If you work with a top home security company, you do not have to worry about dealing with more than one company for all of your home security needs. Today’s top home security companies look at all areas of home security.

That means that not only are they offering protection from burglaries and break-ins, but they also offer smoke and heat sensors, carbon monoxide detectors, water sensors and freeze sensors. These are upgrades that a homeowner should consider.

Sensors play an important role for homes, businesses and for government agencies. They convert a physical parameter, such as temperature, into a signal that is electrically measured. In home security, when a sensor is triggered, the homeowner and the proper authorities are notified.

Smoke sensors pick up the presence of smoke in a home or building. Fire prevention officials know that when there is a fire, it is the smoke and not the fire that kills more humans. That is why smoke sensors are important for early warning and to save lives. They come in very handy when residents are asleep at night. If there is the presence of smoke, a sensor can wake the residents so that they can leave the home and be safe.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, colorless, poisonous gas. It is as thin as air, so that makes it even harder to detect. The Journal of the American Medical Association says that carbon monoxide or CO2 is the leading cause of accidental poisonous deaths in the United States of America. Carbon monoxide kills hundreds of people in the United States every year.

A house can be invaded with carbon monoxide from faulty furnaces, gas stoves, gas fireplaces, automobiles in attached garages and more. When a person has ingested carbon monoxide into his or her system, the results will seem like the flu at first. There will be headache, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, confusion, rapid heart beat and more. The end result can be damage to the tissues, which blocks the oxygen needed, and then death. Carbon monoxide detectors can provide an early warning before the poison builds to a dangerous level.

Water sensors are another upgrade that homeowners of security systems should think about. If there is water leakage in your home, water sensors can trigger you. They can help in the laundry room, basement and other places that have the potentional for water damage. They can alert you so that you can fix the problem before extensive damage.

These are sensors that are also useful for property such as cottages or other locations where you are not present year round. They can notify you of leaks, broken pipes, cracked foundations, storm flooding and more. They are especially beneficial to people who live in flood zones.

Freeze sensors are also offered as an upgrade. They can give a homeowner an early warning sign about the potential for freezing temperatures that may result in burst pipes. They work well for people who live in areas that are susceptible to freezing.

When you are considering home security systems, chances are that you will examine the type of sensors that are provided, the monitoring system offered and the means of communication with the monitoring center. How many consumers consider the type of keypad that the system utilizes, though? Believe it or not, your choice of keypad can have a dramatic effect on your enjoyment and continued use of your security system. Let’s take a look at the two types generally available.

Standard Numeric Keypad

Most people are familiar with these. These keypads are compact, convenient and have soft alphanumeric buttons. There are quick access buttons many times, to directly alert the police, fire department or emergency services. Sometimes, there is a digital display that will provide additional information such as the location of a triggered alarm sensor or other important information. These are ubiquitous to the home security industry; a standard that many people never see past. While these provide vital access to the system via the keypad, they can also be a drawback. Why is this, you ask?

What would you consider the number one cause of false alarms in the home security industry? Perhaps you think that pets or small children are the most common cause. Perhaps you feel that consumers opening a door without disarming their system is the cause. The actual most common cause of false alarms is actually inputting the wrong security code. Whether it is because the code has been forgotten or the wrong button pushed erroneously, this can decrease your use of the system. If you cannot accurately input your security code, why continue to use the system? No one likes false alarms, neither the consumer, nor the monitoring company or the authorities responding to these alarms.

Options Available

There are options available, though, to go beyond these drawbacks. One of the best options, offered through ADT is a new range of touch screen security keypads. Far from being like the old style, these offer easier inputting of codes to reduce the number of false alarms present. This is accomplished with larger “buttons,” which are easier to read. For homeowners that have trouble using standard security keypads, this is a great option.

Another option exists, as well. Arming and disarming your home security alarm system no longer hinges on the use of keypads at all. One popular option offered by ADT is a keychain alarm remote. This operates in the same manner as your car alarm system. Push one button to arm the system, push another button to disarm the system. You can do this from your porch, your driveway or sitting in your vehicle. All you must do is make sure that you locked your doors. This offers a dramatic decrease in false alarms, since you no longer have to put in a code at all.

Regardless of your home security needs, you can find a system that will fit your needs, both in terms of complexity and in terms of ease of use.