How Do Home Security Systems Work?

More and more Americans are investing in their safety as home security systems become an important staple for most homes. In fact, 38% of Americans own a home security product to protect themselves and their loved ones from possible emergencies. We know that home security systems are useful, but how exactly do they work to keep you and your loved ones safe?

Arming Your System

A home security system must be armed to help protect you from intruders. When a home security system is armed, it’s set to help protect your property against potential threats. Arming or activating a system is primarily done from its panel, which acts as the hub of any home security system. Nowadays, most home security systems also have a mobile app where you can easily arm or disarm your security devices. In the Guardian app, our users can also set up schedules to automatically arm and disarm their system during selected times so they never forget to lock up for the night. Arming a security system is the first step toward a safer home.

Read more about how home security can help to protect against burglaries.

How a System Detects Suspicious Activity

Along with the panel, a security system includes a variety of additional devices. Each system’s security equipment is often selected based on addressing vulnerable areas of a home. For example, to better detect intruders, you may want to install a motion sensor in your home’s entryway. When the system is armed, the motion sensor is also activated. So, if a person is detected, the sensor will trigger your panel and an alarm will sound. A glass break sensor also works to help detect and deter intruders. If your system has a mobile app, you will also receive a real-time alert of this activity.

Watch this brief video to see how monitored burglary detection works with your devices to notify you of intruders:

How a Monitored Home Security System Works

The safety of you and your loved ones is not something you want to do half-heartedly. Professional monitoring is the best protection you can get from a home security system. Chances are, if an emergency is happening, you don’t have the frame of mind to do more than make sure you and the others in your house are safe. That’s why monitoring is so useful: It does all of the hard work for you.

So how does it work? When an alarm is triggered, you might be home to hear it and react accordingly. However, if you aren’t there or you’re sleeping when it occurs, for example, it might be challenging to react efficiently. With professional monitoring, you aren’t the only one who receives this notification. A team of Protection Specialists will get this alarm too and will reach out to you and see if you’re ok. If you don’t respond to the monitoring center’s attempts to check in, they will escalate the situation to involve the authorities.

This added layer of protection is not an option when it comes to most DIY security systems. If you choose a DIY system, simply put, in the event of an emergency, you’re on your own.

Types of Monitored Detection

Burglary detection isn’t the only emergency your monitored system is on the lookout for! Home security is often associated with intrusion detection, but professionally monitored systems can also look out for other emergencies. In addition to home invasions, a Guardian home security system can help protect against fires and carbon monoxide. Your Guardian system does not need to be armed for these devices to work. For example, your monitored smoke detector works 24/7/365. Guardian’s devices are monitored to watch out for you around the clock so that if there is an emergency, it will work with the Guardian monitoring center to handle the situation.

Additionally, water detection is an overlooked danger that monitoring can help with. Water leaks and flooding can result in costly damage. It also can ruin important belongings without you even being aware of it. This is why monitored water sensors can be such a lifesaver. These devices will detect the beginning of water damage before it becomes too disruptive or is beyond fixing. Because these Guardian devices are monitored, you can also be assured that even if you are away on vacation or at work, if your basement is flooding, the situation will be handled by a team of professionals.

Get Protected by Professionals

Finding the right home security equipment is just the first layer of protection you can give yourself. It’s no secret that having professionals who are trained to respond to emergencies can provide an added level of safety. Give yourself and your loved ones the best level of protection you can to not only save money in the long term but to give yourself some peace of mind in the short term as well.