Security Sensors

Security sensors come in all shapes and sizes. Security sensors perform a myriad of tasks - everything from monitoring your house for fire to detecting the presence of an intruder. In fact, vendors create so many different kinds of security sensors that you could easily spend weeks searching for the security sensor you need.

Environmental security sensors help you monitor your home and the surrounding area for harmful conditions. Fire and noxious gases can not only cause physical damage to your home but can also cause damage to you in ways that might not be apparent at first.

One type of environmental security sensor is a smoke detector. Not all smoke detectors are created equal. In fact, smoke detectors use a number of technologies to perform their task. Consequently, going to your local store and grabbing the least-expensive smoke detector from the shelf might be a big mistake because you might not get the right kind for your home. Even though smoke detectors use a wealth of strategies to sniff smoke in your home, you can categorize the basic technologies into two groups of security sensors: photoelectric sensors and ion sensors.

Another type of security sensor is the carbon monoxide sensor which detects the amount of carbon monoxide in your home. Carbon monoxide can cause a number of problems, including death, if you breathe it long enough so this is an important security sensor to have. Faulty heating devices, faulty chimneys, and other sources combine with a tightly shut home to create a death trap that you can't smell, hear, or see. Although carbon monoxide poisoning isn't common, it happens often enough that you should strongly consider a security sensor that detects carbon monoxide.

Radon is a colorless, odorless naturally occurring radioactive gas that can occur in any home. The levels of radon in a home can vary from month to month. In many cases, you won't need to do anything about the radon because the levels are too low and it dissipates quickly. But considering the consequences it's nice to have a security sensor that detects radon so that you can notify you're local authorities about it before it becomes a problem.

The most common type of security sensor might be the cameras which provide a means of monitoring the activity around your home. Many people use cameras as security sensors around the perimeters of their homes. However, you can use cameras to monitor specific locations within your home or as a means of observing the property as a whole.