How Does a Glass Break Detector Work?

A glass break detector works by actively listening for the sound of breaking glass. Two different sounds must occur within a very short timeframe of each other for a glass break to activate. These sounds are the thud of an object striking against glass and the actual shattering of glass.

Glass break detectors are installed near windows or glass cases. They work best when they have a direct line of sight to the glass object they are monitoring. This way, if the glass were to break, the sensor would be able to properly detect the sound. In order for the sensor to activate, it will need to hear both the thud of something hitting against the glass and the shattering sound of the glass breaking.

Once the glass break detector has been activated, it will send a signal to the security system. The system will then perform whatever response was programmed for that zone. Some common Response Types for glass breaks are requesting police dispatch and sounding a siren to scare off any potential intruders. Many users will also have an interactive service, such as Total Connect or Alarm.com, send them a text or email alert to let them immediately know of the situation.

Glass break detectors are useful in many situations. This includes serving as a backup method for monitoring windows. While window contacts are typically great for monitoring windows, there is one type of situation in which they will not work. This is if the intruder shatters the window and does not separate the window sensor from its magnet. They will then be able to climb through the window without setting off the sensor. But if a glass break detector is near the window, it will hear the glass shattering and sound an alarm. Glass break detectors are also outstanding for monitoring glass cases. This makes them great for monitoring paintings or trophy cases. They are also often used by businesses that keep their products inside glass cases, such as jewelry stores and gun stores.