Smart Home Security Systems In NZ

Another big difference between DIY home security brands can be the range of components they offer. It’s important to think about the sensors, cameras and other devices you might need, now and in the future. Here’s a quick summary of what’s available.

Video doorbells - Let’s start with one of the more recent devices, which have become very popular in a short time. As the name suggests they have a tiny video camera built into what looks like a standard door bell. The camera starts recording when motion is detected or the bell is pushed. It will send an alert to your phone through Wi-Fi and the internet, so you can see what is happening live; whether you’re at home or out-and-about. Some models include a microphone and a speaker so you can communicate via your phone with whoever is there. This feature has all sorts of uses from welcoming your children home after school to telling someone the police are on their way. The footage can also be stored on a memory card or with an internet cloud storage provider. This lets you review what has been happening at your home or share the images with police.

Security cameras - Video and image capture cameras allow you to see exactly what’s going on inside or outside your home. They vary in price depending on the daytime and night vision image quality. You can connect with through your smartphone them whenever you want, to check on your pet or teenagers. They can also be set to send you an alert if motion is detected when your system is armed. These DIY home security cameras a great way to quickly distinguish between a false alarm, an expected event like someone coming home, or a real emergency. Just like the video door bells, you can store the footage or images for later review, and there are models with microphones and speakers.

Motion sensors - A cheaper and more traditional option, motion sensors are now typically used to increase security coverage without having to buy too many cameras. The idea being that you still receive an alert to your smartphone and hopefully one of your cameras will eventually show you what is happening, if it hasn’t already done so. These were the main sensors used in the older professionally hard-wired home security systems.

The main type of motion sensor detects moving body heat and is less likely to create false alarms. They’re known as PIR (passive infra-red) sensors. There are models that can be adjusted so they won’t detect small bodies, such as cats. In areas of high heat change, such as direct sunlight, it might be necessary to use the other type, which uses microwaves to detect movement, but things like moving curtains can set these off. You can also get sensors that combine both methods for more accuracy, requiring heat and motion detection before activating.

Window and door sensors - These cheap security sensors can let you know if you’ve left a window or door open when arming your system, or whenever one is opened while you’re out. Burglars often break a pane of glass then reach in to open a window or door, so these can provide economical early detection.

Other DIY security system components - Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors can alert you to a fire. You can also get components that detect breaking glass. To help scare off intruders, you can add a siren to your system and there are even push-button arm/disarm controllers for your key ring.

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