Cause for concern: Apartments and homes are increasingly being broken into. In 2014, German police statistics reported over 150,000 offences. An intrusion takes places every three and a half minutes. Although an alarm system can never fully guarantee protection, it can at least serve as a deterrent to criminals or cause them to run away. If you’re considering buying an alarm system, you should read this guide first.
An alarm system can remedy the situation
Our duty is to: Make it as difficult as possible for burglars to break into an apartment or house. Insurance companies also maintain this point of view. In the case of damage, they particularly look at whether the crooks were almost “invited in”.
So secure your doors with reinforced panels, locks and a safety catch, for example. Lockable window catches and additional shutters can be used to make windows more secure. Make sure that any shutters cannot be pushed upwards from outside.
Alarm systems: There are a large variety of options
Even if your apartment or house is adequately protected from a fittings point of view, you might also want to think about installing an additional alarm system.
The range of alarm systems and accessories is quite large. It ranges from simple solutions such as alarmed door stops and glass breakage detectors (known as stand-alone solutions), for example, as well as a mini-house alarm for 10 to 20 euro, up to large alarm systems that are suitable for larger single-family homes and that can be controlled on the move via an app.
Your choice will depend on your individual security requirements and conditions around your home.
An alarm system for a fourth-floor apartment of an apartment building will not need to offer the same features as one for a single-family house with basement windows.
The basic structure of an alarm system
Aside from the stand-alone solutions already mentioned, alarm systems in principle consist of the following three components:
- Alarm sensors: These are devices that register if something unusual happens. This includes, for example, motion detectors, door and window sensors, video cameras and glass breakage detectors.
- Alarm control panel: This panel receives notifications from the alarm sensors. The control panel decides what needs to be done. But it only does what you have “taught” it to do and in accordance with its features. Features could include sending an alarm SMS to your mobile phone, or sending an alarm call to an emergency call centre.
- Alarm transmitter: Obviously an alarm system needs to emit a deafening noise. A dazzling flashing light outside of the house can also alert extra witnesses at night.
Good alarm systems have additional features such as automatic light control that kicks in when you are on holiday.
Types of alarm systems
Alarm systems can be categorised according to the type of connection between the components:
- Wireless alarm systems: Wireless contact between the central alarm unit and the other components.
- Wired alarm systems: With these systems, everything has to be wired up. This is particularly useful if an alarm system is planned when a house is being built.
- Hybrid alarm systems: A combination of cable and wireless.
- IP alarm systems: These are systems that use the Internet. The alarm panel is usually connected to the home router. It can therefore also be controlled easily on the move via the Internet, for example via an app on your smartphone. You can then also receive alarms online.
Many manufacturers offer starter packs. In addition to the compulsory alarm control panel, they contain a few alarm sensors (such as motion detectors and window sensors). Before making your purchase, check whether the quantity of sensors supplied is sufficient for your needs.
If not, the control panel should be designed to allow for additional sensors.
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