Below are the pros and cons of a self monitored home security system. Let’s start with the Pros:
One of the main benefits of self-monitored home security is control: from sensors to sales, you’re in control of your security system. Monitoring your system yourself means you’re not paying someone else to do it. You don’t have to worry about paying any monthly monitoring fees to your security company.If a professionally monitored system sounds an alarm, it sends an alert to the monitoring center. The monitoring center calls you to find out if you need help or if you can resolve the alarm on your own. But with a self-monitored system, you cut out the middleman. Your sensors alert you to alarms directly, and you’re able to handle them without the added hassle of dealing with someone from the alarm company call center. If a monitoring center dispatches police or fire crews to your house and it’s a false alarm, you can get hit with a fine. With a self-monitored system, first responders will show up at your home only if you call them, so there’s a lower risk of false alarms.
With a self-monitored system, there’s no need to call the alarm company to switch your billing address or change contact information. Because many self-monitored systems are also self-installed, they’re also easy to uninstall and take with you to your new home. As your circumstances change, you may decide your current security system isn’t working for you. With self-monitored home security, it’s simple to upgrade your system or even change alarm systems altogether without changing your monitoring.
Cons of Self-Monitored Home Security
The biggest downfall of self-monitored home security is flying solo in a stressful situation.If you’re the only one monitoring your home and you’re not available—you lose cellular service or you’re asleep—you and your home may be at risk. But a professionally monitored system calls for help even when you can’t. As much as we love our smartphones, they’re not always reliable. There are still “dead zones,” software crashes, and battery failures, any of which could cut your connection to your security system. Certain places also limit your access to your cellphone—like airplanes, courthouses, and places of worship—leaving your home vulnerable.
With a professionally monitored system, an unresolved alarm results in a phone call from someone who can help you figure out what’s wrong and fix it right away. If your self-monitored system has a false alarm, you may not know how to fix it. If you call a product helpline for assistance, you could be on hold while your system continues to go off. A professionally monitored system comes with professional installation by technicians who ensure that devices are installed correctly so that your home is fully protected. If you accidentally install your self-monitored DIY system incorrectly—like putting a motion sensor upside down so it’s monitoring your living room ceiling rather than your living room—you run the risk of your home being unprotected.Most professionally monitored systems come equipped with a special fail-safe code. It enables you to turn off the alarm’s sounder but also send a distress signal to the monitoring service, indicating that help is still needed. This is in case an armed intruder forces you to disarm your security system—you can do so safely without tipping off the intruder that help is still on the way. Self-monitored systems do not have this feature. If you’ve ever been in an emergency situation, you know how much it helps to have someone with a level head calling the shots. With a professionally monitored system, once your alarm goes off, you’ll get a phone call from someone who’s been trained to help you in case of an emergency. With a self-monitored system, you’re on your own.
As an alternative you could get a DIY home security system that is self installed, professionally monitored but still low cost. This is like getting the best of both worlds.
