4 Ways to Integrate Automation with a Home Alarm System

One of the most attractive features of smart home automation technology is the ability of multiple systems to work together in a way that enhances each individual system’s strength. While we’ve written before about how this applies to things like home theaters and lighting control, the same principle can also be applied to home security solutions.

For home builders, designers and architects, this represents an opportunity to impress your clients by demonstrating the utility of automation technology. Today, let’s look at how automation can be combined with alarm systems to help your Lexington, KY clients.

SEE ALSO: WHY A PROFESSIONAL SHOULD INSTALL YOUR HOME SECURITY SYSTEM

LIGHTING CONTROL

Linking an alarm system to a home’s lighting control system is the most straightforward example of how to combine automation technologies. The idea is pretty simple: If something trips the alarm, the lights turn on and hopefully startle the intruder enough that they leave the premises.

There are several ways to get the desired effect here. Every light can be set to turn on and start flashing in the event of an intrusion, or certain lights can stay on constantly while others alternate. Either way, the result is a startled intruder and, hopefully, an aborted break-in.

HOME AUDIO SYSTEM

Many alarms already have an audio component of some sort, but linking the alarm to a whole-home audio system can yield additional dividends. The principle here is similar to combining the alarm with lighting control, in that the audio system goes to work when an intrusion is detected.

Integrating these systems in this manner produces two important effects. First, the intruder gets a blast of loud noise upon entering a home, hopefully scaring them off. Second, and just as important, the sound alerts anyone already inside the home that something’s amiss, giving them an opportunity to alert the proper authorities and get themselves to a safe place.

SECURITY CAMERAS

Security cameras and alarm systems are a natural pairing. The cameras themselves act as a deterrent, and they also capture any suspicious activity around a property. Together with an alarm system, they provide a formidable security barrier for any home.

There are other ways in which cameras and alarms can work together to provide additional security. One way is to program the alarm so that any camera overlooking the spot where a break-in occurs automatically turns on and begins recording when the alarm is tripped. Another option is to set up automatic alerts that go out to residents if something happens, giving the homeowners a chance to look at the camera feed themselves from their mobile device and take appropriate steps.

HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING

Home security is about more than stopping would-be intruders; there are other potential dangers to consider, including fires. As with the other systems we’ve mentioned, linking an alarm to a home’s HVAC system is an excellent way to mitigate the dangers of potential hazards.

In most cases, the real danger from house fires isn’t the flames, but rather the smoke. Once a fire has started burning in earnest, smoke can make its way through ventilation shafts into other areas of a home, creating noxious fumes that are very dangerous to anyone in the room. One way to reduce the danger from smoke is to have the air conditioning system shut itself off in the event a fire is detected, making it more difficult for smoke to spread throughout a home.

These are just a few ways that harnessing automation can help make a home safer for families. To learn more about these systems and other automation solutions from Rely Technology, call us at (859) 402-1413 or visit us online.