Ultimate Guide to Burglar Alarms for Your Home

Nobody wants to wake up to someone in their house rummaging about their personal belongings and with 61% of burglaries happening between 6pm and 6am, you need to make sure your home stays safe, not only when you’re away but also whilst you’re at home.

Knowing that 60% of thieves said they wouldn’t burgle a property if it had a burglar alarm, it’s worth seeing how burglar alarms can keep your home, valuables, and family safe.

 

 

What is a Burglar Alarm?

A burglar works by sounding an alarm system when its sensors detect movement inside your home or when someone tries to break into your home. When someone moves inside your home or tries to open your door or window, a loud noise will be created to alert neighbours and deter the burglar from entering any further.

Some smart burglar alarms can also send an alert to your phone, so it doesn’t matter where you are, your smart burglar alarm will alert you of a burglary attempt, so you can call the police straight away and get help for your home.

 

 

How Do Burglar Alarms Work?

If you are contemplating whether you want to purchase a burglar alarm for home, but you are wondering ‘how do burglar alarms work?’, then we’ve broken down the components of a burglar alarm and how they work to protect you and your home.

A burglar alarm consists of electrical components and sensors that are linked to a property. They use these sensors to detect movement, or the opening of doors and windows, and they sound the burglar alarm if the sensors are triggered, informing others of unauthorised entry.

 

Burglar Alarm Control Panel

The first part of knowing how do burglar alarms work is to look at the control panel of a burglar alarm, and this can be placed either on the wall of your home or a control centre in your home. The control panel of a burglar alarm is where you can turn your burglar alarm on and off and gives the controller complete access to that system.

 

Burglar Alarm Sound

The second part of knowing how do burglar alarms work is the bell or siren sound that the burglar alarm makes. The burglar alarm sound can be a bell, a siren, or another sound that plays loudly when an intruder enters the building.

 

Door and Windows Sensors

Door and window sensors are a crucial part of a burglar alarm system and how it works. When a burglar enters your home through a door or a window, whether through forced entry or an open door or window, a sensor will detect this movement and set off the burglar alarms. This will hopefully stop the intruder in their tracks and send them running away from your home.

 

Motion Sensors on Burglar Alarms

These are the white sensors in the corner of the room that you see in a lot of homes. Motion sensors can be placed around the home, including hallways, bedrooms, lounges, and any other rooms with valuables. If someone passes through these motion sensors when the burglar alarm is activated, they will set off the burglar alarm, deterring the intruders from entering any further into your home, at risk of getting caught.

 

 

What Are the Benefits of a Home Alarm System?

There are many benefits of a home burglar alarm system. Not only do they increase security and protection for your home and deter burglars from breaking in but they can also help to reduce premiums for your home insurance, and potentially increase your property’s value.

Having a burglar alarm can make it more likely that the intruder will be caught, as the loud noise that comes from the burglar alarm will attract attention from neighbours, making it more likely that someone will see something. It also helps bring peace of mind that your home is secure and less likely to be burgled.

 

Wired or Wireless Burglar Alarms

When buying a burglar alarm, it’s important to do your research so you can be sure that you’ve got the perfect burglar alarm system for your home. This includes thinking about whether you will need a wired burglar alarm or a wireless burglar alarm. So, we have created this guide to show you the pros and cons of each type of burglar alarm!

 

Wired Burglar Alarm

Wired burglar alarms are hardwired into the building and communicate to each other using the connected wires. Each motion detection sensor is wired into the control panel of the burglar alarm and then the control panel talks to the external monitoring company via a landline.

 

Pros of Wired Burglar Alarms

• No DIY or spending hours figuring out the electricals of the house, you can set your feet up and relax as a professional will do all the work for you.
• You won’t need to worry about wired burglar alarms’ batteries running out of charge or Wi-Fi being disconnected, as they use a landline connection.
• They are usually connected to a landline connection, so even in rural areas, the burglar alarm system should work with good connections.

 

Cons of Wired Burglar Alarms

• Often companies offering wired burglar alarms require a professional to install them, so although this takes away any DIY pressure, it can mean more faff in terms of taking longer to set up and being more costly to install and maintain.
• During a power outage your home may be more vulnerable to attacks because all if your burglar alarms will be off.
• Landline systems are more vulnerable to tampering or being cut, so it could mean your home is at a higher risk of being burgled.

 

Wireless Burglar Alarms

Wireless burglar alarms won’t need to be physically wired into the walls, as it simply communicates through the internet to your monitoring company about any motion detection sensors that have been activated.

 

Pros of Wireless Burglar Alarms

• They are neater and normally more cost-effective, as you don’t need to pay as much for installation or maintenance.
• Wireless burglar alarms normally work through a power outage, as they have a backup battery option.
• They can be difficult to tamper with, making it harder for a burglar to disable or damage the wireless burglar alarms.
• They advertise as easy to install anywhere in the home.
• You can also take it down without a problem if you need to redecorate or move house.

 

Cons of Wireless Burglar Alarms

• Wireless burglar alarms generally need a lot of installation. You can manage this yourself or hire a separate professional to install them, although this comes at an extra cost.
• There’s a frequently asked question about wireless burglar alarms, and this is ‘are burglar alarms reliable’? A short answer to this is that in the event of a power outage, the monitoring company may not be alerted if a sensor gets activated when there is a power outage, as it’ll need to connect to the internet to let them know.

 

Best Wireless Burglar Alarm 2024

Have you decided that a wireless burglar alarm is the burglar alarm for you. Here is what our security experts consider to be the best wireless burglar alarm of 2024, to help you get started on your search for home security.

 

Ring Wireless Burglar Alarm

One of the things that we like most about the Ring Wireless Burglar Alarm is that, even if you Wi-Fi does go down, it doesn’t matter, it will automatically change to mobile data network (if you subscribe). It’s relatively easy to install and is one of the most reactive wireless burglar alarms out there. The Ring Wireless Burglar Alarm is great for those that already have a camera doorbell installed. But it is still a great option for those who don’t have any other camera or smart home systems already.

The Ring alarm is 104 decibels, which is more than loud enough, the back up battery time is 24 hours, which is such a bonus, and it works with smart home systems such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It’s also one of the most affordable wireless burglar alarms out there at around £159 at Argos.

 

 

Types of Burglar Alarms

Burglar alarms come in many different types, and it can be overwhelming to figure out which one is right for your home. But we’ve made a list of the different types of burglar alarms, to try and make it a bit easier for you.

 

Bell Only Alarms

Bell only burglar alarms are very simple to have in the home. They usually come with a motion detection sensor which can be placed around your home and an alarm sounder. When the sensor is triggered, a loud sensor alert will begin. This won’t send you a direct alert to a smart device, but hopefully would attract some neighbours’ attention and deter the burglar from going in any further.

 

Monitoring Burglar Alarms

Monitoring burglar alarms are monitored by an external company 24/7 and often have a control team which offers a range of different services if the monitoring burglar alarm is triggered. These are becoming extremely commonly these days and normally include a mandatory subscription service to pay for the continuous monitoring of your alarms. If your burglar alarm is triggered, then you could receive a call or text from your monitoring company alerting you of this or some companies can automatically send out the police or a private security team to investigate and secure your home.

 

Dialler Burglar Alarms

Dialler burglar alarms are not as common these days, but certain burglar alarm systems can automatically dial your phone or a nominated friend or family member when the alarm has been triggered.

 

Smart Burglar Alarms

Smart burglar alarms can connect to a whole security system including cameras, doorbells, locks, and lighting. These can connect to an app on your phone and be monitored even when you’re away from home, and better protects your home. Have you thought about getting indoor security cameras or outdoor security cameras?

 

How to Choose a Burglar Alarm

Now that we’ve been through the different types of burglar alarms that are available to you, we will now go through things to factor in when choosing a burglar alarm, as this can make a difference!

 

Burglar Alarm Design System

As the focus of a burglar alarm system is to provide the owner with security, it’s important to consider this when buying one. Some security systems are used more as gadgets than actual home protection, meaning that they can’t actually provide you with real security.

 

Monitoring Types

There are 3 types of alarm monitoring – immediate audio-response, call-back, and auto-dialler.

• Immediate Audio-Response

This provides the best security as when a burglar alarm is activated, someone is immediately listening in and talking into the property via a microphone. However, there is no way of verifying if the action is actually a real burglar, or just a pet!

• Call-Back and Auto Dialler

These are the most standard types of monitoring for burglar alarm. They both call the owner and alert them of any alarm activation.

 

Personal Attack Alarm

One thing to consider with a security system would be it makes sure that it includes some kind of ‘personal attack’ functionality, like a panic button. These can either be fixed or mobile in the form of a fob – these are useful for elderly people or people with medical issues.

 

Fire Detection

Linking some fire detectors to your security system means that you have protection against a burglar, as well as a fire too. Have a read of our Fire Safety in the Home guide for more information on fire detectors, and any other ways to keep your home safe.

 

Smart Alarm Functionality

Having a smart alarm function on your phone means that you can easily access the properties of your burglar alarm remotely, such as being able to check if you’ve set your alarm or not. Whilst this is a great feature to have, the app can be unreliable and add unnecessary complexes to your burglar alarm system.

 

Where to Place Burglar Alarms

Each part that creates the burglar alarm needs to be placed carefully around the home for maximum efficiency.

 

Motion Sensors

The door and window motion sensors need to be placed on any door that enters/exits your home and on any windows big enough for someone to fit through that you want to protect.

Room motion sensors should ideally be placed in the corner of the room, so they can detect motion in all parts of the room. This means that a larger portion of your home is protected, and intruders are more likely to be detected.

Conservatories can also be a key place to put a motion sensor, as this can be a weak point of the home if left unsecure. Find out more about Conservatory Security in our home hub guide.

 

Bell/Siren Burglar Alarm

The bell or siren sound on your burglar alarm is best to be outside the property, up as high as possible. This is so if your burglar alarm is set off, then any neighbours and passers-by are more likely to hear the loud noise and notice the intruder. This will either deter the intruder from going any further or more people are likely to see them so they may be found easier. Having your bell/siren outside also shows the burglar that you have a security system in place, which is more likely to deter them from breaking in to begin with.

Your siren may also be a light siren, or connected to your security lighting so that when it’s activated bright lights will shine around your home, some lights also flash, to deter the intruder from entering your home.

 

Control Panel

The control panel is best placed inside the home, not too far from the front door. This is so the burglar alarm can easily be turned on/off when exiting/entering the home. Having it further away from the front door means that the burglar alarm is more likely to be activated by your movement when walking through.

 

 

Burglar Alarm Installation Cost

This is very dependent on what burglar alarm system you’ve bought. If you’ve bought a wireless burglar alarm system then you will most likely be able to install it yourself. We would recommend only doing if you have experience in home security and electronics, to reduce the likelihood of damage to your property or incorrect installation.

If you choose to have a monitored burglar alarm, then the running costs range between £15-£45 a month. Something else to consider is the maintenance of the alarms, as this can cost between £75 to £125 for an annual service and repairs could cost between £80 to £120 depending on the type of burglar alarm and the issue with the system.

 

Things to Consider Before You Buy a Burglar Alarm

There are a few different things to consider when you’re buying a burglar alarm for your property. When thinking about what’s important for you in a burglar alarm system, you need to think about where you live and what’s compatible with your home and lifestyle.

 

Simple or Technical Burglar Alarm System

Do you want a simple burglar alarm that makes a siren sound or a smart burglar alar, system that connects to your mobile and other electronic devices such as indoor security cameras or outdoor security cameras? It’s important to find a system that is compatible with your wants and needs.

 

Internet Speed

If you’re looking at getting wireless burglar alarms, then you’ll need to make sure your Wi-Fi speed is good enough to handle extra devices on it. You can look on your internet provider’s website to see if they can offer you a bigger package with better speed if you need it.

 

The Size of  Your Home

Another thing to consider when buying a burglar alarm is the size of your home, as this will determine how big of a burglar alarm system you’ll need. Depending on if you want one simple burglar alarm for the front door or a whole burglar alarm system for every door and every window, this will change the price of the alarm system and installation. So, it’s important to know what you want to cover in your home before you purchase your burglar alarm system.

 

 

Maintaining Your Burglar Alarm

Whilst burglar alarms do not require any extra maintenance for them to work, it is worth getting them checked by a professional at least once a year. This is for some overall peace of mind that it is working as it is supposed to.

 

House Alarm Sensor Problems

Just like any piece of technology, burglar alarm sensors can develop problems after a long period of time. Here are some potential issues with burglar alarms and some solutions:

• Old battery – replace this with the correct battery
• Cable damage – replace the damaged cable
• Issues with the motion sensor – either replace it or check to see if there is a lose wire within the sensor
• Issues with the burglar alarm panel – replace the PCB (printed circuit board)

 

 

Best Burglar Alarms 2024

These are the best burglar alarms of 2024 that are available on the market right now:

 

Yale IA-320 Sync

The Yale IA-320 Sync is a 6-piece burglar alarm system that includes internal and external siren sounds, and covers 200m of range, so if you have a big property, this burglar alarm system will be great for you.

If you are into your smart home security, then you’ll be pleased to know that the Yale IA-320 Sync is compatible with smart home technology devices such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Philips Hue Lighting, and with the free app for your smart phone, you can arm and disarm the burglar alarm, as well as having the peace of mind that if the motion sensors of the burglar alarm are triggered, then you will receive quick notifications about it.

 As well as coming with a hub that has internal and external sirens, this wireless burglar alarm also comes with 2 motion detection sensors, a door and window sensor, and a keypad, which is everything you need in a burglar alarm.

 

Eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit

The Eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit is considered to be one of the best value home security burglar alarm systems on the market. This burglar alarm is a wireless burglar alarm that is perfect for smaller households, and a positive about this burglar alarm is that there is no additional subscription fees for any extra features as you get them all at purchase!

Some of the key features that are included in the Eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit is that it comes with a motion detection sensor, 2 door and window sensors, a keypad, and the maximum volume is 100 decibels. The burglar alarm also works with voice assistant for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and the motion sensors last up to 2 years between charges.

When downloading the Eufy Security App, you will receive quick notifications if the motion sensors have been triggered, as well as being able to change the sensitivity of the burglar alarm to prevent getting false alarms.

 

Era Protect Deter

The Era Protect Deter is a wireless burglar alarm that is known for being incredibly easy and quick to install. This is ideal if you are worried about the security of your home and you want to get some home security sorted quickly, as the alarm will be working within a few minutes of first instalment, or this burglar alarm is great if you are living in a rented property.

The Era Protect Deter comes with an app so you can be alerted if there is detected movement in your home thanks to the motion detection sensor that the burglar alarm comes with. The burglar alarm also comes with a base unit, a Replica siren, window and door sensors, as well as working with voice assistant for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

 

FAQs

 

Do Burglar Alarms Notify Police

Generally, no, burglar alarms won’t automatically alert the police. This is to stop the police from being calling out for false alarms. Some burglar alarms do have the option of connecting to a central help centre, but this is usually specific to the brand of burglar alarm you have and more often than not, comes with a charge.

 

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Burglar Alarm?

Depending on what burglar alarm you’ve gone for, the cost will vary. Once you’ve paid for your burglar alarm system and it’s installed you can choose not to pay anymore money. However, you may want to think about having it serviced regularly. You may also choose to pay monthly for a subscription for your burglar alarm to be monitored; the amount this will cost you varies from brand to brand.

 

Are Burglars Put Off By Alarms?

While there is nothing that can 100% prevent someone from breaking into your house, a burglar alarm is a great way to deter anyone who’s thinking about it. The visual presence of a burglar alarm, or the presence of a sign that says there is one, may make a burglar think twice about breaking into your home. If your burglar alarm doesn’t stop someone from breaking, the loud noise it will admit will either scare them away, or alert people that a break-in is occurring. Either way, having a burglar alarm is a great way to protect your home from potential intruders.

 

Are Burglar Alarms Always Active?

Your burglar alarm should always be turned on when you are out of the house or at night to keep your home as safe as possible. Sometimes in a power outage or Wi-Fi outage, your burglar alarm may be disabled until power is restored, but some have backup power options to keep your home protected.

 

Can My Burglar Alarms Be Hacked?

Unfortunately, any piece of technology can be hacked, but some burglar alarm systems are harder to hack into than others. If this is something you are concerned about, then investigate the security of the burglar alarm system you want to choose and see if it fits your needs.

 

How Long Do Batteries Last in a Wireless Burglar Alarm?

The typical life span of batteries for a burglar alarm is three to four years. This is dependent on the type of burglar alarm system and the quality of batteries you’ve purchased.

 

Can I Install a Burglar Alarm Myself?

You can install burglar alarms by yourself, and you can save a lot of money by doing so! But the best way to make sure that the burglar alarm is installed properly and is therefore effective, is to get it installed by a professional.