Security System FAQs



1.) What is a security system?
2.) What if I need the police or fire dept. and my security system is not activated?
3.) Will my security system if the power is lost?
4.) How do I know if the battery is going bad?
5.) Is a phone line required to be attached to my security system?
6.) What if my phone line gets severed?
7.) What if I want to have my own private access code?
8.) I have a motion detector in my house does that mean I can only activate the alarm when I leave or go to bed?
9.) Will I be penalized by the local authorities for false alarms?
10.) Can I trust the installers of my security system?
11.) Why do I need a security system when I have insurance?



1.) What is a security system?
A security system is an electronic panel that supervises switches on doors / windows, motion detection devices, audio discriminators, panic buttons, and fire detection devices. These either are hardwired or communicate to the control panel via a secure radio frequency. The end user controls this with a code that is entered into a keypad.

2.) What if I need the police or fire dept. and my security system is not activated?
A security system installed by Linus alarm corp. has zones that are designated as fire and police zones. Fire detection and emergency buttons are attached to those zones and will report any breach of these zones to the central station regardless if the system is armed or disarmed.

3.) Will my security system if the power is lost?
Yes, a security system has a back up battery that will keep the system running for an extended amount of time with out electricity.

4.) How do I know if the battery is going bad?
A security system monitors the back-up battery and the batteries of any wireless devices. The life of batteries in newer systems is approx. 3 years. Older wireless systems that use traditional AA or 9-volt batteries should be replaced every year. If any of the batteries begin to fail, they report it to the control panel. The control panel will then notify the central station and annunciate the trouble at the system keypad.

5.) Is a phone line required to be attached to my security system?
Yes and no, depending on how you chose your security system to communicate to the central station. Current security systems can communicate by telephone, cellular transmission, or internet. If you choose to use telephone, you will need a phone line.

6.) What if my phone line gets severed?
If your phone line is severed a security system is the same as a phone, if you unplug it from the jack you can�t call anybody. There is one difference though; a security system monitors the phone line, and if it is severed, the panel will communicate through the keypads to bring it quickly to your attention. In high security applications employing one of the other means of communication as a back up, helps insure that your system remains able to communicate any alarm signals.

7.) What if I want to have my own private access code?
Most all security systems today have the capability of storing several codes in its database. This is also beneficial in commercial applications where employers can monitor who and when employees enter the business.

8.) I have a motion detector in my house does that mean I can only activate the alarm when I leave or go to bed?
No, Security systems today have a stay feature. This means if you activate the system and do not open any door the system knows you haven't left the premise and will automatically bypass the motion detectors. You can also manually bypass zones, so if you want to sit on your lanai and still have the system active around the rest of the perimeter you can do so.

9.) Will I be penalized by the local authorities for false alarms?
In some cities, the answer is yes. You are usually allotted x amount of false alarms before you will be penalized. A new type of ordinance being adopted by many counties is that the alarm company has to register the system with the local authority. This insures them that the company is state licensed, and if not they will not respond to any alarms at the premise. The customer pays the registration fee and if the allotted number is not exceeded the fee rolls over to the next year. The State Of Florida now requires the central station to call the premise two times before dispatching the police on burglar alarms; this is solely because 80% of false alarms are user error. Linus Alarm Corp. educates their customers on the use of the system installed to help avoid any false alarms. Linus also sends out reminders every month for customers to test their alarms to make sure they are operating properly (this is highly recommended by manufacturers of security systems).

10.) Can I trust the installers of my security system?
The State Of Florida requires all installing alarm companies to be state licensed. They also require all employees of the company to be registered. To be registered by the State the employee must pass a back round check and drug test, the State Of Florida also requires them to re-register every two years. This requires employees to take a class and exam to make sure they are aware of new regulations and are properly educated in their field. If you should doubt the integrity of anyone, ask them to produce their alarm systems agent photo ID card. If they can't you should notify management of the installing company immediately.

11.) Why do I need a security system when I have insurance?
Insurance companies will only replace material things, not the sentimental things. What you pay as a deductible probably will exceed the amount you will pay for a security system. Insurance companies will offer a discount if you let them know you have a monitored security system. Linus Alarm will be happy to forward any documentation to your insurance company.