How Burglar Alarms Work
Though they protect out home, belongings, and even our lives from outside dangers, many of us don’t understand how burglar alarms work.
In the Good Old Days, how burglar alarms work was simple—the dog barked. But now, how burglar alarms work has become a multi-million dollar science in an industry that is growing rapidly and advancing every day.
We asked Home Security Store’s founder and owner Stacey Winn to help us explain how burglar alarms work.
“You’ll find that there’s a huge variety in alarm systems, from do-it-yourself kits to whole-house wired systems. But most alarms work on the same basic principles, and even the most complex system is based on a pretty basic concept of how burglar alarms work,” says Winn.
How Burglar Alarms Work: Circuit Alarms
The most common first line of defense when it comes to how burglar alarms work is to use the circuit principle. You can have two kinds of circuit alarm: closed circuit or open circuit.
The basic concept is the same: you run an electrical circuit through a door or window. In an open circuit, the electrical current is not completed until the door or window is open, which then triggers the alarm. The only drawback to this system is that all the criminal has to do is cut the wires to prevent the circuit from being completed. In a closed circuit, the current is broken when the door or window is open, triggering the alarm. The all-important control box monitors all the doors and windows and once the circuit is broken, the control box will keep sounding the alarm till someone resets it with a predetermined code.
The control box is often placed in an out of the way place so a criminal can’t easily find it and break it.
The closed-circuit method of how burglar alarms work can be used all around the perimeter of the home. Just create a circuit that will be broken when a criminal tries to enter and you have an Alarm System. To make sure the alarm goes off if the window is broken rather than simply slid open; make the glass itself a circuit by running a current through it with a thin foil wire.
Even floor mats can be made into an open circuit alarm. When someone steps on the mat, the circuit is completed and an alarm sounds.
You can surround your home with a closed circuit alarm system that will sound the alarm when an intruder breaks the circuit. But once the criminal is inside, you need a whole different approach to how burglar alarms work.
How Burglar Alarms Work: Basic Motion Detectors
Circuit alarms are highly effective around the outside of your home and business because criminals have to get past the perimeter to get inside. But once they are inside, their movements are too unpredictable to have circuits everywhere inside the house. So then you have to rely on motion detectors.
You run into motion detectors all the time when you are approaching an automatically opening door that uses a radar-based Motion Detector. A control box above the door sends out radar waves (either microwave or ultrasonic) and then waits for those waves to be reflected back in an irregular pattern, indicating a presence is in the space. For automatic doors, that reflection detection opens the doors, while in an alarm system, it triggers the alarm.
So a motion detector works by constantly monitoring a room for irregular wave patterns. When a room is empty, the radar waves behave one way. But when motion is presented in the room, the pattern changes and the sensor detects the change to trigger the alarm.
How Burglar Alarms Work: More Advanced Motion Sensors
Other than radar-based motion detectors, there are also photo-Sensor Motion detectors. How burglar alarms work in this case involves beams of light. You aim the beam of light at a light sensor across a passageway in your house. When someone walks through it, the light beam is broken and the sensor triggers the alarm.
More advanced are passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors. These motion detectors see the heat given off by a body. Though the infrared energy tends to fluctuate in any given space, a PIR motion sensor only triggers the alarm when the energy rises rapidly, i.e. when a human, whose average body temperature is 98.6 degrees, enters an otherwise approximately 80-degree room.
If you have a motion sensor alarm system, there is usually delay of a few seconds on the control box to give you a chance to disengage the alarm when you enter the room.
How burglar alarms work has advanced beyond barking dogs and strung-up pots and pans. The science of how burglar alarms work applies measurements of time and space, incorporating the whole room into its security. A good alarm system would combine both circuit and motion sensor alarms, giving you two lines of defense when it comes to how burglar alarms work.
About the Author
Ralph Winn writes about Home Security and other related topics. For more information visit Alarm Systems
Guard Dog Burglar Alarm
|
|
Burglar Deterrent – Home Protection Audio CD $16.95 The new “Burglar Deterrent Home Protection Audio CD” gives homes an additional layer of protection from intruders when you’re away. Simply playing the digitally engineered “Burglar Deterrent Home Protection Audio CD” gives the impression to intruders that the home is occupied. Imagine having a virtual house guest 24 hours a day- the “Burglar Deterrent Home Protection Audio CD” adds another layer o… |
|
|
Home Protection Audio CD 24/7 HOUSEHOLD SOUNDS $12.99 “Protect your home using real Household Sounds ™.” The new Home Protection Audio CD 24/7 protects your home using exclusively “Household Sounds ™.” The new professionally recorded Household Sounds ™ give your home the aura of someone in the house. In response to numerous requests for realistic sounds of household activities, your Home Protection Audio CD features a wide variety of d… |
|
|
Neighbours $1.99 … |
|
|
Lucy’s Burglar’s Alarm $0.49 … |
|
|
Sal $1.99 … |
|
|
1874 in Economics: Companies Established in 1874, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Bank of America, Piaget Sa, ADT Security Services $20.49 Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 113. Not illustrated. Chapters: Companies Established in 1874, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Bank of America, Piaget Sa, Adt Security Services, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Schindler Group, Detroit Copper Mining Company of Arizona, Leeds Forge Company, Watts & Co, Hunting Plc, Nycomed, Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Batemans Brewery, Frank Cooper’s, Mm Cohn, the Fair Store, Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri, Bleichert, J. B. White, Reeves & Co., Yazoo/kees, London Life Insurance Company, Dreffa, Commercial National Bank. Excerpt: Tyco Fire & Security headquarters in Boca Raton (also home to ADT)ADT Security Services , originally American District Telegraph now also known as ADT Fire and Security or simply ADT , is a division of Tyco International and a worldwide supplier of electronic security systems, fire alarm systems, communication systems, and integrated building management systems .History In the United States in the 19th century, there were many small telegram delivery companies; in 1874, 57 district telegraph delivery companies affiliated and became “American District Telegraph”. With the increase in telephone usage in the late 1800s, ADT’s messenger business slowly declined in popularity. ADT tried branching out and developing their signaling business while still maintaining their telegraph business as primary income source. ADT incorporated into Western Union in 1901. ADT separated its messenger business from its main signaling business at this time. In 1909, Western Union and ADT came under the control of AT &T . ADT began to expand into new areas like fire alarms and burglar alarms between 1910 and 1930, but was kept separate from AT &T’s Holmes alarm business. ADT became a publicly owned company in the 1960s.In 1964, ADT was found to be a monopoly in restraint of trade . It was shown to |
|
|
A Guide to Protecting Your Home, Business and Your Person from Assault, Burglary, Fire and Fraud $15.23 Used – This guide was written to assist and educate the general public of the dangers of fire, burglary, assault and fraud in our everyday lives. Emphasizing actual events, the author covers a multitude of areas such as security at the ATM, preventing rape, fire hazards such as combustion, extension cords, and space heaters. He also emphasizes the dangers connected to smoke detectors and electronic burglar alarms and demonstrates how a home or business burglar alarm system may fail. He continues |
|
|
A Guide to Protecting Your Home, Business and Your Person from Assault, Burglary, Fire and Fraud $17.97 New – This guide was written to assist and educate the general public of the dangers of fire, burglary, assault and fraud in our everyday lives. Emphasizing actual events, the author covers a multitude of areas such as security at the ATM, preventing rape, fire hazards such as combustion, extension cords, and space heaters. He also emphasizes the dangers connected to smoke detectors and electronic burglar alarms and demonstrates how a home or business burglar alarm system may fail. He continues |
|
|
Alarms, Including: Alarm, Autodialer Alarm, Smoke Detector, Car Alarm, Alarm Management, Alarm Clock, Burglar Alarm, Real-Time Clock Alarm, Gas Alarm, Edwin Holmes (Inventor), First-Out Alarm, Personal Alarm, Linuxmce, Electronics Line USA, Bell Box $16.42 Used – Hephaestus Books represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Hephaestus Books continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge. |
|
|
Alarms, Including: Alarm, Autodialer Alarm, Smoke Detector, Car Alarm, Alarm Management, Alarm Clock, Burglar Alarm, Real-Time Clock Alarm, Gas Alarm, Edwin Holmes (Inventor), First-Out Alarm, Personal Alarm, Linuxmce, Electronics Line USA, Bell Box $16.42 Used – Hephaestus Books represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Hephaestus Books continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge. |
|
|
Alarms: Alarm, Burglar Alarm, Smoke Detector, Alarm Management, Alarm Clock, Car Alarm, Linuxmce, Electronics Line USA, Autodialer Alarm $23.99 New – Chapters: Alarm, Burglar alarm, Smoke detector, Alarm management, Alarm clock, Car alarm, LinuxMCE, Electronics Line USA, Autodialer alarm, Bell box, Edwin Holmes, Personal alarm, First-out alarm, . Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 71. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Burglar (or intrusion), fire, and safety alarms are electronic alarms designed |
|
|
Alarms: Alarm, Burglar Alarm, Smoke Detector, Alarm Management, Alarm Clock, Car Alarm, Linuxmce, Electronics Line USA, Autodialer Alarm $40.18 New – Chapters: Alarm, Burglar alarm, Smoke detector, Alarm management, Alarm clock, Car alarm, LinuxMCE, Electronics Line USA, Autodialer alarm, Bell box, Edwin Holmes, Personal alarm, First-out alarm, . Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 71. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Burglar (or intrusion), fire, and safety alarms are electronic alarms designed |
|
|
Alarms: Alarm, Burglar Alarm, Smoke Detector, Alarm Management, Alarm Clock, Car Alarm, Linuxmce, Electronics Line USA, Autodialer Alarm $21.77 Used – Chapters: Alarm, Burglar alarm, Smoke detector, Alarm management, Alarm clock, Car alarm, LinuxMCE, Electronics Line USA, Autodialer alarm, Bell box, Edwin Holmes, Personal alarm, First-out alarm, . Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 71. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Burglar (or intrusion), fire, and safety alarms are electronic alarms designed |
|
|
Alarms: Fire detection and alarm, Burglar alarm, Smoke detector, Fire alarm control panel, Alarm management, Fire alarm system, Alarm clock $19.99 Source: Wikipedia,Paperback, English-language edition,Pub by General Books LLC |
|
|
All Thumbs Guide to Home Security $39.95 New – Wood explains, step-by-step, how to install outdoor lighting, position shrubs and plants to deter entry, secure doors and windows, wire indoor and outdoor movement sensors, install burglar and fire alarms, mount grills and protective window shutters, and more. 180 illustrations. |
|
|
Bells, Indicators, Telephones, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Etc $25.57 J. B. Redfern, J. Savin,Hardcover, English-language edition,Pub by Kessinger Publishing Company |
|
|
Bells, Indicators, Telephones, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Etc. $21.95 New |
|
|
Bells, Indicators, Telephones, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Etc. $13.82 Used – Publisher: London, D. Van Nostrand company Subjects: Electric bells Electric annunciators Telephone Fire alarms Burglar alarms Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. |
|
|
Bells, Indicators, Telephones, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Etc. $28.76 New |
|
|
Bells, Indicators, Telephones, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Etc. $13.82 New – Publisher: London, D. Van Nostrand company Subjects: Electric bells Electric annunciators Telephone Fire alarms Burglar alarms Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. |
|
|
Bells, Indicators, Telephones, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Etc. $16.76 New |
|
|
Bells, Indicators, Telephones, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Etc. (1913) $24 Used |
|
|
Bells, Indicators, Telephones, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Etc. (1913) $33.25 Used |
|
|
Bells, Indicators, Telephones, Fire and Burglar Alarms, Etc. (1913) $24 New |
|
|
Blinkers and Buzzers $207.82 New – With some easy-to-find materials and this fun-filled book, children can turn batteries, bulbs, and wire into traffic lights, telegraphs, burglar alarms, and 12 other electrical devices. An 50 imaginative experiments provide an action-packed way to learn more about electricity. A Boston Children’s Museum Activity Book. Black-and-white illustrations. |
