What types of burglar alarms are there?

There are basically two types of burglar alarm and further two options within that for you to consider when it comes to choosing your alarm system.

Audible only (Bells only)

This alarm sounds at the premises only. Response is reliant on somebody contacting the police to report it. However many police forces have a policy whereby they will not attend audible only alarms unless there is additional evidence to suggest a crime is being committed.

Monitored

The alarm sounds at the premises and a signal is sent to an alarm receiving centre via your phone line, mobile network or even by satellite. The receiving centre will contact the police and your nominated key holders, if any. The centre will also try to filter out false alarms and, in the case of a personal attack activation, they will try to contact the premises.

Both these alarms are available in a further two formats:

Wire free and Hard wired

• Wire free

Wire free alarms are easy to install but they are usually more expensive than a wired system. Wire free alarms come in six classes. The higher the class, the more safeguards are built in. Professional installers will not supply a system below class six, nor will the police accept a lower class if monitoring is to be considered.

• Hard wired

Hard wired alarms are more reliable and cheaper than wire free alarms, but they take longer to install. Most alarm companies are expert in concealing the cables and they should always try keep disruption and mess to a minimum.

For all kinds of alarms, however, the control panel should be kept well hidden. Ideal locations are behind a locked door, in the attic or perhaps the garage. Access to this main control panel must be protected by a detector. If a burglar finds this he could shut up your bells and internal sirens in less than 30 seconds without damaging the alarm system at all.

How much will it cost?

The cost of alarm systems can vary greatly according to there level of sophistication, and the installation charges can differ greatly dependant upon the type of premises you want to secure. The typical cost for a home security system (Bells Only) will be around £500, and upwards of £700 for your basic monitored system. But both these price guides could easily rise to several thousand for larger and more complex systems. A good idea is to get several other quotes from reputable installers before making your choice, but remember that the cheapest installer is not necessarily the best.

CCTV

Home CCTV systems are becoming increasingly popular for as they allow you to see and hear your visitors, monitor your property and act as a visible deterrent to burglars. In fact a survey carried out by security company Micromark found that 67% of burglars said they would be put off burgling a house that had CCTV fitted. In fact, 6 out of 10 of the convicted burglars surveyed by had either been caught on CCTV or knew someone else who had been.

There are several options when it comes to CCTV. The most basic systems simply plug into your existing TV and the cameras are weatherproof, making them suitable for indoor or outdoor use. More sophisticated technology includes a rolling CCTV camera system with which you can monitor your home via the internet or phone.

Domus provide this package including installation, gas detectors and can add an infra-red perimeter beam for £4,000. Urmet Domus supply other top of the range products including the 2GO two-wire video entry system with modem that will send a seven-second video clip to your mobile phone for £1,364.75; Semplice, a stylish Italian home-automation system to control lighting, heating and water costs £499; and the Utopia colour video monitor will cost you £375.

It is worth remembering, however, that generally, low-visibility security is best: a flashy bank of CCTV cameras will draw attention to your home and suggest that it contains goodies worth stealing so talk to your professional about the package that best suits your needs.