[–] [deleted] 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
I install house alarms and the delay is programmable by sensor type. Door sensors can be programmed to have a delay or be instant trigger. Motion sensors, glass break sensors, water sensors, temp sensors are usually instant trigger. Generally I have the main entrance have a 30 second entrance/exit delay. Every other sensor is instant trigger. You can also adjust this based on mode such as home or away. In home mode all of your doors/windows are instant, motions and glass breaks disabled. Away mode all are instant except main entrance, 30 second delay.
[–] BunyipMoan 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
The alarm alerts the intruder that they have been discovered. The alarm is usually connected to a security company, and they will phone, send their people out to the house, or get police to the house. The hope is that the intruder will get caught, or will get away quickly without doing much damage or taking too much because of the hurry they are in.
[–] twentyfive ago
i think its because it deters robbers, i aint no genius tho.
its proven just a beware of dog sign works just as effective. when ever i go away for extended time, i have a little adt sign i put in my yard.
[–] GoddammitMrNoodle 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
"When everyone is away, there's no one to turn off the alarm." <-- What?
[–] Morbo 0 points 15 points 15 points (+15|-0) ago
Home alarms, at least in the US, are often monitored by alarm service companies. If you set the alarm and leave the house and a break-in occurs, the alarm service will call you. You must provide your access keyword and either acknowledge a false alarm or allow them to dispatch a call to the police. If no one answers the call then they will simply dispatch the police. In areas I have lived it was a requirement to have an alarm service if you use your home alarm. It was also necessary in those same areas to register your home alarm with the local police station and receive an alarm certificate. If the police are dispatched to a residence that does not have a registered and valid alarm certificate, the police will fine the homeowner for every call they respond to from that alarm. I found out about the requirement from a false alarm that resulted in a police dispatch so I had to get my certificate or face hundreds of dollars in fines. It sounded like a racket to me.
Some people choose to use their alarms when they are home as well. I believe it is a pretty common practice actually. Activating your alarm at night while people are sleeping can give you advance warning of a break-in and possibly scare off the would-be thief. The alarm will be set to only respond to door and window sensors since motion detectors would be a bad idea to use when someone is home due to false alarms. It's just an added measure of safety assurance for some people so there's nothing wrong in activating an alarm when you are home. It's almost like having the advance warning a dog can give you just with more ears covering more rooms.