A Step-by-Step Guide for Choosing a Home Security System

Two million American houses are burglarized according to the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. A majority of these houses have no alarm system to warn off the burglars or to notify the occupants or neighbors that a burglary is taking place. Installing security equipment - security hardware and software for your home provides a peace of mind and alerts and reacts to any unauthorized entry. Below are the basic steps to purchasing and installing a home alarm system:

1. Survey your home and decide how many of the doors and windows of the house will be included in the alarm system.

2. Talk to a security system adviser, an insurance agent, or a local police department for names of security companies.

3. Call up each of the companies and ask for an inspection by them as well as a recommendation and a price quote.

4. Depending on the reason for the security alarms and your family's normal lifestyle, pick the appropriate type, brand, and locations for sensors around the home.

5. A basic part of the security system to decide is the 24 hour monitoring system for an extra monthly fee. When there is an attempted robbery, a signal is automatically sent to security professionals that will contact the proper local police. A less expensive monitoring system will call pre-selected numbers for help when there is a break in.

6. Make sure all the zones can be controlled with one control panel. A zone is any window or door that is incorporated into the security system. The basic system can only control eight zones but it can be upgraded to control up to thirty two. These systems usually range around $350-400. Pick where the control panel will be placed as well as any other keypads throughout the house. The keypads in most houses are placed at the front door and in the bedroom, allowing certain components to be turned on or off while the control panel manages the entire system.

7. When looking for a home automation system, make sure that they connect to lighting, smoke, carbon monoxide, and flood sensors. A problem that quite a few systems have is that during the winter their switches freeze so consult an authority for its practicality during the winter.

8. Once the system is installed, the code should be easy to remember by everyone in the family and should be kept private under most circumstances. Make sure the keypad is user friendly and can activate and deactivate alarms in seconds.

9. There are many advantages to choosing wireless burglar alarms. One of the main ones is that there is no reason to drill too many holes in the wall. And if a retrofit comes into the scenario, having a wireless system becomes a huge convenience.

General Tips: 1. Check that the system has a backup battery power. 2. Ask about maintenance tests, how does them, and how often. 3. Choose the monitoring service before buying the system because the type of system limits what type of service you will receive.

Natalie Aranda writes about home and family