There are many factors that contribute to making the home safe to live in – the neighborhood, the location and the vigilance of the homeowners and their neighbors.  A good home alarm system really is just a backup to ensure security and  is an excellent way to boost safety.  Most people rely on their home alarm security to keep them safe, discourage an attack, prevent a burglary and generally deter crime.  But did you know there are limitations to this system?  Here are the most common pitfalls of using a home alarm system that you should know about:
Frequently, home alarm systems need some sort of power backup
Probably the most reliable home alarm system is one that is run by electricity.  This is because the homeowner will always be assured that the system is running and that their home is protected.  Unfortunately, there are certain pitfalls associated with this feature.  These include:

- Sudden loss of power, which could occur during a blackout or power outage
- Tampering of the power line by a potential burglar
- Mechanical failure in the system itself due to power surges

To correct this, most home alarm systems may come with an alternative source of power, such as batteries so the system will continue to run.  The only drawback is that if the homeowner is too careless or unmindful of his home alarm system, batteries could run out of power and the system will simply not work.  Should a burglar come around at this time, the home will be very vulnerable to an intrusion.

There is a gap between the trigger and the reaction
There are monitored home alarm systems in which the homeowner’s system is connected to a third party, usually a company that provides an alert service.  In case the alarm is tripped due to a burglary, the company will call the homeowner, wait for a confirmation that it is not a false alarm and then alert the nearest security personnel (usually a police department) to check on the premises.

In this system, there are pitfalls that homeowners should be aware about.  First, the third party usually waits for up to 45 seconds before calling the homeowner for confirmation after the alarm is tripped.  That’s usually enough time for a burglar to steal a few things and leave before the homeowner confirms the integrity of the alarm.

Second, it could take the police several minutes to arrive – enough time for a skillful burglar to make off with some of the valuables he finds in the house.

Third, if the third party does make that call, there is no guarantee that it will be answered 100% of the time.  The homeowner may be sound asleep, unable to come to the phone or the phone may be defective due to mechanical or electrical failure.

To avoid this pitfall, the homeowner should ask about an option such as using a mobile phone or even a radio to confirm with the third party.  This will ensure that his home and valuables are safe, the occupants are protected against physical harm and that his home alarm system is working properly.

Tags: alarm, family safety, home alarm system, security

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 1st, 2009 at 1:38 pm and is filed under Cool Gadgets, Home Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.