Eliminate Home Security Confusion: Getting Familiar with Security Alarm Equipment

Many people are intimidated by electronic devices, such as security alarm systems.  In reality the system is relatively simple.  Three basic elements are involved in the system: sensors, control panel, and alarms (or alerts).  These work together very much like your own nervous system.  Think about what happens when you touch a hot stove.  Nerve endings are the receptors (like sensors), when triggered a message is sent to your brain (like the control panel), your brain signals your muscles to recoil (like the alarm or alert).
 
Let’s take a look at the security alarm equipment:

Sensors
The sensors are the part of the system that are set to detect potential problems.  These sensors are designed to detect opening doors and/or windows, broken window glass, movement inside or outside of the house, smoke or carbon monoxide.  A basic security system typically includes a motion detector and door and window sensors.  Other sensors can be added to the system to focus on particular safety threats (such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors) or on specific areas of concern (like driveway or swimming pool sensors)

Control Panel
When a sensor is triggered, a message is sent to the control panel.  This is the brain or nerve center of the system.  It is designed to receive signals from the various sensors and can indicate which zone (area of the house or property) the message is coming from.  Next, the control panel triggers the appropriate, predetermined alert or alarm. 

Additionally, the control panel, as the name suggests, is the point at which the system is controlled.  The panel will include a keypad that allows the entire system to be controlled: it can be deactivated, specific alarms delayed, automatically activated (panic button), or other adjustments made.

Alerts
Usually we think of an alarm being sounded when a security system is tripped.  That very often is exactly the case.  There are, however, other programmed alerts that can be activated.  Some alerts may simply be a chime for usual door opening during the course of a day or a driveway alarm signaling a vehicle arriving in the driveway.  Some alerts are in the form of an automated phone call.  These can be programmed for police or fire departments and/or to your cell phone. 

Alerts can also be programmed for delay such as when you return home from being away and enter your home.  The delay allows time for the system to be deactivated.  It is wise to keep alert delays to a minimum as these can work to an intruder’s advantage as well.