The Technology Behind Home Alarm Systems

By Author: Matthew Harris
Total Articles: 17
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Many people are afraid of home intrusions, and invest in a residential alarm system. However, many homeowners who install security systems without the help of a security agency do not understand exactly how they operate. Understanding how security systems work can help prevent false alarms and instill you with a better sense of security.
Security systems will often have two kinds of responses once they have been triggered. They can either emit loud noise and flashing lights in order to scare off the intruder, or they have silent systems that alert the homeowner, the security agency, and the proper authorities once the alarm has been tripped. Some home alarms systems have both of these response systems.
Most security systems start with the main exit and entrance of any home: the door. The simplest door alarms often consist of two pieces of a circuit connected to both the door and the frame that make a complete electrical circuit when closed. Once the door opens, while the system has been activated, the alarm trips and the system either sets off loud noises and lights ...
... to frighten off would be burglars or calls the homeowner, security company, or the police.
There are three ways door alarm systems operate. The most common system is a delay system. These alarms give the homeowner time to disarm the alarm after it has been triggered. This helps prevent false alarms. A trap door system will often trigger immediately once the door has been opened without authorization. When a propped system is triggered, security or the police are only dispatched after audio and video that accompany the alarm has been reviewed.
Windows are generally equipped with either a circuit alarm similar to a door alarm, or a glass breaking sensor that detects when your window glass has been shattered by forcible entry. These glass break detectors detect specific sound frequencies of glass breaking, and will trigger the alarm when it picks up the sound of breaking glass on a set area.
There are also a variety of motion detectors that help dissuade burglary attempts. One type of motion detector detects intrusions by emitting infrared beams from one end of an area to another. The alarm is tripped if that beam is obstructed by something, like an intruder’s body coming in between the beams of light. Another type of motion detector uses ultrasonic sound. The motion sensors emit ultrasonic waves too high for humans to hear around a set area. The sensors in these detectors detect movement when there are changes in the sound frequency, such as when an intruder walks into the monitored area. There are also pet friendly motion detectors available that can tell the difference between a pet and a human. This helps prevent false alarms.