Let’s Talk About Laundry Security Systems

For Laundromat owners, laying out a coin laundry’s security system could be far more complicated than one might at first think. There are considerations of spaces to be covered plus the time and cost for completing the task. There are danger points in every Laundromat business. These are at doorways, windows, and roof and side walls. There are also various types of security systems using different devices and techniques. Perhaps most important will be the choice of companies that are available to do the job.

The first task will be to consider which of the various security services will do the best job for your laundry business. You can find a listing from the yellow pages or ask some business neighbors which system they use and inquire as to their happiness and satisfaction they have with the business’ alarm company that they use.

In the yellow pages, don’t be fooled by those who have really big ads. The size of the ad is no guarantee that they are well established or do good work. Big ads are really proof that those yellow page salesmen were good. Look instead for ones who are reasonably close to you who can respond to your needs and requests rapidly. If you have a problem with electronics of the system, you want it back up, today!

Make it a point to interview several firms and compare what they offer, and what their prices are at time of installation and after. What are monthly charges? When there are costs for installation, the monthly service fee is usually less. If they offer free installation the monthly billing will generally be higher. How long a contract will you be signing? Try for a year in case you want to make changes later.

Always ask about the monitoring system the alarm company uses. How quickly will you and the authorities be called if the system detects a fire or a break in? The location and distance away isn’t as important as the time it takes to respond and notify police and fire.

 

You have to be comfortable with your choice. How professional do they seem? Do they have lists of owners to call to verify their claims? The real key is to find one you trust and can feel comfortable with.

Once you settle on which company to use, it is time to plan. Take part. Only you, a laundry owner, know what is important to you. Don’t just settle and let them do an average job like they would do in any other business. Laundries are unique. You will need their best efforts to properly secure your Laundromat business.

The doorways should be covered against being opened after the alarm is set. These are controlled by contact sensors that break when the door is opened. Breaking these contacts sets off the alarm. This is actually your laundry’s first line of defense.

The second line of defense should be a series of motion detectors that will set off in case burglars enter the laundry by dropping down through a hole in the roof or they could invade your business by entering through a makeup air vent opening. Cases have shown that burglars can enter a laundry by breaking through the walls from an adjacent space that may not also be covered by an alarm system. In such cases, door sensors alone do little good.

Motion detectors, as their name implies, detect motion in the laundry. Their coverage should be sufficient to tell the system that someone has entered your place of business. They do that when their light beam is broken by the motion of a body breaking their beam. They are basically light beams, kind of like lasers. When the beam is broken, the alarm goes off.

Change machines and card laundry Value Transfer Units are almost always the first target of thieves. That’s where the money is. For that reason, if no other, they should be a focal point of any security system you have installed. Since drilling or torching out locks is the main tactic of these bandits, an alarm that works on vibration or heat could prove very effective inside the machines.

Smoke alarms are always good for any coin laundry, attended or not. Their being there gives everyone a head start on a fire. If your place isn’t attended, smoke alarms should have a loud sound to alert customers. Some smoke detectors are also combined with carbon monoxide detectors. With all of the flame in heaters and dryers, that too could prove important in a laundry business.

As an aside, the modern smoke detector is so inexpensive that all laundries, even those with no alarm systems should have one,

Smoke alarms and motion sensors should also be mounted in the change machines. If there is no one present when these machines are attacked by torch bandits, they could be foiled when heat from the cutting torch sets off the smoke alarm. The sensors are there to react to the vibrations that result from the drilling or pounding by the bandits.

 

If your laundry is attended, that’s about all you’ll need for protection. However, those owners whose laundries are not attended for long periods of time can use more.

Another defender of laundries works great, but most operators won’t install it because of perceived cost. That’s security cameras, coupled with an adequate recording system (VCR). These let laundry operators know whether or not a slip and fall accident was really slip and fall or a rip off. Cameras give laundry users a sense of security and deter crooks who don’t want to be seen on tape doing a crime.

Perhaps the greatest advantage in having a proper security camera system is that it can allow you to view and manage your laundry business remotely. If the alarm goes off, you can go to your computer and take a look to see what is happening. Most of the modern systems allow laundry owners to communicate with their employees directly, face to face and not even be in the same city. This could make many of your trips to the laundry unnecessary

It-gives most owners great peace of mind to have the right kinds of camera systems at work in their laundry business. And this good feeling is not just about security. There are management and promotional considerations to using a camera security system the right ways. You pay for the cameras anyway, why not take advantage of the fact that they record events and happenings in your laundry?

You’ll be able to see which customers are using your laundry when you are not there. Imagine good customer relations when you are there to thank them for coming in about every Tuesday. They’ve not seen you, but you have seen them on tape, know who the good customers are and appreciate their business.

Studying tapes can be a pretty powerful tool for a Laundromat owner.

Having a security camera system in your laundry business will help reduce vandalism and crime, especially when both customers and criminals alike know that it is there. No one wants to be captured on film or tape doing something that they would either be embarrassed by or jailed for doing. That is why you should have signs posted to the effect that the cameras are always on.

Every smart Laundromat operator should figure out a way to protect themselves with an alarm system that fits their laundry business and personal security needs. It isn’t too expensive, even for the smallest laundry business. Technically, it’s easy and quite inexpensive to protect yourself and your business around the clock.

 

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