Last Updated on March 4, 2022 by Alarm New England
If you’ve moved into a house that already has a wired home security system, you may be wondering if it can meet your security and home automation needs.
Wired home security systems were the first security systems to be installed into homes, whereas wireless systems are a relatively recent invention.
While some of the older home security systems may need an upgrade to make them compatible with your home automation components or to improve on its security monitoring capabilities, the reality is that purchasing or renting a home with a pre-existing security system can help you in a number of ways.
The Benefits of a Wired Home Security System
No hardware costs and installation fees
One of the major benefits of stepping into a home with an existing home security system installed is that you do not need to buy the system and then pay someone to install it.
When it comes to wired home security systems, the installation fees can be high due to the amount of labor and time needed to perform the installation.
The process involves drilling into walls, laying wires in the walls and ceilings, and then once all that is done, filling in all of the unsightly holes that were created in throughout this process.
High reliability
Because wired home security systems are connected directly via a network of cables, their ability to communicate with each other and the control panel is hardly ever interrupted.
This makes wired systems effective for larger residential or commercial buildings where signals need to travel longer distances to reach the alarm panel.
Tips on Using Your Existing Wired Home Security System to Your Advantage
For integration with home automation systems
Nowadays, both wired and wireless home security systems can be integrated into home automation systems to add more features like smartphone control.
To determine whether the wired security system installed in your home is going to be compatible with your home automation, alarm monitoring, and security needs, start by getting a representative from the company who did the installation to make an assessment of the system.
To find out who did the installation, check the contact label on the control panel or alternatively contact the manufacturer of the system components.
Once the representative has assessed your system and given you their recommendations about the system, you will be able to make an educated decision about which aspects of it needs upgrading or will serve your needs.
Adding new components to your wired home security system
Many wired and wireless home security systems have parts that are cross-compatible and work together via a device called a wired-to-wireless converter.
You can take your existing wired home security system and add new components such as cameras, motion detectors, as well as door and window sensors to the areas in your home that are not protected, or areas where security can be improved.
As long as your wired system is not too old, then you should also be able to integrate keyless deadbolts, video doorbells, light timers etc. into the system, even if you have to make some minor hardware upgrades to achieve it.
With the correct control panel installed, you can download an app onto your smartphone that connects with the control panel. Once you’ve done this, you can control your entire home security and home automation from a central point.
Wired vs. Wireless Home Security – Typical Concerns
The convenience of being to control everything from a single point and the ability to monitor your system from anywhere are why people choose a wireless security system.
Are the wires themselves a weakness of wired security system?
A common misconception about wired home security systems is that cutting through the system’s wiring will disable the alarm and prevent it from triggering, allowing someone to break into your house undetected.
Cutting wires will not disable your alarm. However, cutting communication wires such as your telephone line that connects to an alarm monitoring service will prevent your control panel from contacting the monitoring service. However, this also applies to wireless systems that use a landline to connect to the monitoring service.
Connecting your control panel to a monitoring service using cellular technology is a good way to protect your system from potentially being disabled from damage to your landline. In fact, it is becoming more and more common for people to use a cellular connection for their home security system as more and more people abandon their use of landlines.
What happens when the power goes out?
While wired systems rely on electricity for their power, backup batteries offer some protection in the event of a power outage. While the backup battery will not last indefinitely, it will provide some protection until the power is restored.
Wireless systems solely reliant on battery power are also prone to failure if the batteries run out. Because of this, batteries need to be checked and replaced periodically.
If you’ve moved into a home that has an existing wired system in place, it may be worth having it assessed to see if it can provide you with some protection.
In many situations, all it takes is updating certain elements of an existing security system to keep your home and family safe without having to invest in a completely new system.
