1. More Equipment: If you have a rather large house, or many points of entry that could be attractive for burglars, then perhaps what you need to look for is an offer that provides the most base equipment to protect your house. Never mind those shiny gifts, the vacation coupons you’ll never use, or the glittery text, what you need is the most complete setup of alarm system equipment you can get. And if it seems that most dealers offer the same amount of equipment, why not try calling a few and see who is willing to be more flexible?
2. Cheaper Monitoring: With most dealers offering free basic equipment, in the long run, the most expensive part of getting home security is the monthly monitoring fee. This is a tricky option however, as usually the amount you pay is going to reflect on the monitoring services provided. You will be hard pressed to find an ADT monitoring fee for less than $31.99 as that is their set base price. Alarm Force has monitoring fee of $25 yet their monitoring stations are not necessarily comparable with those offered by the larger company. So here the question is, how much are you willing to pay to protect your family?
3. Quality Customer Service: This is something not many think of at first, and it’s a quite important thing to keep in mind. Once you have the alarm system installed in your home, and monitoring in place, how will the company you chose perform when there’s a problem? Look into prices of things such as extended warranties, service calls and the like, as these can come at an additional cost, and you should be informed of them beforehand so there are no surprises later. A good way of finding out how a company will treat you after signing up with you is calling them to talk to their representatives. How do they treat you? How quick do they answer your questions and concerns?
4. Quick and painless installation: Installing an alarm system in your home means time and patience on your part. You will want a company that can install everything fairly quickly and without disrupting your family or your home decor. Make sure they can explain everything they do and teach you how to use the system, so you know how it all works. Alarm System Canada has a page with stories of those who have had systems installed by them. Check your other dealers and see if they have something similar, or ask them how the installation will take place over the phone.

These are just some of the basic things you should keep in mind when looking for offers on the net. Don’t be shy and call the dealers if you have questions, or contact them over mail. You want the best for your home, so you should take the time to investigate a bit more in-depth than what is displayed on the web.

If you have any other things you look for in a Home Security offer, leave a comment!

Some glassbreak detectors use an “omnidirectional” microphone to detect the sound of breaking glass. Others detect vibrations or shock waves that are caused by breaking windows, or a door being forced open. The best glassbreak sensors combine these elements, to reduce false alarms caused by perfectly innocent occurrences, such as the sound of breaking glass heard on a radio, or a dropped dinner plate or drinking glass.

You should insist on having a unit installed that:

1. Employs both of these methods;
2. Is able to detect sound up to 25 feet away;
3. Is effective with plate, laminated, wired or tempered glass.

If you have only one window (that doesn’t open) in a room you wish to protect, a “button” or “bug” glassbreak sensor is a more economical option. It is a small shockwave sensor that is placed on the window itself, or at the very least, close to it. They can be less than half the cost of a dual technology glassbreak sensor.

Some installers may have a portable unit that simulates the sound of glass breaking, to test any glassbreak sensors they have installed. You may want to ask the installer for a demonstration.

The following posts will hopefully provide you with everything you ever wanted to know about available alarm devices and sensors. Our first post will be about the door and window sensors, that protect home entry points from intrusion.

There are two main types of door and window contacts: surface, and recessed.

Door or window Surface contacts are easiest to install and cost the least. The sensor is placed onto the “surface” of the frame, and the magnetic contact onto the “surface” of the door or window itself with a strong adhesive backing. Surface contacts are usually used in commercial and industrial applications, but are also used in residential installations (i.e. laundry rooms, garage doors). They are not used as much in a residential setting purely for esthetic reasons.

A recessed door or window contact works exactly as a surface contact, but the sensor and magnet are installed “inside” the frame and window or door. They are completely invisible, and less prone to tampering. Recessed contacts are used most often in office and residential settings.

The cost difference between surface and recessed contacts are minimal, and using recessed contacts is generally worth the few extra dollars.

A garage door contact is similar to a surface door contact in appearance, and work on the same principle. However, in this case the sensor portion usually installed onto the floor, while the magnetic portion is installed on the garage or roll up door itself. The sensor portion is encased in steel, which can withstand a vehicle driving over it on a regular basis.

Tip: Use standard magnetic contacts on any “sliding” windows in your home or business. For casement windows (“crank” style), use a standard or button glassbreak detector. Why? Because casement windows (when they are closed) are virtually impossible to open without breaking the glass, whether they are locked or not. And the burglar may just remove the glass, and enter your home or business without even opening the window!

Thus why we need to know what it will cost us to get service calls and repairs done to the equipment. Some companies have costly service calls and high prices for technical support at your home, so it’s very important to clear this with your sales rep at the time of getting the alarm system.

ADT Dealers for example, can offer you an Extended Warranty on the alarm system, as long as you are monitored by ADT and paying the monthly monitoring fee. This warranty covers all price on repairs and calls to your system for free, and in the long run, this may be very beneficial and help reduce the total cost of protecting your home, while also helping you keep your alarm system in top condition.

Other companies also offer this service, so be sure to ask about it, and how much it will cost, if it is not included in their basic rates.

• Unknown or suspicious persons trying to get in to the building should be referred to the Management, Security or the Superintendent
• DO NOT allow strangers to enter the building as you are leaving or entering. Cooperate with all other tenants in keeping the main outer doors locked at all times
• DO NOT buzz anyone into the building whom you don’t know
• Use only your first initial on the lobby directory, doorbell, mailbox, and phone directory

Door security

• Doors should be mounted so hinge-bolts are not facing outwards
• Install one-inch deadbolt locks on all exterior doors
• Chain locks are poor security – install a wide angle viewer instead and NEVER open your door to a stranger
• NEVER leave your door unlocked, even while taking out the trash
• DO NOT leave notes on your apartment door or on the lobby directory
• If keys are lost or if you move, locks should be changed
• If you see a stranger carrying items out of a neighbours apartment, ***CALL 911***

Elevator safety

• Look to see who’s in the elevator before entering
• DO NOT enter the elevator if you do not feel comfortable – wait for the next one
• When in the elevator – stand beside the control panel
• If a suspicious person enters the elevator, exit before the doors close.

Helpful hints

• Keep a record of your valuables
• Identify your property by engraving an identifying mark – proper identification makes it easier for the police to return personal property
• When engraving, hold the engraver straight up NOT on a slant
• The identification should be readily visible without marring the appearance of the item
• Be a good neighbour and report any suspicious activity to the Police

If a crime has occurred

• DO NOT enter – the criminal may still be inside
• Use a neighbour’s phone and call the police
• DO NOT touch anything or clean up until the police have inspected for evidence
• Note the licence number of any suspicious vehicle
• Note the description of any suspicious person(s)

Crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility!

If you’re looking for a good alarm system for your apartment or condo,check out Aryana Wireless‘ offer, a basic system with ADT Monitoring for a very reasonable price. They offer a wireless alarm system that is easy to install without breaking your walls, and ensures that extra level of security only ADT can offer.

Safety tips courtesy of Toronto Police Service

It should be noted that many alarms with a hush feature will chirp intermittently while in hush mode. The chirping will stop once the alarm resets itself.

If smoke continues to build from a real fire while the alarm is in hush mode, the smoke will override the silence feature and the smoke alarm will resound.

Other than the family dog, the most basic burglar alarm is a simple electric circuit built into an entry way. In any circuit, whether it’s powering a flashlight or a computer, electricity only flows when you give it a path between two points of opposite charge. To turn the electricity on or off, you open or close part of the circuit.

To open or close a flashlight circuit, you simply throw a switch. In a burglar alarm, the switch detects the act of intrusion — opening a door or window, for example. These sorts of alarms are divided into two categories:

• In a closed-circuit system, the electric circuit is closed when the door is shut. This means that as long as the door is closed, electricity can flow from one end of the circuit to the other. But if somebody opens the door, the circuit is opened, and electricity can’t flow. This triggers an alarm.
• In an open-circuit system, opening the door closes the circuit, so electricity begins to flow. In this system, the alarm is triggered when the circuit is completed.

There are a number of ways to build this sort of circuit into an entry way. Closed circuits are normally a better choice than open circuits because an intruder can deactivate the open circuit by simply cutting the connected wires.

A magnetic sensor in a closed circuit consists of a few simple components. For the most basic design, you need:

• a battery powering a circuit
• a spring-driven metal switch built into a door frame
• a magnet embedded in the door, lined up with the switch
• a separately-powered buzzer with a relay-driven switch.