This article is designed to give you an idea of the sort of intruder alarm protection you will need in a private house. It does not replace the advice of a professional Security Surveyor or System Designer from a reputable security installer. The article will give you a degree of understanding and help you to discuss your homes security with a security professional.



Christie Intruder Alarms (CIA) consider that the best way to protect residential property is by using trap protection. Trap protection is a strategy for protecting a property without fitting sensors in every room.

Statistics show that villains rarely break in through windows at the front of a house. They are even less likely to stay in one room and leave through the same front window; they are more likely to go straight to the master bed room. So fitting sensors in the rear rooms of the house and in the hallway is often considered sufficient for the ground floor.

Also as kitchens have heat sources (boilers, fridges, ovens, washing machines and such) and hard surfaces, they are generally considered unstable areas and rarely contain items of value. Therefore, as a rule, a kitchen should not be protected with PIR.

Through our 35+ years of experience, we have learnt that even dual technology detectors are unsuitable for kitchens, as the microwave motion sensor will detect movement through glass, thin walls and will even be triggered by water moving in pipes.

There are various reasons for adopting a trap protection strategy. The first is to limit the false alarm potential of a system and the more detectors a property has, the higher the false alarm potential. All detectors (even the top of the range ones that CIA use) sometimes false alarm. These false alarms are becoming increasingly onerous due to the new hard line that Police Forces are taking regarding attendance. False alarms result in withdrawn Police attendance.

Another important factor is cost - using a good quality sensor would make it expensive to protect each room.

As external alarm boxes are a good deterrent, just having an alarm system installed by a recognized intruder alarm installer should deter most villains, whether they are opportunists or professionals. After all, burglars do not know whether or not your system is monitored by a central station who will alert the Police in the instance of an alarm ? it is easier for them to go next door or somewhere that does not have an alarm system.

Burglar Alarms

Burglars, and indeed any intruders, are overwhelmingly deterred by a burglar alarm (or, as we say in the trade, an intruder alarm) more than any other form of home security. It is better to take preventative measures as opposed to the ?shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted?. You are far more likely to be burgled if you have been burgled before. Villains are renowned for returning to the same properties.

Break-ins are an unfortunate fact of life. Being broken into in a residential property is obviously more distressing than a burglary in the work place and although vandalism is rare, the loss of sentimental artefacts can be most upsetting.

As the Number One security installer in the South of England, Christie Intruder Alarms (CIA) use a combination of detection devices. The most popular devices are the PIR (Passive Infra-Red) detectors, magnetic reed contacts, breaking glass detectors, infra-red beams, pressure pads, case wiring, vibration detectors and dual technology sensors (sensors that combine Passive Infra-Red with Microwave or Ultrasonic detection).

Always choose a company that has been awarded the prestigious NSI NACOSS Gold Medal. The Gold Medal is only awarded to companies who consistently deliver an outstanding performance in security management.

NSI is an acronym of the National Security Inspectorate. Formerly known as NACOSS, the NSI is an independent, not-for-profit approvals body providing inspection services for the security and fire industries.

To read an article on Alarm Monitoring follow the author link.