Will My Home Alarm Work Without Monitoring?

The home security industry has offered a simple two-part package to consumers for many years. This timeless combo consists of the equipment to monitor your property and 24/7 professional monitoring. The equipment is typically a one-time upfront expense, which can range from affordable to pricey, depending on your company and how many devices you’d like to include in your smart home security solution. The monitoring expense often proves to be where consumers get confused. But that monthly charge guarantees that there are trusted professionals on call when you need them most. That said, the answer to “will my home alarm work without professional monitoring?” is yes.  

Why Do Customers Stop Paying for Monitoring?

Many companies offer low introductory rates that may increase over time, this can cause some consumers to drop the monitoring portion of their home security cost when their contract is up. Brinks Home™, however, offers a rate-lock that holds for the lifetime of your contract. What you sign up to pay won’t change on you without warning.  However, the monitoring component of each home security package is without question more valuable than the hardware. 

 In many cases, when customers call to cancel the service, they will still owe any remaining balance on the equipment, which is theirs to keep. However, not all of the equipment will work without professional monitoring. Once the service is canceled, the home security equipment often displays an error message. In some cases, the keypad may beep every 30 seconds or every minute. In order to stop this beeping, customers often have to unplug the panel and remove the batteries. This is unadvisable as without the panel, your alarm system will not be connected to itself, nor can it protect your home.  

Will Home Alarm Work Without Monitoring? 

Depending on the company, a home alarm may continue to work without monitoring. Customers who cancel their monitoring service can try resetting their home security equipment. They may find that their home security system is still mostly functional. However, even if the equipment is in perfect working condition, what purpose does it serve when self-monitored systems are unable to dispatch first responders in an emergency? Especially if you’re away from home and receive an alert of a break-in. 

Keep in mind, too, that the police in many states charge homeowners a fee for false alarms. The first time the alarm goes off, many homeowners are paranoid and want the police sent to their home. However, after a few false alarms, many homeowners prefer that the police aren’t automatically sent to their home.  

Self-Monitoring Checklist 

Are there any upsides or downsides to having a home alarm without monitoring? Obviously, a major attraction to avoiding professional monitoring is savings on the monthly cost. However, there are a few other pros and cons to consider before taking monitoring into your own hands. 

For example, maybe you decide you no longer want a piece of security equipment in your laundry room. Moving your device to another room won’t take much work because self-monitored security systems are designed for the user to uninstall and move on their own. However, self-monitoring isn’t a great option for homeowners living in parts of the country where there is a poor internet connection. This is because most self-monitored security systems need strong Wi-Fi to properly function. It’s also worth noting that some self-monitored systems don’t include alarms that sound when an intruder has made their way inside.  

Find the Right Security Options with Brinks Home™  

For more information about home alarm systems and professionally monitored home security, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can also reach out to us here at  Brinks Home for a free quote. 

Krista Bruton is a DFW-based writer who covers smart home security and consumer protection.