The idea of an intruder alarm is to simply try and deter a potential burglary occurring at your house, and to an extent it works a treat. After all if your house is alarmed and another house just up the road isn't then your house is a lot less likely to get targeted. A burglar does not want any attention, he just wants to get in with as little fuss as possible take what ever he wants and leave to go on to the next house, if he triggers an alarm system it could obviously ruin his entire day, noise is his worst enemy because it attracts attention.

Burglar alarms have become standard equipment in stores and other businesses, and they're becoming increasingly common in private homes as well. If you've ever shopped for a home security system, then you know there are a wide variety of options available. These systems range from do-it-yourself kits you can pick up for £50 to sophisticated whole-house security networks that must be installed by professionals from £350 and up to £several thousand. But, as it turns out, most alarm systems use the same basic design concepts.

Types of Alarm System.

There are basically 2 choices and 2 options for you to consider regarding your types of alarm system, as listed below.

Choice 1. Audible only (Bells only):

The alarm sounds at the premises only. Response is reliant on somebody contacting the police to report it. Many forces have a policy whereby they will not attend audible only alarms unless there is additional evidence to suggest a crime is being committed, in other words they are not likely to attend unless you report perhaps a visual sighting or noises such as glass breaking to backup your story. Some police forces maintain a list of key holders nominated by house owners. They will usually call out your key holder if they cannot contact you.

Choice 2. Monitored:

The alarm sounds at the premises and a signal is sent to an alarm receiving centre via your phone line, mobile network or even by satellite! The receiving centre will contact the police and your nominated key holders. They will also try to filter out false alarms and, in the case of a personal attack activation, they will try to contact the premises. A Confirmed Monitored alarm will usually qualify for an immediate police response.

Option 1.Wire free (radio):

Easy to install but more expensive than a wired system. This type of alarm comes in six classes. The higher the class, the more safeguards are built in. Most DIY radio alarms are class 1 up to 3. Professional installers will not supply a system below class 6, nor will the police accept a lower class if monitoring is to be considered.

Option 2. Hard wired:

More reliable and cheaper than wire free, but takes longer to install. Most alarm companies are expert in concealing the cables and they will keep disruption and mess to a minimum. In fact you will be surprised how tidy most companies are.

A Third option to consider could be a mixture of Technologies. Using a Hardwired System for the majority of the installation and combining the versatility of wire free devices for awkward to reach areas which you may want protecting such as a garage, shed or workshop.

The choice is up to you, however you should take into account the following:

1. The more isolated you are, the more I would suggest considering the benefits of monitoring.
2. With a monitored system you should have a personal attack button, these normally rate highly on police response lists and almost guarantee a police response (Within locally agreed service delivery standards).
3. Wire free alarms do have their uses and are convenient and particularly useful in rented accommodation where you may not be allowed to make any alterations.
4. Wired alarms generally cost less but are normally much more reliable.

The Basic Components will include:

Control Panel Unit (CPU): Takes AC voltage from your house supply and converts it to 13.2v to operate the security system devices & detectors. This is the brain of the system. It controls how the security system operates after it has been configured by the installer to meet your requirements. All devices wire into/or communicate with the control panel.

keypad (RKP): Used to access all user functions of the intruder alarm system such as arming and disarming the system, Silencing and resetting the alarm after activation, and adding/altering/configuring user access.

Door Contact (MRS): Used to protect doors and windows, Contacts come in numerous shapes and sizes and can be either surface mounted or recessed.

Passive Infra-red (PIR): Detects space intrusion. A pir detector splits it's protected area up into numerous zones, so a single room for example may be seen by the detector as 30 separate sections, and will report any changes across those sections to the CPU.

Siren (Bellbox, SAB, SCB): A local alarm outside and/or inside the premises. Usually referred to as a bellbox when mounted outside the premises and will usually incorporate both a visual (by means of a strobe light) and audible means of alerting an intrusion. Internal units are usually much smaller and will mimic the bellbox but usually only audibly.

Speaker: A siren without an electronic driver signal. Mainly used to mimic any sounds generated by RKP, such as your Entry/Exit and general warning tones.

Battery: A 12v backup battery is used to allow the alarm system to carry on working for a minimum period of 8 hours should the premises suffer a mains failure. It is continually trickle charged by your CPU.