What Are the Do's and Don'ts of Installing a Home Alarm System?

While inexpensive wireless options can be installed very easily, you should always let professionals do it if you are using anything more sophisticated. Not only can they handle wiring in the walls and other tricky logistical issues, they can also examine your household for security risks and give advice on the best places to cover with door alarms or motion detectors. The final result will be more secure and the system will be more reliable.

Fly by night operations may be cheaper than a more established security company, but they are often less vigilant and their coverage isn't nearly as effective. That doesn't mean you can't use a smaller company, but look for specific signs to make sure that the staffers are on their toes. A good security company will always come out to your home before offering you coverage, in order to check the specifics and see what you may need. Staffers will note every entry point in the house and offer coverage for all of them. They will provide a 24/7 monitoring service, and will call your number as well as the police in the event of a break-in. Companies that can't meet such basic obligations should be avoided.

Most alarm systems are based on codes typed into a keypad. In an emergency, however, you may not be able to remember a code or might not have time to type it in. When using a system with a keypad, make sure it has "panic buttons" that will alert the police, fire department and ambulance services when touched.

Most home alarms can (and should) cover the entry points on the ground floor, but you can further increase your security with additional perimeter alarms protecting specified areas. Bedrooms, in particular, are popular targets for burglars, as are TV rooms or areas with easily portable electronic equipment. Additional alarms in those areas, as well as proximity alerts or even simple devices, such as door locks, can be invaluable.

Motion detectors work best when they cover areas that burglars have to pass through. Central locales, such as living rooms, are important, but also look at stairways, hallways and areas in front of main entrances. Motion detectors should be placed high up looking down, so they can cover the maximum possible space, and more limited laster light detectors should be placed at points (such as waist high across an entryway) where it is difficult to avoid them even if they are spotted.

Make sure that your home alarm system has a back-up power source which will stay activated even if the power to the home is cut. Not only does it keep the alarm system running in emergencies, but it makes it more difficult for burglars to deactivate it by cutting power to the house.

A home alarm system is never effective if people don't know how it works. Once it is installed, familiarize yourself with its functions and re-check them regularly. Make sure that any family members know how to use it too, and what they should do in the event it goes off. Chart out escape routes from the house and organize an outside central meeting place where all family members can gather if the system goes off. Make sure that everyone knows the pass codes and can give the security company any safe words if they call. Stress the need to keep such information private, and not to reveal it to anyone outside of the family. Finally, know what to do in the event of a false alarm, and try to avoid triggering them if possible. In some locales, police will ignore alerts coming from a home known for false alarms. Children and teenagers in particular, should have this stressed.