Nowadays no one can boast of having a smart home. It is available and relatively affordable to everyone.
What is the most important in 21-st century? Knowing that what matters most – your family, your home your valuables, and your livelihood – are protected 24/7, 365 days a year! That is when home automation systems come handy. There are plenty of choices for home security systems, but there are certain things to consider before buying. And here we are to help you in that.
Alert Systems
In order to have a peace of mind, one should buy a home security system that offers you variety of alerts. There is a standard package that comes with each security system, but there are companies which provide alerts for such things as fire, carbon monoxide, intrusion, and broken window or door glass. And even more. There are companies that also provide additional alerts like child safety, temperature changes, medical emergencies, flooding, power failure and natural gas line breaks. If you live with someone who is elderly, a medic alert necklace can be a lifesaver.
Equipment & Security Devices
Some companies require security systems equipment that is easy to install, so you can do it yourself. But the others are more difficult, so you have to call them for set-up, which is expensive, of course. Almost all companies offer wireless plans, which means theoretically it has access to all part of your house. Also pay attention to devices, the more it has, the better. The device types include entry sensors, motion sensors, personal security devices, environmental sensors, control panels, keypads, sirens and two-way intercoms. You can always add an extra device to your plan but you also have to pay for that.
The top systems can be expanded to include security cameras installed indoors and outdoors, which is a good thing so you can see what is happening both inside and out. You can access remotely using a smartphone or laptop.
Monitoring Services
Every home security company provides security monitoring. A security package usually includes motion and entry sensors to help protect your home from breaking in. If someone opens a door or window without permission, you’ll know about it.
A monitored system is more secure than an unmonitored one. When the system triggers a call to your service, an operator calls you to verify the alarm. There are monitoring services that will double-verify: for example, if you don’t answer, they’ll call a second number. If the service doesn’t receive any response, or receives a confirmation from you that there was a break-in, they immediately call 911. A self-monitored system notifies only you, not the authorities, usually via text or push message.
There are 3 ways to communicates with a monitoring center: through landline, broadband or cellular. Cellular and internet monitoring tools let you remotely see when your children get home or check on pets during the day.
Help & Support
When considering investing in a security system, there is one thing you must consider: your system is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Whether you need 24/7 professional monitoring depends on how much you trust yourself (or your neighbors, friends and family) to respond to text messages and alarms, how paranoid you are, and perhaps how much you value your stuff. But if you need it, first of all make sure that they provide you with 24/7 protection and support not only on paper, but in real. You should pay attention that company’s services have a telephone and email service as well as many other live chat options to quickly respond to your questions. It’s also important that company provides you a warranty to protect your system from defects caused by the manufacturer. Your company should stand behind you in all circumstances.
