Home Security Zone

What is a Home Security Zone?

Your home security system is made up of zones. Each of your home security devices makes up a zone. In older wired security systems the zone list was made up of numbers only and a list would correspond to each of the numbers. Unless you had your zones memorized it would be extremely difficult to find out where the system was in alarm. It would be nearly impossible for someone taking over an existing system to know where each device was located.

Typical Zone List

A typical list would be:

    Zone 1 - Front Door
    Zone 2 - Back Door
    Zone 3 - Inside Garage Door
    Zone 4 - Master Bedroom Slider
    Zone 5 - Hallway Smoke Detector
    Zone 6 - Living Room Motion Detector

The zone list is usually written on the keypad door or attached on a slide out under the keypad. The problem with this is that many times the zone list gets worn and unreadable or the zone list is detached and lost. If your system is in alarm it is imperative to know what zone was triggered? In the new wireless systems each device has a unique ID and the zone list is programmed into the system so it cannot be lost unless the system becomes corrupted. The security system installer should program the zone list into your system but some do not so if your system has this feature available you should make sure that they do this for you. If you ever have your system upgraded by changing your control panel or adding any new devices, make sure that your zone list is also upgraded.

Home Security Devices

Every device that is attached to your system is considered to be a zone. Home Security devices can range from door contacts, window contacts, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, heat detectors, water detection, motion detectors and beam detectors. The audible devices on your system are not considered a zone so they will not be listed for the purpose of identifying where an alarm was triggered. It is useful to know where these devices are in your system in the event that they stop working.

Making Your Alarm List

If your list has become outdated or lost you should recreate your list. It is fairly easy to do this. If you still have your original User manual or the installation manual there is a blank form in the back. You can use this since most alarm installers do not utilize this. In most cases the alarm installer will not use the sheet in the book because they write the zones down at the keypad or just program it into memory. It is easiest to start at the front door and work your way around your home. Just open the front door and then go to your keypad and check what zone is lit up. If for example it is zone 3 then write down Front door on your zone list in the slot for zone 3. There may be no rhyme or reason for the number sequence that you end up with but this does not matter since it is already programmed this way. As an alarm installer I always started at the front door and worked my way around clockwise. It is much easier for the client and also much easier for future troubleshooting. Do this all the way around your house. Then check for any smoke or heat detectors and also any motion detectors that you may have. Now you have a complete zone list.

If you have some gaps in the zone list it may have been setup this way. If you have a wired system you can look inside your control panel and check to see if there is wiring installed on every zone. There should be a wiring diagram on the panel door. This will show you what terminals are for the zone connections.

Home Automation: Control Your World

The smart home where everything is automatically adjusted to your likes and preferences, things like lighting, temperature and music as you enter your home is a reality rather than a thing of the future. The intuitive home is already here powered by the future-technology that can make life faster and easier for you. In the modern time, when people are increasingly busy with their professional lives and career, life at home is becoming automated with the new-age smart home technology. People can manage their lights and electrical appliances without actually walking up to them to switch them on or off. The new-age smart technology that makes appliances work without human intervention has made its way into our homes. With progress in technology, automation has reshaped the way we live life in our homes.

    Living in an adaptive environment
    As you walk in through the front door, your home environment adjusts itself according to your preferences for lights and temperature. Yes, the intelligent technology of control automation is no more structural and passive. Your smart home is adaptive and functional now!
    Controlling your world through an intuitive interface
    With an intuitive interface, you can control anything, anytime, anywhere. Now, it is possible for you to operate any appliance or device at your home with a single touch, verbal commands through the intelligent interfaces. You can effectively communicate, share data and unleash other possibilities. With intelligent home automation, the house can now monitor when you are walking through the main door after a long day at work. It can interpret if you are dead tired and look for clues on how to serve your needs. The system can sense that you are exhausted and dim the lights, play soft music while hot water gets ready for bath.
    Interacting With the New-age Technology
    The intuitive home is changing the way we used to interact with technology. There is more scope of command and control depending on the capacity of the devices with the new technology of smart home automation. With the future-proof technology, we express our likes and preferences and it is upon the technology to figure out how to meet them.

Home Automation: The Future of Homes

With home automation, there are unlimited possibilities of doing different things with the click of a button. From a few simple functions to a complete home automation package installed to operate each and every function like operating your lights and electrical devices, audio and TV recording, heating, security, media and entertainment unit control and communication, there is no end to the scopes of automation.

The intelligent control automation technology of today is a comprehensive, flexible and affordable solution that can make faster and easier for you. These days, it is possible for you to customize the smart home solution according to your likes and preference and you can get a budget-priced solution with the features you are looking for. While for some people, security would be the biggest concern, some would like to automate most of their daily chores, while some people would require the house to take care of their elderly parents, another set of people like working couples would want a child-friendly home with baby monitor as the first and foremost feature of their automation solution.

The home automation solution has a lot of features to match the varied needs of different people for whom automation interprets differently. However, before installing control automation, you should ask yourself what automation means to you. A standard home automation has almost all important features and you can customize it according to your preferences. The wireless technology is adaptive and functional and you can add new functions or increase the number of rooms or zones. With a single click, you can control each and every electrical appliance from a smart hub. The new advanced technology can be installed in a new building, or retrofitted in existing ones. With the simple and flexible solution, the technology is being widely adapted by the builders and property developers. Intelligent control automation is setting a new standard for automated living.

Home automation puts you in control of lighting, heating, air conditioning, window blinds, shutters and garage doors as well as all aspects of entertainment and media units. The best part is, you can control the lights and appliances from anywhere and anytime!

The advanced technology allows you to customize the solution to match the needs of your family's lifestyle. You can make changes and additions if your likes and preferences change. For example, if your baby is growing up, you may want to make some changes to make your home more child-friendly and safe.

Few Popular Misconceptions About Home Automation

People are interested in smart home technology to automate their home and the daily chores than ever before! Be it the newspapers, magazines, blogs or social media, there is a buzz around control automation technology. This is a busy age and people are trying to manage some time for the things they love by automating some of the functions at home after coming back from a hectic day at office. However, though it seems one of the hottest trends of 2013, many people still harbor some misconceptions about home automation. Though we are talking about it, everyone does not necessarily know what automation in today's date is all about.

Let's run through some of the common misunderstandings and clear up a few things about the automation technology:

    'Installing smart home technology at home is far too expensive' - Even until a few years ago, home automation was a costly affair which could be only exercised by the rich. More or less, even until this day, automation can be a costly affair if you do not do a thorough research before making the final decision. However, with more and more intelligent control solutions hitting the market by different manufacturers and increased demand, prices have dropped to a considerable extent. You can even get the solution customized to your likes and preferences. Start your research and you will be surprised to see it for yourself!

    'The solution is bulky and installation is too much work' - People have a misconception that they have to rewire the entire house if they are to install the smart automation system. However, the truth is otherwise. The advanced systems can easily be retrofitted in existing buildings if you have not installed home automation while building the house. The lights and devices are controlled wirelessly with no room of messy wiring all around the house.

    'Home automation is too complicated to use' - The technology of control automation is advanced and specifically designed to be user friendly. Gone are the days when they used to be bulky and overtly complicated to use. The ready to deploy and easy to use solutions can be operated by anyone between the ages of eight to eighty.

    'It's only an unnecessary and extravagant luxury' - Many people think that automating the lights, electrical devices and entertainment and media units are sheer luxury and has only the showy side to it. But if you think practically, controlling your HVAC with sensors or automating your lights can save you a lot of energy and money on your bills in the long run. With updated security features, you can also feel safe with your family and assets.

    'The technology is difficult and would require a lot of maintenance' - Though the technology is highly-customizable, you should not assemble lots of different components made by lots of different manufacturers. These may lead to compatibility and interface issues. Before installing the system, look for a low-maintenance and affordable manufacturer and try to install your smart home automation by one control system.

Fire Block Products Protect Buildings From Fire Mishaps

Everybody knows the consequences of a fire accident. The burning flames result in huge destruction. They cause deaths and physical injuries to people and damage the buildings. Fire mishaps can happen anywhere, be it residential properties or commercial. In order to minimize the risk of such unfortunate incidents, fire protection equipment must be fitted in the buildings.

There are various types of UL systems that are installed in the areas. These systems enhance the safety of the environment and eliminate the possibility of major inferno. One of the UL systems is a Fire suppression sleeve, which is also known as split sleeve. The split sleeve system is designed for already installed sleeving cables that exist without sleeve. This kind of cable usually violates the firewall set up. In order to avoid this happening, split sleeve is used. The arrangement of this equipment can be laid without any trouble. This device can be easily fitted around previously installed cables.

This system consists of multiple contents namely threaded split sleeve halves, slotted couplings and square washers, slotted plenum rated bushings made of plastic, warning labels or documentation and putty. The long list of fire block products includes bulkhead plates, penetrator systems that are suitable for new cable installations, accessories and other products.

Bulkhead plate is used for taking off and closing cable tray and bigger holes. The cost of this plate depends on the cable load. The penetrator systems are of four types, i.e. smooth, threaded, membrane and cap. The first one is made of gypsum drywall or block walls. It is used in horizontal cable penetrations of fire obstructions. The threaded penetrator is meant for both horizontal and vertical cable penetrations. The material used for making this is concrete. The membrane one is utilized to drop wires inside a fire rated sheet wall where an opening is positioned. The last device (cap penetrator) is used when the task of penetrating partition wall's top plate is carried out. This equipment is not meant for stopping fire; however, it protects the coverings of cables.

Accessories such as end-caps are used for closing the empty sleeve systems; wall outlet box is used with membrane penetrator and fill kit contains putty. The new products in the series are, floor seals and future proof plates. The former one is utilized for sealing core holes at the time of construction, and the latter one comprises of steel plates. By installing these products a space or building can become fire proof.