Uncommon but Effective Security Equipment

When we work with customers to create a security plan, we do so with a complete arsenal of products at our disposal. As a “one stop security shop,” we pride ourselves in the variety of solutions we have for every application. Unlike some larger companies that only install a few types of sensors, sometimes even sending them to customers in the mail without looking their customers’ property, we strive to build unique and effective alarms to fit every customer’s needs. In this post, we’ll share some of the uncommon but effective security equipment we use to make this happen.

First, we’ll take a look at some alarm-related solutions. These will include a couple ideas for security system equipment that detect threats other than a burglary. From there, we’ll see how adding smart home appliances can also boost your security. We often surprise customers with our ability to add this unique type of security. Now, let’s dive in with a look at some great alarm equipment additions.

Specialty Alarm Sensors

Most customers who inquire about security systems do so with burglary-related security in mind. Of course, this often serves as an alarm’s main purpose, as we even call these systems “burglar alarms.” However, installing a security system provides you with security aganst many more dangers. In this section, we’ll look at some uncommon but effective security equipment that we can tie into an alarm. Let’s begin with a focus on environmental sensors that alert you to weather-related issues.

Environmental Sensors

Our environmental sensors provide a valuable early alert to conditions that could create a disaster if not addressed in a timely fashion. We offer sensors that create alerts for environmental issues that have the potential to cause damage to your property. For example, our “hi-lo temperature” detectors can create an alert if your home experiences dangerously hot or cold conditions. This can help alert you to frozen pipes or HVAC equipment failures. Additionally, we offer flood sensors that can detect the presence of water wherever we install them. Environmental sensors can help you detect and address these issues before they create a mess that takes a significant amount of time and money to repair.

In addition to the obvious security these sensors create, they also provide an unexpected benefit. In our post sharing 5 Surprising Home Security System Benefits, we explain that insurance companies base their rates on the perceived risk of an incident at your home or business. Therefore, providers frequently offer rate discounts for taking measures to proactively address these risks. Often, installing environmental sensors can trigger just this type of discount! We encourage our customers to ask their insurance company about this potential. The ability to add this important security and save money can make installing this equipment an easy decision. Next up, we’ll see how you can use your alarm to create a quick emergency response when you need it most.

Emergency Response Devices

When we discuss adding “emergency response” equipment to your alarm, we wish to install devices that you can quickly activate at any time. Emergency response devices can activate an alarm response whether your alarm is armed or disarmed. Moreover, we also offer plenty of options to customize the response you receive. For example, we can install “panic buttons” in any application. However, the response they create varies from one place to another. For example, in businesses, we can install buttons in discreet locations for workers to activate when in danger. Generally, we program these buttons to call for a police dispatch without creating a siren response. This helps keep the mood as calm as possible while ensuring help is on the way.

Additionally, we provide panic buttons in homes that do activate the alarm’s siren. Generally, these devices are wireless so customers can carry them around and sound the alarm anytime something suspicious happens on their property. The hope is that the siren will stop any criminal activity from occurring, while also calling for the police. Finally, we also offer pendants with panic buttons that we can program to call for medical assistance. Households with elderly residents often ask for these devices, which add both security and peace of mind. Next up, we’ll see how smart home products fit under our umbrella of uncommon but effective security equpiment.

Security-Related Smart Home Products

Of course, most people have at least heard about the smart home equipment gaining traction over the past several years. These devices add tremendous convenience for both home and business owners. However, not many people understand the important security fetaures that some of these devices possess. In this section, we’ll shine a light on these important features. Let’s get started by seeing our preferred method of adding smart home capabilities for our alarm customers.

Creating Smart Home-Based Security

The vast majority of our customers take advantage of our alarm monitoring, done through our central station. This service creates the police dispatch to an alarm that many people associate with security systems. In order to create this response, we must create a connection between your alarm and our central station. Traditionally, we would use a property’s phone lines to make this happen. However, this type of connection often proves inconsistent, as old-fashioned phone lines are no longer maintained as well as they used to be. Furthermore, thieves often cut phone lines before attempting a burglary in an attempt to stop a property’s alarm from calling for help.

To combat these issues, we generally use our Alarm.com cellular dialer to monitor our customers’ alarms. This device uses cellular networks, rather than a phone line, to dial our central station. Therefore, phone lines issues will never affect your monitoring. Additionally, this form of monitoring also adds unique security benefits. For starters, our Alarm.com customers can control their security systems with the Alarm.com smartphone app. This allows for remote system arming and disarming. It also allows them to receive security-based alerts whenever their alarms’ status changes.

Finally, and most importantly for this section of our post, our Alarm.com dialer also acts as a smart home hub. The term “Z-Wave” refers to a mesh network providing communication between our Alarm.com dialer and smart home devices that operate on this network. As one of the most popular smart home platforms, Z-Wave technology gives you many options to add smart security devices. Our customers control these smart home appliances with the same Alarm.com app that they use to control their security systems. Let’s explore these smart home devices now!

Weighing Your Options

Our Z-Wave smart home offerings give you several options for improving your security through smart home products. For example, these devices include appliances such as Z-Wave light bulbs that you can control remotely to make your home look occupied while you are away. Additionally, Z-Wave keypad locks allow you to let contractors or house sitters into your home without providing a key. Z-Wave thermostats allow you to control your home’s temperature remotely and even create heating and cooling schedules based on your comings and goings. Installing smart cameras around your property can even provide you both live and recorded video footage that you can access on any internet-connected device at any time.

In addition to controlling these devices remotely, our Alarm.com customers can also receive alerts about their smart appliances. For example, Z-Wave locks will notify you when someone locks or unlocks the door, as well as the identity of the person involved. Smart thermostats will alert you to extreme temperature changes. This allows you to check for potential HVAC issues quickly. Smart cameras can also send you live alerts upon detecting motion if you so desire. The convenience and security these products deliver make them invaluable in adding security for any property.

Making the Most Out of Uncommon But Effective Security Equipment

We hope that this post helps you make the most out of our uncommon but effective security equipment offerings. Additionally, we also encourage you to contact us with any questions you may have about the material in this post. We will happily answer any and all of your security-related inquiries. Moreover, we also invite you to take advantage of our free site survey program. As we shared earlier, we like to work with customers to design a complete security plan. Regardless of how much security equipment you have now, we can collaborate with you to ensure that your overall security remains effective, up-to-date, and easy to use. Together, we can create a complete security plan thet fits your security needs and keeps you as safe and secure as possible!