Q. Should all openings be protected?
A. All Exterior doors and moveable windows should be protected. Glass windows and doors should be protected by a glass break detector. You can also use alarm screens as a second layer of protection on your windows. This will allow you to leave your windows open and still have your alarm on. If someone removes or cuts the screen your alarm will sound.

Q. How often must the batteries be changed?
A. Be prepared to change lithum batteries between 3 and 5 years. Alkaline batteries will probably last about a year

Q. What if a battery gets low or is removed?
A. If your panel is programmed to do do so, it will let you know when the batteries are low or a transmitter is not communicating with the alarm panel. Panic devices are not to be supervised unless left inside the home. All other transmitters, ie. motion detectors, glass break detectors, window and door transmitters should be supervised to communicate with the alarm panel.

Q. What about fines for false alarms?
A. In most areas you are required to have an alarm permit for your alarm. If you do not have a permit the local authorities may not respond to your alarm. In most areas you are given from 3 to 5 false alarms before a fine is issued. It is easy to avoid false alarms by simply knowing how to use your system and having it serviced if needed.

Q. How much does an alarm system cost?
A. A basic system that only protects your front and back door, a couple of windows with contacts and a motion detector to help detect entry from other areas should cost around $200 to $400 dollars.

A system that protects all exterior windows and doors with contacts, motion detectors and/or glass break detectors and 2 keypads will start at around a thousand dollars depending on the size of the home.

Q. Do I need to monitor my alarm system and what are the costs?
A. If you want the police to respond to your emergency, the system must be monitored. If you rely on your neighbor to listen and respond to your alarm if it goes off you could be putting your neighbors safety in jeopardy. Besides he or she may not be home when your alarm goes off. Monthly monitoring usually ranges from about $20 to $35 per month.

Q. What if my telephone line gets cut?
A. If your phone line is cut or disconnected the monitoring station will not receive the alarm signal. Make sure your alarm is received by having a long range radio or cellular back-up installed. These devices will send the alarm signal to the monitoring station in case your phone line is cut. If installed correctly, they will also notify the monitoring station that the phone line has been cut. The monthly cost for a radio or cellular back-up system is around $15.