Burglar Alarm System Components | Queen

A burglar alarm combines several parts working together. Here are the essentials.

Core parts

• Motion sensors (PIR)
• Door and window contacts
• Control panel and keypad
• Siren and mobile app

How it works

Sensors detect intrusion and the panel triggers the siren and alerts you instantly.

• Detect intrusion
• Trigger the siren
• Alert your phone

What the system is made of

A complete burglar alarm systems installation is a set of parts that only work as a whole. The core components are:

• a main panel with partitions
• a keypad for arming and disarming
• PIR motion sensors
• door and window contacts
• glass-break sensors for shopfronts
• indoor and battery-backed outdoor sirens
• a GSM communicator

The list matters because a cheap quotation usually saves on one of these — most often the item you cannot see after installation. Ask for each line explicitly.

The main types, and where each fits

Choosing burglar alarm systems starts with knowing the types rather than the brands. Each type was designed for a different situation, and matching the type to the situation matters more than the price. The wrong type in the wrong place is behind most systems that disappoint — not weak hardware.

Before you decide

Ask for a survey before a price — a number given over the phone is a guess that changes on site. For this system in particular, ask about partitions so you can arm part of the property and not the rest, and about how false alarms will be prevented at installation. And ask what happens the day something fails: who responds, how fast, and whether the handover left you the documentation to let anyone service the system.