Home Security - More Important Than Ever

In the past, homeowners relied on a lock on their door and the knowledge that neighbors would watch over their property when they were away. In today's society, locks on the doors and the presence of neighbors provide little security for the home. Locks can easily be picked and in many communities most are at work or school during the day. The modern homeowner must turn to electronics to insure their home security when they are absent from the home.

The complexity of home security systems ranges from simple DIY systems to complex systems that are installed by professional technicians. Economics and the basic feeling of security on the homeowner's part determine the choice of which system is selected by the homeowner. The core part of any home security system is a simple reed switch. A magnet holds the two small metal reeds in the switch together. When the magnet is removed from the switch the switch and it's electronic supervisory control go into an alarm state. This alarm state can sound an electronic siren and contact a central station announcing the alarm state of the switch.

The home security system while providing protection against home invasion can also protect the home and family against other dangers. Smoke and gas detectors can also be installed in a home security system. The use of smoke detectors is well known and well recognized as an advantage in any home security application. The use of gas detectors however is not as well known and is often ignored. Gas detectors can, for example, detect carbon monoxide and natural or propane gas fumes. It has not been uncommon to read in a newspaper where a family died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Returning home from the store, an adult pulled into an attached garage and closed the car door. The adult neglected to turn the car off, leaving the door from the garage to the home open. The car, running produced carbon monoxide fumes which suffocated the occupants of the home. Natural gas leaks or propane leaks can and do cause explosions in homes. The use of gas detectors eliminates either of these possibilities.

Today's economy dictates that most families require two incomes to survive. With both parents working, many children come home from school and have no adult supervision. How is the parent to know that their child came home from school on time? Security systems today allow for multiple access codes. When a child returns home, they enter their access code to disarm the system. When the code is entered the home security system will dial a predetermined number (cell phone, pager or office phone) and inform the parent that the child is home. This is highly advantageous to the parent since they are assured that the child has returned home safely when they are supposed to.

Two income families also face another problem in home security. Many times maintenance must be accomplished inside of the home when the owners are absent. The personnel doing the maintenance must have access to the home. This access compromises the home security. The maintenance personnel must either be provided an access code, the system left in a disarmed state or only part of the system disarmed. Most modern home security systems have the ability to arm and disarm only part of the system. This ability called partitioning allows the majority of the home to be disarmed while maintaining security on critical areas of the home. Though the use of partitioning, the maintenance personnel can access the home without compromising critical areas.

Many home security panels provide the homeowner the "listen in" option. This "listen in" option includes microphones and speakers in the keypads. Through the use of the "listen in" option, homeowners can listen to the activities in the home either from another part of the home or even when they are absent. A teenager and boy/girl friend can be in one part of the home and the parents who are in another part of the home can listen in to their activities. This can also be done while the parents are absent through the access of the security panel from a remote location.

Video systems and advanced head end equipment can be economically installed in a home. The small size and reasonable cost of this equipment permit the homeowner the ability to monitor the home and grounds. This monitoring can be accomplished in the home or even while the owners are absent from the home. The modern head end equipment can be issued an IP address. Through the use of the Internet, the homeowner can access the head end equipment and view the activity of the home. This can be accomplished from anywhere at any time and affords the homeowner another level of home security.

A lock on the door and caring neighbors is no longer considered home security. Through the utilization of electronics home security can be achieved by anyone. Central station personnel will constantly monitor the home for safe conditions. Should an alarm occur, whether invasion, fire or gas leak, the central station personnel can notify the proper authorities and dispatch them to the home. The homeowner can remotely monitor their home through the advanced audio and visual capabilities available to them. Electronics provides the home security and affords peace of mind to the homeowner.