| Now that you have a simple, yet effective burglar alarm, you might want to think about adding some fire protection, such as one or more photoelectric smoke detectors and a few heat detectors.
Don't go overboard here either. A smoke detector at the top of the basement stairs, and another on the bedroom level hallway ceiling is entirely adequate for life safety.
The basic alarm system should already have built into it, provisions for Panic, Ambush, and Medical protection, at no additional cost. The activating keys are a part of the remote control station where you arm and disarm the system.
The last thing you might consider adding to the system, is heat loss protection.
This is simply a special thermostat which is set for approximately 45 degrees, and continuously checks the temperature of the house. Should you suffer a wintertime heating plant failure, the system will then notify the central monitoring station, so they can call your designated heating service company, and get some help to the house before any water pipes freeze and burst. This is a great comfort when you're on a winter vacation in sunny Florida, and the news is full of stories about the blizzard back home in not-so-sunny Connecticut.
To quickly review the points:
1. An alarm should work with the way you live, and not require you to adapt to it.
2. All the doors, plus an interior passive motion detector makes the best balance.
--But no windows at all.
3. An interior burglar siren will tell the burglar he tripped an alarm, and get him
out, fast. (Outdoor sirens do very little good--and some harm.)
4. Your pet's freedom can easily be accommodated.
5. As long as you're doing an alarm at all, strongly consider adding some fire
life-safety protection.
6. Heat-loss can be a useful additional function.
A simple approach to design is effective and reliable. | |
