Home security Systems

[tinknme]

Our home was broken into during our last trip, so we are looking into security systems. I was looking at this one:

http://www.lasershield.net/?detectflash=false

Anyone use this? What type of system do you use?

Hard way to learn a lesson, but I will not leave the house for long periods of time till we have something in place.

Thanks for any input!

 

[daisyduck123]

We've had Brinks since 1992.

It's got 24 hour monitoring.
We've got all doors & ground floor windows wired & some of the 2nd floor windows (the ones that are acccessible by our 2nd floor deck).
We've got glass breakage devices thruout also.

We love it.

This spring, we had a false alarm (first in many years) because when we left the house, DS didn't shut the door all the way. Well, my neighbor said the alarm went off & the police were at our house in minutes!

I highly recommend going with a national company that has 24 hour monitoring...like Brinks or ADT. When a friend of mine got an alarm installed she kept commenting about how safe she felt & then mentioned that she'd had a false alarm. I asked how long it took the police to show up & she said, "Oh, it's not monitored like that!" Turns out she used some cheap local company that installs alarms & if the alarm goes off...nothing happens after that! WTH kind of security is that??

If my alarm goes off, & the code isn't keyed in to turn it off, then I want HELP there QUICKLY!

 

[mickeyfan2]

We have had a local security system since 1992. We are planning an upgrade and to replace some parts very shortly.

 

[kctwinmommy]

We've had ADT since we moved in here in 1998. We've had no problems at all with the security they provide. There is always a quick response time for the few times we've had a false alarm, like when I set and left a birthday balloon floating around the house! It's extremely loud when it goes off too, totally gets people's attention.

We just added on with our addition, more fire protection up on the second floor and attic. But our quarterly bill is like $82, so just about $26-27/month, well worth it!!

 

[mickeysaver]

We have ADT. They saved us from a break-in being more than just an attempt, TWICE last year. We have sensors on windows and doors. We have glass break alarms so that if the sound of glass breaking is heard, the alarm trips. We have a hard wired fire alarm in addition to our regular First Alert and CO2 alarms. We have a battery backup and a phone backup, which means they can cut our power and phone lines, but it's still going to send the signal to ADT.

I know that if we had not had ADT, that I would not be typing this post right now because my laptop would be gone, among other things. Maggie

 

[hydster]

Another one with ADT! We have motion sensors, window sensors and door sensors. Never had a false alarm with them so I don't know how they respond.

I do know one day a few years ago I was taking my youngest to preschool about 6 blocks from home. Like a dope I didn't set the alarm because I was going to be gone about 5-10 min max. Well I had the idea to go Christmas shopping for a few items and figured in the middle of the day and where we live we'd be ok. WRONG! We were robbed in the middle of the day.

If the alarm had been set ADT would have paid our homeowners deductible but since it wasn't we ate it. Now we don't go anywhere without setting it. I even set it during the day when I am home alone! LOL

 

[JR6ooo4]

WIth our ADT plan we have a cell phone backup. It has an 8 hour battery. Our ohone wires come from the pole to the house, then down the building to the junction box which is at waist level. ANyone with wire cutters can snip them and the alarm would not go out to the police. Hence the reason for the cell contact addition. Even if the power goes out Our alarm still works and will call the police if set off.

With our install plan, if we move they will just leave the equipment and install all new equip. in the new location!!!

Also our house is a 1958 townhouse so we used some wireless sensors instead of them trying to run wires to very hard locations. Less driliing in the walls also. The wireless units have a five year battery.

Even on regular weekdays, DW and I leave for work and the house is empty for 8 hours or more. Plus our schedule is very predictable.

Mikeeee

 

[tekmom]

DH owns a security alarm and camera installation business. Make sure your home has a backup radio to notify the monitoring co. in the event of a break in. Because your panel would dial up the monitoring co., all it would take would be for someone to cut your phone line and then break in. A back up radio system would call it in, if the phone lines were compromised.

There are many great local companies out there. With some nationals, like ADT, You get maybe a motion detector, a siren and two doors and one panel. You then might have to sign a five year contract for around $29.00 or more a month. Considering it costs around $1.99 a month for monitoring, you could go with a good local co., that gives you a two or three year contract for alot less per month and use that extra money to invest in a better system in the first place. With DH, he will not keep his customers with a monitoring co., that has a slow response time. Good luck.

 

[JR6ooo4]

If our alarm goes off ADT calls the house immediatley, if we do not answer and give the code word then they call the police.

We set it every night as well. Set it to "stay" mode. It turns off all the motion sensors and keeps the doors and window alarms on. So the dogs raoming the house do not set it off, or the mice, hehehehehee.


MIkeeee

 

[mommasita]

If our alarm goes off ADT calls the house immediatley, if we do not answer and give the code word then they call the police.

We set it every night as well. Set it to "stay" mode. It turns off all the motion sensors and keeps the doors and window alarms on. So the dogs raoming the house do not set it off, or the mice, hehehehehee.


MIkeeee

US in a nutshell...I am very happy with their services...Even with all my false alarms

 

[ADisneygirl]

We've had ADT for 5 years now, ever since our robbery/vandalism. Our house had been so completely ransacked (during the day) that we had to live in a hotel for a month until things were fixed. Everything of monetary value was stolen.

We have every window and door covered and motion detectors inside. I've never had a false alarm, so I don't know their response tme. It is comforting to read that others with ADT monitoring have quick response times.

 

[ocddisney]

We had ADT, but now have a local private alarm company. As tekmom said, the monitoring is relatively cheap. We were paying $36/month for ADT's minimum service. We now pay $120/year for better service. Our new rep said that the higher cost of many national companies is to offset the cost of the "free" system they install. After the company has recovered the cost from you for the free system they have installed, your rates never seem to drop. With ADT, our batter back-up went bad twice and we had to replace it at our cost each time. None of that now. When we get to that phase of construction on our new home, our current company will hardwire all of the system along with any upgrades we may request. It may cost us, but he won't have to drill or compromise any of the existing structure during installation.

 

[PghLybrt]

We use guardian.
I also have the motion sensors, all the windows, cellular ect but what I really liked (and maybe this is something that ever company does?) was the fact that we have a code that we can type in to "turn off" the alarm if we are being forced into our home. To the average person it does look like I turned off the alarm but in fact I actually sent a silent alarm code to the company. I thought that was a good idea. We also have the fire/carbon alarms wired into it, which is good unless you attempt to make fried chicken and the house becomes a little smoky.......

 

[daisyduck123]

what I really liked (and maybe this is something that ever company does?) was the fact that we have a code that we can type in to "turn off" the alarm if we are being forced into our home. To the average person it does look like I turned off the alarm but in fact I actually sent a silent alarm code to the company. I thought that was a good idea.

Brinks has this too! and yes, I love this too!

 

[DVCLiz]

I have a local company - they do an excellent job. I have all doors and windows wired - both upstairs and down. I was choosing the system that summer Elizabeth Smart was missing, and moving into a new house, so I went a little overboard. But I'm glad they are all covered. I also have a glass break sensor in the sunroom, which is mostly glass windows and doors. And, I have a hard-wired fire system, so any time a smoke detector goes off it sends a signal immediately to the nearest fire department.

My alarm panel has a button for police, fire and hospital. If I need any of those services I can push that button, hold it down for 5 seconds, and a signal goes directly to them, not the monitoring company. I really like that feature, even though I've never had to use it!!

 

[DVCLiz]

Part 2!

This year I added a security camera system, since I was doing some new construction. I wanted to be able to see who was at my front door without going to the door, since I can't see without being seen in my entrance hall. I ended up with a 4 camera system - one on my front door and 3 in my back yard that cover the entire yard and all back doors. I can hit a video source button on my remote control and see all 4 cameras on my TV from any TV in my house. When I upgrade my computer I will also be able to see the same view from my computer, and I think I can even view it remotely from a laptop while on vacation.

We've had a LOT of daytime breakins in our neighborhood, so I feel much safer being able to immediately see the front and back yards, especially since the back is woods in the middle of my block, and it would be easy for someone to come through that way. I like to check before I go to bed that everything looks fine and the yards are "normal" looking.

 

[JNorris]

Don't mean to hijack, but...

We have ADT also. We have the glass break sensors in 2 of our bedrooms. If my DD opens and then slams a cabinet door on her desk, or the drawer in her clothes chest, it sets off the glass break alarm. I always thought that the glass break thing had to do with a certain frequency, but any sudden sound sets it off. Do I need to have ADT come adjust something? It does this in both rooms with the glass break sensors.

Other than that, we are very happy with ADT also.

 

[DVC-Don]

ADT also. We were paying $35 or so per month but I called after 2 years and they dropped it to $25 per.

 

[tinknme]

Thank you everyone for the replies, I really appreciate it! Looks like ADT is the popular one along with local companies. I will have to check & see what is offered around here.