How do you Choose the Best Security System?

To answer that question, first and foremost, you’ll want to do some necessary research before making your decision. Here are my recommendations where this is concerned.

Do your homework first – don’t just go out and purchase one of the security systems available without determining several aspects such as:

• consider purchasing a system that provides you with 24-hour a day monitoring capabilities so that you are linked to all of the local public safety entities (i.e. fire, medical, and police)
• doors and windows you want integrated into the system so they are secured when you are away from home
• locations for the control panel and keypad
• the distance that doors and windows are from the control panel and keyboard
• traffic factors where entry and exit is concerned (e.g. large pets wandering through the house in the middle of the night, people coming home from work late, etc.)

Search the internet and/or visit numerous security systems retailers – compare system components, cost of the system and installation, and the quality. I recommend you read product reviews of each one.

Check the efficiency of the control panels and keyboards – you want to make sure that any of the security systems you are looking at can monitor every “zone” in your home. Doors and windows are considered zones and the basic system is capable of handling up to 8 of these at a time. Be aware that expansion modules can be purchased and added so that you could effectively monitor up to 32 different zones.

If you’re looking at one of the hard-wired security systems, determine the routing of them – if the wiring is not long enough to reach all the doors and windows you want integrated into the system, then you might want to consider spending a little more on one of the wireless security systems available.

Make sure that these security systems include certain detectors – key considerations are carbon monoxide, combustible gas, fire and smoke, and water detectors. Panic buttons should be included as well.

You want to purchase a system that is user-friendly – believe it or not, there are some security systems that are difficult to operate. The less complicated the keypad is to operate, the better.

Always work the keypads of the security systems – when shopping for the best system, take the time to see how easy the keypads are to work.