When considering home security and property perimeter monitoring - there are several ways you can be assured you know who or what enters your property at any given time.
The most obvious answer is security cameras - however these are only effective in a real time sense, if there is someone constantly watching the live feed.
The answer, that perhaps is not obvious to everyone, is driveway alarms! These security devices have been around for decades and will quickly became an intricate component of your home security.
For someone who has never heard of driveway alarms, however, once you start looking - all the options can be a little overwhelming! Knowing more about the different types of driveway alarms can really help to clarify the numerous options - and armed with a few simple facts and some basic knowledge of how driveway alarms are categorized can make the shopping experience a great deal less daunting! We'll take a simplified look at the different categories of these types of alarms - and the information needed to make an informed decision.
For anyone new to this type of home security device - the following review should make it that much easier to choose an alarm that truly suits your needs.
First, a simple explanation.
Generally, all driveway alarms consist of two main components; the sensor/transmitter and receiver and can be either wireless or hardwired.
That being said, the very first thing to decide is what you'd like to detect.
Do you need to detect cars - but ignore the 'pedestrian' traffic? Or perhaps you need an alarm that will pick up everything; cars, people and animals.
Below we'll cover the three main types of entry alerts (rubber hose alarms, magnetic probe alarms as well as infra red alarms) and their typical uses.
Rubber Hose Alarms These alarms are used to detect when heavy objects, such as vehicles, travel over the slightly pressurized hose.
This type of driveway alarm is relatively inexpensive and easy to install.
While the rubber hose can degenerate after time and constant use - replacement hoses are easily obtained and are not costly.
It should be noted that these types of alarms do not work well in areas with heavy snowfall.
Magnetic Probe Alarms These alarms will only detect moving metal objects such as cars, a must have if you don't want false alarms from people or animals.
An esthetic advantage is apparent since the probe can be buried and kept out of sight.
Models come in both hardwired and wireless.
It should be noted that lightning can cause false alarms with this type of sensor.
Infra Red Alarms These alarms detect moving heat, such as warm cars, people and animals.
These alarms only come in a wireless model and are very easy to install.
It should be noted that these alarms are not 'motion detectors' or photobeam sensors, they only detect moving heat.
Now, armed with the basic knowledge you need to confidently chose an alarm that suits your needs, making a decision will be that much easier - and with the proper terminology laid out for you - your online searches should be easier to manage as well! Happy shopping!