Window contacts only protect your home if a burglar opens a window.  If he smashes out the glass the magnetic circuit isn't broken and window contacts are rendered useless.  Glass break detectors protect your home in this scenario.  Technological advances in the security system industry (and smarter burglars) have made glass break detectors an important part of security systems.

We are surrounded by glass and it offers very little deterrence to a would be burglar. It is no small wonder that good security can only be achieved by detecting breaking glass. One of the major advantages of this is that the burglar is detected before he enters your home not after, as is the case with motion detectors.

History 101 -- Glass Break Detectors

In the beginning, glass break detectors consisted of thin foil strips affixed to the window panes. When the window glass was broken so were the metal strips.  The severing of the strips alerted the security system control panel, which sounded the alarm.  Installing these glass break detectors was costly and difficult.  First generation glass break detectors were quite unsightly and had to be installed on each window. 

The next generation of glass break detectors utilized devices called "bugs," which were small and not as visible, being attached to the windows to be protected.  When glass is broken, vibrations are emitted.  When the "bugs" detected these vibrations o

n the window panes, they sent a signal alerting your security system. 

Although these glass break detectors were a major advance in the security system industry, there were still two major disadvantages.  False alarms were common due to the vibrations given off by common occurrences such as sonic booms, and they still only covered one window at a time.  The outcome of this vibration-detection technology being developed, is that it is the basis of the most modern glass break detectors.

Current Events 101 -- Modern Glass Break Detectors

The newest generation of glass break detectors use the most recently developed technology to protect your home.  These glass break detectors:

  • Acknowledge the sound not the physical vibrations of breaking glass
  • Need only to be placed one per room, because they monitor all the windows within a 35 foot radius

With these glass break detectors there is still a small chance of false alarm.  Sometimes the glass break detectors confuse the sound of bells or tinkling tableware with the vibrations given off by breaking glass. 

Even though the most-modern of glass break detectors are not fail proof, they do offer remarkable security against burglars entering your home through windows, which is the second most common point of entry.  Homsecuritystore.com offers a plethora of glass break detectors, one of which will undoubtedly meet your need.