Hardwired Security Systems

While wireless security systems give a certain amount of “independence” through its mobility and cost efficiency due to the ease of installation, we must not assume, as many will have you believe, that the wireless is necessarily the way to go. Equally important is weighing the pros and cons of the hardwired security system. Remember, while a wireless security system might work well for one person, it might not be good for you.

The idea of working with complex electronic circuitry often scares people from using the hardwired security systems. Little do they realize how simple the hardwired systems are. The circuitry is simple circuits, which means that there is one wire and one current to and from the sensor. Very simply, it is just wiring one cable from a control panel to a device – one simple circuit. When the circuitry is broken due to an intrusion, the alarm is activated.

Now the system can be complicated a little by adding multiple sensors to one circuit. It is called a series circuit. The line of sensors or series is called a zone. Imagine a train on a single track going from station to station then going back along the same path to its “home” station – the control panel. This is an example of your circuitry. And so, when any sensor is activated because of an intrusion, the control panel will sound an alarm and notify you or a monitoring company of which zone has been invaded.

Installing a hardwired system is the popular aversion to these security systems. Many commentaries will actually suggest that you go with the wireless because of the cost of installation, but sometimes this is not the case. Installing is time-consuming. The ideal time to hardwire a system is during the initial construction of your house or during renovation. But even when the drywall is up, hardwiring is possible. Depending on your do-it-yourself ability, you may or may not want to have the system professionally installed. With a little patience and reading, it is possible to do it yourself.

Unlike most wireless systems, hardwired is more expandable in distance and possibility. Because the hardwired relies directly on current to carry information over wire than on radio frequency, the hardwired systems are able to extend over a longer range of space. Your average wireless will operate well when the distance between sensors and the control panel is no more than 300 to 500 feet apart. The hardwired will operate well when the distance is as much as 1000 feet. Also, because the hardwired is powered by a more powerful amperage than the battery operated wireless, hardwired systems can include more powerful sirens and sound systems. This is much more effective in external areas.

The hardwired system guarantees better security for the system. Just like the wireless system, you can install a hardwired keypad at the door and hid the control panel. However, unlike the wireless, you do not have to worry about hiding the control panel in an area that will allow for clear radio signals. Therefore, closets, basements, attics, and other hard-to-get-at areas can be used to hide a hardwired control panel. Also, unlike the wireless control panel, a hardwired panel can be placed in a metal box to prevent an intruder from ripping it off the wall and destroying it.

Movies create half the myths of our lives. We often see films in which highly skilled individuals by luck or by skill break through and tamper with highly complicated wiring. This fear emerges in hardwired home security. The myth is that hardwired is extremely vulnerable to tampering. False. While actual tampering with the wires is faintly feasible, it is only possible if the intruder is familiar with your individual wiring or if the intruder is extremely lucky – luck can get around a wireless system as well – or highly professional – your average intruder is not professional. Also, as long as the wire is buried well or hidden behind the walls, a burglar is not going to be able to tamper with it without doing alot of time-consuming searching and digging. The important thing to note is that wire tampering by the average intruder is more of a myth than reality.

After knowing the pros and cons of both the hardwired dna wireless systems, then you must decide on the affordability of both. You will find that hardwired technology is cheaper that the wireless, but installation will cost more. Once you get that feel and know with which system you will be most comfortable, you will be able to go to the next step and look at your various brands and security detectors.

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