Freeze Alarms

According to the farmer's almanac, and confirmed by anyone who has stepped outside in the past month (except those of you who live in San Diego), its going to be a bitterly cold winter.  You're thinking: "Thanks, genius.  We already know that."  Ok, good.  What you may not know is the importance of a freeze alarm.  Burst pipes can cause tons of damage.  If you haven't experienced this first hand, trust me, you don't want to.  So, how can you avoid this?  A freeze alarm.  Freeze alarms will notify you if the temperature dips below a certain degree, letting you assess and fix the problem before it is too late.  A freeze sensor can cost less than $40 and can save you hundreds, if not thousands in the long run.  They are easy to install and program to your existing home security system.  There's no reason you shouldn't be prepared, even if you can't control the weather.

Freeze Alarms

As the weather turns from early to late fall, many homeowners are merely waiting for the inevitable: Winter.  Winter means cold temperatures, and for many regions, snow and/or ice.  So what does this have to do with home security?  It doesn't.  But it does have a lot to do with SafeMart's other primary concern: Home Safety.

Frozen pipes can lead to damaged pipes which invariably lead to damaged wallets.  A freezing problem in the basement may take hours or days to get noticed and by then, you may have burst pipes.  It happens every winter to thousands of homeowners just like you.  

So, whats the solution?  Well, the smart solution is to invest in a freeze sensor.  This sensor can notify you immediately when the temperature drops drastically, or if it drops below a certain degree.  Many can also be programmed to call a pre-set number, so that you can take action even at work.  The investment is minimal, but the cost savings in prevention is enormous.  Stop by today and take a look at this and other state of the art environmental sensors.  Its worth it.

Environmental Sensors and Your Security

When most people think of home security their thoughts rest almost exclusively on intrusion prevention and response.  And while this is certainly the primary function of home security systems, there are secondary, and in some cases, equally important functions, such as fire, carbon monoxide, and flood sensors.  Lets take a minute to examine each of these in detail.

1. Fire Detectors: It should be evident why you need smoke/fire detectors.  In fact, its required by law in many, if not most, places.  But if you have a security system, your smoke detectors should be tied into it.  That way, if you have a fire in your home, your detectors will sound locally, notify your system, and if you have monitoring (which you should), your system will alert the central station, which can immediately notify local emergency personnel.

2. Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Carbon monoxide is an incredibly toxic gas, and whats worse, its completely odorless, sightless, and tasteless.  It can be caused by furnaces, gas fireplaces or water heaters, etc.  Each year it kills many unsuspecting people and affects many others.  Even if it doesn't cause death, C.O. poisoning can lead to nausea, dizziness, unconsciousness, or even brain damage.  A C.O. detector will alert you locally and through your system if C.O. levels exceed a safe level.  You can also program it to contact your monitoring company who can immediately notify emergency personnel.

3. Flood sensors are not necessarily as absolutely vital as fire or c.o. detectors.  As a general rule, flooding will occur in the basement and is unlikely to affect anyone in the way fire or c.o. can.  However, its still an important option on your home security system.  A flood sensor will alert you when water triggers the device.  A flood sensor will allow you to immediately respond to the presence of water in your home, possible preventing thousands of dollars worth of damage.  And as any homeowner who has experienced flooding can tell you, water damage can be incredibly extensive and, for that matter, expensive.

These are not the only options available to you, but they are three of the more important.  For the minimal cost involved in any of these sensors, there is no reason not to have this level of protection.  Your home and family's safety far outweigh any financial investment.