Do Not Buy a Home Security System and Then Get Lazy

A home security system is a tool for protecting your home against burglary. A good system can also give you early warning of a fire, a carbon monoxide (CO) leak, or pending flood. But home security is not an excuse to be lazy. The biggest mistake you can make is installing a security system and then expecting it to do all the work.

We use all sorts of tools to increase safety. When we get in the car, we fasten our seat belts. But wearing a seat belt does not make it okay to drive recklessly. A seat belt only minimizes the risk of injury in an accident. Yet you can still suffer serious injury – or even death – wearing a seat belt.

Unfortunately, there are people who wear seat belts and still drive like maniacs. Likewise, there are people who install home a security system and then get lazy about personal safety. Both situations are bad.

Table of Contents

A Burglary Deterrent

You can make the case that deterring burglary is the number one reason people install home security systems. Home security companies often cite research studies suggesting that burglars are more likely to avoid homes with monitored security systems. That isall well and good. But not all burglars are deterred. Some are still willing to take their chances.

Installing a home security system does not mitigate the need to do other things. It is still smart to:

install heavy-duty door locks
keep windows and doors locked
install adequate lighting
keep shrubs and trees trimmed
make your house look occupied when you are not home.

The best way to prevent burglary is to make your home as difficult as possible to break into. Home security is just one tool for doing so. It isnot the only tool, and it certainly will not stop a determined burglar.

Fires Still Occur

The burglary portion of a home security system at least acts as a deterrent. On the other hand, a smoke detector deters nothing. It simply warns that a fire is in progress. Even with smoke detectors installed, it still pays to practice all the standard fire safety tips:

Be careful with candles
Do not leave the stove unattended
Store flammables in a safe place
Do not use broken or frayed electrical cords.

A smoke detector is absolutely a life-saving device. But would it not be better to not have to rely on it?

Carbon Monoxide Still Leaks

Like smoke detectors, CO detectors only act as instruments of warning. They let you know that dangerous levels of CO are in the air. If the detector goes off, your health is already in jeopardy. So why let things get that far?

Common tips for preventing CO poisoning include:

having your furnace regularly inspected
keeping fireplace’s chimney clean
never using barbecue grills, generators, etc. in the house.

In a recent blog post discussing carbon monoxide detectors, Vivint Smart Home referenced CDC data suggesting that CO poisoning is the number one cause of poisoning deaths in the U.S. Knowing how deadly CO can be, the last thing you want to do is get lazy about preventing leaks.

There is no doubt that home security systems have gotten a lot better over the years. Advances in digital technology have seen to that. But a home security system is just a tool. It cannot actually prevent bad things from happening. So if you have one, do not take it for granted. Do not get lazy and ignore all the other things you should be doing to stay safe.