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The drawbacks are far too many to make a compromise.
Here are 7 reasons why you should not invest in a home security system.
Many homeowners place their trust in a home security system.
Ask them why, and you get the standard answer.
Burglar alarms and security systems discourage potential thieves and allow homeowners some peace of mind, especially when they are away from home.
A few also point out that it is a suitable replacement for a gated community or a watchdog.
1.
False Alarms Security systems have a high false alarm rate, almost 80%.
This is a documented fact at police departments.
In many areas, police personnel do not respond to alarms because a vast majority of them are false alarms.
This wastes a police officer's time, even though it is his duty to check on the neighborhood.
Some police departments may charge residents a fine for wasting their time after the first or second false alarm.
Not only this, thieves take advantage of the slow response time.
A home security system is not very effective in the case of snatch-and-grab burglaries that last no more than a few minutes.
2.
Easy to Disable A burglar alarm does not make your home impervious to thieves.
Thieves have become more adept, and know very well how to disable a burglar alarm.
They can disable monitoring, by simply cutting a telephone line.
Additionally, it does not offer full-proof protection.
Thieves try to break in through easy entry points; those that are least suspected by homeowners.
3.
Monthly Monitoring Fee When homeowners have a home security system installed, many of them are unaware of the alarm monitoring feature and those who are, do not expect it to be a separate service at a separate charge.
The company continues to monitor your home alarm system and notifies you in event of an actual emergency.
The charge for this service ranges between $25 and $100 per month.
This can add up substantially over a year.
4.
High Installation Charges A home security system is expensive to install.
Many might disagree with this fact, because the cost of installation was under $100.
The charges are usually less in situations where homeowners are replacing an old system with a new one.
However, if the home needs wiring or if you are installing an elaborate system, you might have to pay thousands of dollars for installation fees.
5.
Inactive During a Power Outage A home security system operates on electricity.
In case of a power outage, there is a battery backup that keeps it operational for about 10 - 24 hours.
If there is an extended power outage, it may fail to secure your home.
This is the time when most burglars take advantage.
6.
Manual Activation Home security systems have to be activated manually.
If you forget to activate it before you go to bed or leave your home, it might remain deactivated.
7.
A Disturbance to your Neighbors Finally, when a false alarm goes off at night; it will be heard by your neighbors.
It is annoying to be disturbed in the middle of the night for no reason.
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