Choosing your Brand of Home Security
The Alarm Industry has a huge amount of alarm installers and there are also many different types of alarm manufacturers. California alone has over 3,500 security installation companies. Some of the larger metropolitan cities have hundreds of installation companies. It is important to select the right alarm installer but it is equally important to have an idea of what type of system that you want. If you take some time to educate yourself before you call an alarm company then you will be able to eliminate the companies that do not service the type of system that you want.
The most popular alarm systems that are currently being sold are:
- 2GIG
- Honeywell (Adecco)
- DSC
- GE (Interlogix)
There are many other types of alarm systems available with a wide variety of benefits. All of the above offer wired and wireless systems. Honeywell alarm systems have been around the longest but they are priced substantially higher just for the brand name with no additional reliability or features. I do not have direct experience with the GE panels but many other technicians have told me that the Simon XT panel made by GE is not very reliable and this is one of the panels that many alarm installer use. The GE panels do offer all of the home automation features that are available in the marketplace today.DSC panels are very reliable and reasonably priced with all of the newest features available. If you are looking for the possibility of a DIY option then you will find the programming a little beyond the novice level.
Top Pick for Alarm Panel Brands
The 2GIG GoControl panel is by far the best panel available today. The ease of installation allows for Do It Yourself people to install the system in very little time. The panel also has every modern feature available in home security panels. The manufacturer does not call this a security panel but a Security and Home Automation panel. Unlike some alarm panels this panel has zWave built into every panel. You do not need any additional modules with the 2gig panel to perform all of the home automation features.
When you are choosing an alarm system to install you need to make sure that the system is not a proprietary system. A proprietary system is one that can only be purchased and serviced by selected companies. If you ever want to switch companies then you may have to purchase a new system because in many cases there are limited choices for alarm dealers. There are hundreds of dealers that can install or service 2GIG, DSC or GE products. Having many dealers to choose from means that you can shop for the best deal.
