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What is the best home alarm system?

Which is better for your home alarm - shock sensors, magnetic contacts or passive infrared detectors?

First of all what are they?
Shock sensors are devices placed on a window or door frame which detect vibration, i.e. if someone is banging or jiggling with the window or door the sensor picks this up and causes the burglar alarm to activate. Reputable brands are Aritech or HKC.

aritech gs 611 combined shock and contact.
Magnetic contacts are simple devices placed on window or door openings which only detect when the window or door is opened, i.e. they do not detect the glass breaking, or someone banging it. The magnetic contacts  we use would be a good brand such as Honeywell.

honeywell magnetic contact
Passive infrared detectors are devices which detect body heat. They are placed in the corner of a room and detect if anyone moves in that area which causes them to trigger the burglar alarm system. They are also called motion sensors, beams, PIRs. We always use a good brand such as Honeywell.

honeywell pir

Shock sensors are better in the right circumstances, but not always. Their biggest disadvantage is that they can cause false alarm activations. Sooner or later a shock sensor will become faulty. On some windows and doors the burglar can remove the glass from the outside and the shock sensor will not pick this up. Other windows such as large wooden ones are poor for transferring vibration to shock sensors making them ineffective. Shock sensors will not pick up the fact that a window is open. This can be a disaster when you leave home and set your burglar alarm and an accessible window is left open somewhere at the back of the house. The burglar can slip in through the open window and the alarm system will not activate.

Magnetic contacts will pick up the open window and the burglar alarm will inform you of this when you try to set it. Magnetic contacts then are cheaper, less of a cause of false alarms and also good for informing of open windows. However they cannot be used on their own, in case the burglar smashes the patio door or removes the glass. This is why they must be used in conjunction with Passive infrared detectors. 1 or 2 Passive infrared detectors are usually required to cover the ground floor of your home depending on the layout.

So in the case of a pre-wired home the best value, most reliable and longest lasting (without causing trouble) burglar alarm system is magnetic contacts backed up by Passive infrared detectors although in the case of some windows or doors it would be appropriate to add a shock sensor. In the case of a home that isn't pre-wired the wireless sensors are so expensive that it is uneconomical to alarm every opening so in this case 1 wireless shock sensor per window or door is best.

How to improve home security - Top Tips.

Did you know that 1 in 4 crimes in Ireland is a burglary?
You can lessen your chances of being a victim of burglars if you follow these tips.

Are your doors secure?
Are the doors and their frames in good solid condition?
Do you have a solid mortice lock on your doors?
Back doors are most vulnerable, so if they are giving way to a push, add extra locks and bolts.

Are your windows secure?
If you are having new windows installed, make sure they have locks.
If you are having new windows installed make sure that the removable strips holding the glass in are on the inside. If you already have windows with the removable strips on the outside, get superglue and seal the strips so that they cannot be pealed off.
Remember never forget to close all the windows when you leave home, especially ones that are accessible, e.g. upstairs bathroom window next to a drain pipe!.

What is a burglar looking for?
A home with no burglar alarm.
Any open windows.
Piles of post in your porch.
Ladders or tools left in your back garden.

Get a burglar alarm of course.
Of all the home burglaries over 90% were on homes with no home alarm system, according to Gardai.
Of the homes burglarised, 70% hadn't switched on the burglar alarm system at the time.

What is the Private Security Authority (PSA) doing about unlicensed alarm installers?.

31st January 2008: The Private Security Authority (PSA), the government approved body that issues licenses to installers, has successfully prosecuted 1st Choice Security Limited, trading as Superior Security, in Carrickmacross District Court, for providing Installer services without a Private Security Authority licence. Judge McBride imposed a fine of 4,000.

The successful outcome of this case comes as a result of intensive investigating by the PSA Enforcement Unit and sends a very clear message to others in the industry who choose to operate illegally, that the PSA is actively investigating contractors in this sector and that we will prosecute them, if they continue to operate without a licence says Geraldine Larkin, Chief Executive Officer, Private Security Authority. All installation contractors and alarm monitoring companies are required by law to have a licence issued by the PSA she says.

Further details on licensing are available by checking their website or by calling the Private Security Authority on 062 31588.

Home owners are required by law to make sure that their company are fully licensed by the PSA. The PSA can also take cases against people who employ unlicensed burglar alarm installers or monitoring companies.
The licensing system is helping to raise the standard of work done by home alarm installers.