Home security means protecting your home from all sources of damage and harm, whether they be human or natural, or some combination of the both. A common cause of damage to houses or apartments is water damage. Whether from leaky roofs, leaky pipes, or tubs left running, when water gets out of control it can destroy everything in its path, whether it be floors, walls, upholstery, expensive appliances, or precious personal items such as photos and other memorabilia.
While water damage is a devastating problem that can strike any home, it is easily preventable with the right monitoring system. The home security market, and the home alarm market in general, provides a variety of helpful monitoring alarms that give you a valuable heads up when potential damage is on the way. Alarms can be placed in basements, kitchens, laundry rooms, or anywhere where water could damage the home or valuable objects. Some portable alarm systems are also great to use when filling tubs or pools to reduce the likelihood of costly overflows. As with many home security products, the market is diverse in terms of price ranges and capabilities between systems, but there are some general features that good systems have in common.
The basic idea of a water alarm is to inform the homeowner. Too often leaks develop that, if tended to relatively quickly, would not generally cause much damage. Unfortunately the destructive leaks are the ones that develop in places we are not regularly checking. The most important function of an alarm, then, is that it senses water and sends out a very loud alarm so that homeowners can find the leak or water damage and take action to stop it, as well as to move valuable objects out of harm’s way.
Water alarms generally consist of a sensor unit and an alarm unit. The sensor unit may be connected by a wire to the alarm or it may be wireless. A wireless system will give you more flexibility in placement of the sensor and will also ensure that the alarm unit is not damaged and rendered incapable in the event of significant flooding. The sensor will usually have two contacts that trigger the alarm when the contacts are connected by water. Check to see that the sensor itself is water resistant so that it does not cease to function before you get the alert in the event of a leak or flood. It is important that the system have a loud alarm so that, even if you are out of the home, neighbors may hear it and be able to take preventative action. Other features to look for are testing capabilities, low-battery signals, and an electrical system that allows the alarm buzzer to sound for long periods of time without dying.
A special feature on some systems is an automatic dialing system that sends out audio or text messages to pre-programmed phone numbers. The system will usually call repeatedly over a certain period of time until the call is returned by voice or text to acknowledge receipt.
Installing
house alarms for both burglary and water damage is a valuable invesment. Look for
home alarm systems with 24-hour monitoring service.
