Smart Home Security

Smart home security for safety minded homeowners

To provide a safe living environment, homeowners should consider smart home security features for their homes. This includes safety measures like having a fire & smoke alarms together with fire extinguishers around the home and in high-risk areas, but also security cameras to monitor the activity in and around your home.

The different types of Fire & smoke detectors

In our assortment you find three different types of smoke detectors:

Photoelectric smoke detectors that are best at detecting large particles, that are typically found in smokey fires. These detectors are less prone to false alarms from burnt food or kitchen smoke.

Ionization smoke detectors that are more sensitive and can detect small particles which are usually found in fast flaming fires. They tend to cause false alarms from kitchen smoke and steam, so they are not recommended for kitchen or bathroom areas.

The dual-sensor smoke detectors provides the best protection as it combines the two abovementioned technologies to detect both small and big particles.

In addition to the smoke detectors, it’s wise to install a carbon monoxide detector in your home as they detect and report on the CO presence in your home. But keep in mind that these detectors don’t register smoke or explosive gases that could be present.

The combined smoke & carbon monoxide detector can provide a complete protection for your home. They are combined detectors that has the ionization or photoelectric technologies to detect smoke together with the carbon monoxide detector for alerting about the CO levels.

The smoke and CO detectors come in traditional models but also smart models that can be connected through Wi-Fi to an app, and that way you could get alerts and warnings remotely.

Maintenance

Keep in mind the maintenance needed for your alarm to be well functioning and operational. Some might only require the battery to be changed and the alarm to be tested regularly, but the CO detectors uses filters that has life expectancy of a few years before they need to be replaced.

Fire extinguishers

There are several options when it comes to fire extinguishers, depending on the type of fire it needs to put out.

For a fire to be created there needs to be oxygen, fuel and a sort of ignition. The extinguisher works by removing one of the sources and therefore killing the fire. This means that an extinguisher that is used for wood fires works differently than one that is to be used for cooking oils and fat. You have wet chemical extinguishers, Carbon Dioxide fire extinguishers and powder fire extinguishers that all has their different ways of killing the fire. So consider the location for where the extinguisher is to be used and buy the right model for it to work optimal.

The different types of fire

Class A: Wood, paper, textiles, and other carbonaceous materials

Class B: Flammable liquids, petrol, and spirits

Class C: Flammable gases (propane and butane)

Class D: Fires involving burning metals

Class E: Fires caused by an electrical fault where electric current might be present

Class F: Cooking oils and fats

And as mentioned, depending on the type of fire you need to select a extinguisher model that works for that specific fire. This is mentioned on the product itself and for a home or an office you might need different types.

Smart Security Cameras

Having home security cameras installed is an effective tool for protecting your home and preventing crime. They work as a visible warning towards trespassers, break-ins and other kind of intrusions. Today’s smart security cameras are easy to install and use as they can be connected to a mobile app and you can control and monitor your home remotely.

There are cameras and models for all wallets, and you can decide on what functionalities you consider needed.

Features to look for in a security camera

With today’s digital cameras there are a wide range of camera features, but we would like to mention the most important ones to consider:

Motion activation

Buying a camera thar has a fast motion sensor is quite important for the functionality.

Your camera will not always be on, so you need it to react fast for when there is movement, and this depends on the quality of the camera but also on the speed and connectivity. Therefore, make sure that your camera has the possibility to react fast, especially if you have a system of cameras connected.

Smartphone App

The new smart security cameras come with an app to be used for monitoring and controlling. These apps are normally very easy to setup and use, so don’t be scared of the technological advancements and get onboard instead.

Night vision

Most of the newer cameras come with night vision included, but it could be a wise investment to upgrade and buy a model with better night vision.

Two-Way Audio

With the two-way audio function you can use your cameras as a home intercom, but also for crime prevention as you could communicate outdoors and scare a potential intruder away.

Video Storage

When having a digital camera system, it’s important to store your data in a secure place. This could be quite pricy depending on if you want to save all your video feed, but you can decide on cloud storage where you save a few days of recording for safety purposes. This way, intruders can’t steal the security video the same way as in the earlier days but it could bring another security risk as the cameras are dependent on connectivity.