Wired VS Wireless Burglar Alarm
It can be tough to choose between a hard wired or wireless burglar alarm. Many people are enticed by the wireless version because they feel it is more high tech and therefore must be safer. This is not always true.
Hard wired burglar alarm systems are actually generally thought of as better than wireless burglar alarms. This may merely be from the relieving effect that visible wires have on people. When they see those wires they know that they are protected. In a wireless system, you never see any wires. This, however, is somewhat of a myth. Most homes with hard-wired home burglar alarm systems actually have all of the wiring done during construction and so the wires are behind the walls and cannot be seen at all.
This leads me to the recommendation that if you are in the process of constructing your home to think about a hard wired system, but if your home is already built, a wireless home burglar alarm is probably better and much more convenient to install.
Hard wired systems are often recommended because they can be longer lasting, more durable, and more sustainable than a wireless burglar alarm. They also do not cause the same problems with wireless interference.
A wireless burglar alarm is easier to install by a do-it-yourself-er than a hard wired one is. So, if you are planning to install it yourself, this may be your option.
Because a wireless burglar alarm is run off of batteries, you will need to test it every once in a while to make sure that the batteries are still working. This isn’t so much an issue with a hard wired alarm, because the batteries in these are simply there for back up if you lose power.
As you can see, there are many differences between the two, but let me, again, lay out the differences for you so that you can consciously make the best choice for you.
Wireless Burglar Alarm Pros and Cons:
PRO: More high tech features
PRO: Easier to install
PRO: Can Be installed on a pre-existing home
CON: Easy to set off false alarm
CON: Interference with wireless frequencies
CON: Batteries may run out at any given time
Hard Wired Burglar Alarm Systems Pros and Cons:
PRO: Longer lasting
PRO: Run off of home’s power with battery backup
PRO: Often cost less than wireless
CON: Hard to install
CON: Better to install on new construction
The last thing to consider is the least important to most people, but may affect your decision. This is how the alarm system looks in your home. Wireless intruder alarms can be concealed much easier than hard wired ones. They can be concealed so well that the intruder does not know they are there. This may or may not be a good thing. What is a good thing is that it will not effect your decor of your home. Noone will be able to tell that you have an ugly alarm system on your home. As I said before, this may or may not bother you.
