How Glass Break Detectors Improve Your Security System

Glass break detectors should be of interest to anyone purchasing security systems for stores, museums, or art galleries. You may be wondering how glass break detectors can augment your pre-existing security systems package. If you have a large glass storefront, or if you are storing any display items in glass cases, glass break detectors will provide a new level of protection.

Glass break detectors may use several different technologies, but most of them communicate with security systems by reporting sound or vibration abnormalities. A microphone will detect a narrow range of sound frequencies that are generated from the breaking glass. Oftentimes, security systems utilizing glass break detectors will have small microphone units to attach to the glass. The closer the proximity to the glass, the more accurately the detector will report possible break-ins to security systems. Given that these detectors are used for a very specific purpose, glass break detectors seldom ever send false alarms to the security systems as long as they are used properly. If any of your security systems are generating false alarms from your glass break detectors, be sure that you are using the device properly. Try reading the instruction manuals that came with your security systems for troubleshooting. If that doesn’t work, call the customer service line for your security systems provider.

Glass break detectors are available at a number of price ranges. The cheaper models employ the narrow-band frequency detection mentioned earlier. These are usually pretty sufficient for most security systems, given that glass only affects certain ranges of frequencies when it breaks. However, in certain situations, you’ll want to spare no expense when integrating glass break detectors into your security systems. If you are looking for security systems for a museum, or any other place where you’ll be storing priceless valuables, be prepared to spend a pretty penny.

Other glass break detectors may take a seismic reading from the surface of the glass. When the glass breaks, the seismic detector will read the abnormal vibrations and send that data to the security systems. Expensive detectors may use an integrated approach, combining both techniques to augment your security systems. It is always a wise idea to double check with your security systems provider to see which options they provide for glass break detectors. If they do not have an option to integrate glass break detectors into your security systems package, you can also purchase glass break detectors that have their own independent alarms.

Photo via Armor 100 Wireless Security System

Posted on Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 by editor

Categories: Security Systems

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Every 14.6 seconds, a burglary takes place in the US. ±
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± Washington Post, 2007 (link)