What's the Difference Between Alarm Sensors?

If you're thinking about having a burglar alarm installed, you might be wondering what the difference is between the various alarm system sensors and which ones you should get.  Here's a simple explanation of the three most common types of alarm sensors and what they do.

PIR (Movement Sensor)
A PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor, more commonly known as a movement sensor, is designed to detect movement inside a room.  It works by detecting changes in heat (body temperature), so when a person walks through the protected area, the sensor recognises the change and triggers the alarm (providing the system is set). These are commonly fitted in hallways, living rooms and landings.

Have pets and worried they might set off the system? We also offer pet friendly PIRs. The Pyronix pet friendly sensors are designed to ignore pets up to approx 24kgs, provided they stay within the recommended detection limits (typically up to around 1 meter in height). Pet friendly movement sensors also detect movement and heat so if your dog or cat regularly jumps onto sofas, worktops, windowsills or high furniture, they are more likely to trigger the movement sensor. If that's the case, we would usually recommend a different combination of sensors such as door contacts or shock/vibration sensors. Take a look our pet package here: Pet Package.
All of our packages can be changed to suit your requirements.

Vibration (Shock) Sensor

A vibration sensor, often called a shock sensor, is designed to detect attempts to force entry before a window or door is actually opened.  These sensors are usually fitted to windows, patio doors, bi-fold doors or other large glazed areas. They detect the vibrations caused by impacts such as banging, prising or attempts to smash the glass.

Door Contact
A door contact protects the opening itself rather than the room behind it.
It consists of two small parts:
• One part is fitted to the door.
• The other part is fitted to the door frame.
When the door is closed, the two parts line up and the alarm knows the door is closed and secure. As soon as the door is opened (while the alarm is armed), the contact separates and the alarm is triggered, or it starts your entry time (depending on the system settings). Your entry time can be adjusted to suit your requirements giving you enough time to get in and turn the alarm off before it starts ringing. You can also add a remote keyfob to your system which allows you to set and unset the system from a distance (from your car or from your bedroom for example) without the need of going to the panel.

Which One Is Best?
The simple answer is that they all do different jobs.
A movement sensor detects someone once they're inside.
A door contact detects when a door is opened.
A vibration sensor detects a physical impact or vibration.

For the best level of protection, we would survey your property and go through your requirements to design you an alarm system package using some, or a combination of these sensors. The right sensors depend on your property and requirements.

Can I Have Different Settings On The Alarm?
Yes, as part of our demo and handover of the system once it has been installed, we can set up different settings on the alarm where for example the 'A' setting will be a full set with every sensor activated. The 'B' setting can be a night time setting where just the downstairs or certain sensors are set so you can move freely at night without setting off the system. We can do a 'C' setting where you just have the perimeter set. You can also set and unset different sensors on the system from the mobile app. The whole system will be designed and set up to suit you and your needs.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Call Us: 020 8302 4065

Email: Sales@MyAlarmSecurity.co.uk