding multiple codes to your alarm and deleting them as needed, rather than having many people using the same code.
Create Multiple Alarm Codes
When we design an alarm system, we set up a couple different types of alarm codes. For starters, we program numerical codes for your to disarm your security system upon entering the home. Let’s tackle this important topic starting with these codes that you use for daily alarm operation. When many customers set these codes up, they often create one or maybe two codes. Then, they give these out to whoever may need to get in their home. Unfortunately, this can lead to acquaintances or contractors coming back uninvited years down the line and using the codes you gave them to disarm your alarm. For this reason, we recommend keeping a couple permanent codes as well as some rotating guest codes. These additional codes should get deleted and changed frequently to keep your alarm’s security intact.
Finally, keeping your verbal passcodes updated can also keep your security more effective. Upon an alarm activation, our central station calls the premise to determine whether to dispatch the authorities. If you wanted to cancel an alarm at that point, you would then recite a verbal passcode to verify your identity. This keeps thieves from cancelling a police appearance at your home — unless they know the passcode. For this reason, we also recommend creating multiple verbal passcodes that also get changed as needed. Keeping alarm codes secure involves paying attention to both numerical disarming codes and verbal passcodes alike. Now, let’s see how our unique interactive alarm monitoring can add even more security to your home’s alarm.
Utilize Our Interactive Monitoring Features
The majority of our security system customers take advantage of our alarm monitoring services. As we mentioned earlier, setting up this service involves connecting your security system to our central monitoring station. Older alarm systems generally utilize a customer’s existing phone lines to create this communication. Unfortunately, this often proves ineffective. For starters, traditional phone service does not provide reliable, consistent service. Phone service can fail due weather-related incidents or even car accidents involving telephone poles. Furthermore, burglars often cut a property’s phone lines before attempting a break-in. They do this to disable any attempts to call for help that you or your alarm system may make after a break-in.
Recently, new technology has created the ability for better alarm monitoring. In particular, our interactive cellular monitoring service, powered by Alarm.com, provides the best security monitoring available. For starters, this service utilizes a cellular network, rather than phone lines, for monitoring. This leads to consistent central station communication regardless of your phone line’s status. Moreover, this service also allows you to control your security system and receive valuable security updates from your alarm with a smartphone app! Now you can arm and disarm your security system remotely, and even receive important notifications for alarm activations and any other important security updates. Check out our 5 Benefits of Cellular Alarm Monitoring for more information on this unique monitoring option! Next up, let’s check out another one of our top alarm use tips and see how you can add security against threats other than a burglary to your alarm.
Secure Your Home Against Threats Above and Beyond Burglary
When customers ask about a security system, they often use the term “burglar alarm.” Of course, detecting a potential burglary represents one of the most important aspects of any security system. However, your alarm can do far more than that! For starters, we always recommend installing life safety devices. We offer sensors that detect life-threatening carbon monoxide (or “CO”) and fire-related emergencies. In turn, these devices create a central station response when necessary. Therefore, installing monitored CO and fire detection can save your home if an emergency occurs in your absence. More importantly, these devices can save the life of you or a loved one during an emergency that occurs while people are home.
Monitored smoke detectors, such as this one by System Sensor, create an important fire department dispatch to any fire-related emergency at your home.
Moreover, we also offer devices that detect threats from environmental events. For example, our temperature sensors can alert you to extreme conditions within your home. Of course, these conditions often point to frozen pipes or HVAC equipment-related issues. Obviously, knowing about such conditions as soon as possible can help you address these problems quickly. Additionally, our flood sensors can alert you to the presence of water in your basement. These devices have helped many property owners turn potential catastrophes into “quick fixes” by creating an instant notification to a potential flood. Finally, we even offer wireless sensors that detect the presence of water or extremely cold temperatures! We recommend that all of our customers install these weather-related sensors on their alarms.
Putting our Alarm Use Tips to Work for You
We hope that this post has helped you find some alarm use tips that you can use to increase your own security. As always, we certainly encourage you to contact us with any questions the material here may raise for you. We will happily answer your security-related inquiries. Furthermore, we also encourage you to take advantage of our free site survey program. We offer complimentary security audits and equipment quotes to both new and existing customers alike.
Perhaps you have an alarm in place, and wish to take advantage of some of the ideas from this article. Or, maybe you don’t have a security system yet, and want to design one from the ground up. Either way, we are here to help. Over our 36-plus years in business, we’ve helped over a thousand customers design and implement systems that provide the security and user experience they desire. Together, we can create a complete plan to keep your home, your valuables, and your family as safe and secure as possible!