I already have a system but it was installed by another company, can you monitor it?
If you already own a system and would like to have it monitored by Stop Alarms, please contact us . We routinely monitor systems installed by other companies. If you have an existing monitoring agreement with another company, just let us know when it expires and we’ll notify you 30 days prior to that date.
If my system communicates over telephone lines, what happens if my phone lines are cut?
If your phone lines are cut and your system isn’t backed up with cellular back-up, there will be no communication. See our section on cellular back-up.
Is it better to be connected to a local/out of area central station?
We feel that a ‘local’ central station has several drawbacks. One is that many ‘local’ central stations do not have proper system back-up if a local telephone carrier’s communication should fail. Many companies advertise a local central station as a benefit. We feel that a local central station is a risk. We are a local independent company but use a nationwide monitoring station based in FL. The monitoring facility that we use specializes in monitoring services only and employs highly trained and licensed employees. This facility also has complete redundancy at a separate location in the case of a natural disaster. A common misconception about national monitoring centers is that it will take longer for the nationwide central station to contact the premises and/or proper authorities. Actually, it takes NO longer for your system or a central station to dial a 10 digit # than it does to dial a 7 digit #.
I’ve had a system for years and it has never been monitored, why start paying a monthly fee?
Basically, an unmonitored system will only activate a siren on the premises. First of all, many thieves simply knock sirens off of a wall or roof eave. In addition to this, an alarm that is only “making noise” is ineffective because it is often difficult to determine which home or business has a sounding alarm. Plus, continual sirens are often ignored by neighbors much like car alarms in a large parking lot. See our 24 hour monitoring service section.
What is the difference between smoke detectors that I can buy at a hardware store and those connected through a security system?
Smoke detectors bought at a retail store are battery powered and merely make a noise when smoke is detected. This works ok as long as the batteries are always charged and someone is home and can ‘hear’ the detector.Monitored smoke detectors don’t rely on batteries but the security system’s AC power which is always on or has emergency battery back-up in case of power failure. Monitored smoke detectors are connected by wiring through the security system so that when smoke is detected, a signal is sent to the central station. This is a major benefit when there is no one home to ‘hear’ the detector. Monitored smoke detectors work even when your system is in ‘disarm’ mode.
What is the catch with the ‘free’ systems that are advertised so often by the national companies?
The catch is that these residential systems offer only “partial” protection through their design. These systems typically only have 2 or 3 door sensors and a motion detector. This is misleading because with this type of system design, an intruder could enter through an unprotected window and not be detected unless he walked in front of a motion detector. Another flaw with this system design is that unless requested by the homeowner, these systems automatically bypass the motion detector when the system is armed and no door is opened – meaning “when you are at home with the system armed”. Another ‘catch’ is that the homeowner pays a higher monthly rate to pay for monitoring service + system cost over a 3 year period. When the 3 year period ends and the system is ‘paid for’, the rate often increases instead of lowering to just a monitoring rate. The best system design uses perimeter protection on all window and door openings and can be enhanced by several options including glass break detectors, motion detectors, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors etc.
How do I know if my system will work when I need it?
We urge all of our subscribers to test their system weekly (Please call our office for instructions on how to test). As an additional service, we can also program your system to send test signals which will test your system’s ability to properly communicate over your phone lines.
