Why Fit A Burglar Alarm
Government statistics show that the risk of burglary after installing a home burglar alarm is greatly reduced. It should also be noted that where burglar alarms are fitted and entry is made, the time spent inside the premises is also significantly shortened.
So, you know alarms work as a deterrent - unless you're one of those people who moan that 'No one takes any notice of alarms'. Wrong - Firstly, the burglar takes notice. Every burglar would rather break into an un-alarmed property than one fitted with an alarm.
- Secondly, your neighbours will notice - just because it is a nuisance.
- And thirdly, it is quite easy to fit an automatic dialler which will telephone pre-programmed mobile or land-line numbers and deliver event specific messages and allow you to listen-in to any noise being made in the property.
DIY or Professional InstallationA common misconception is that Alarm Systems are complex and some sort of mysterious science - Wrong. Alarm systems installed in domestic and small commercial properties are relatively simple to understand and easy to fit. Admittedly where the security risk is high (banks, jewellers and the like) then the alarm system needs to be sophisticated and indeed the insurance company will insist on a professionally fitted alarm system.
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DIY |
Professional |
| Cost - based on a typical 3 bedroom semi-detatched house |
Our Silver Kit costs £155, and is designed to be easy to fit and we also offer full back-up help bt telephone or e-mail. All our systems are supplied with the full manufacturers manual and our in-house installation manual. |
Professionally fitted alarm system costs vary widely both across the country and across installers. An alarm system fitted by a non-registerd installer in the provinces will cost around £300. In London and some other ares it can cost double or treble that amount. If fitted by a NACOSS registered installer then you can double that price again. Then add on the annual cost of their maintenance contract. |
| Component Quality |
All the equipment we sell is as used by the professional alarm installation companies - beware of cheap kits available at some large DIY stores and beware especially of cheap wireless kits - the only way to get a reliable wireless system is to install a professional grade system. |
The vast majority of professional installers use top quality erquipment. There are probably some rogue installers out there who use substandard equipment and cut corners on the installation. The best way to choose an alarm installer is to contact your local Crime Prevention Officer who will usually have a list of installers who are known to be reputable and cost effective. |
| Maintenance and Administration |
With a DIY system you will be in posession of all the user and installation manuals. You will know how the system is configured, how to re-programme the system, the user code(s) and engineering code. You will have all the knowledge required to maintain and administer your alarm system. |
Professional alarm systems incorporate features which are designed to ensure that only the alarm installer has access to certain information needed to service and repair the alarm system. We get hundreds of enquiries from people who have alarm systems with lost codes, faults, original installer absconded etc. and who want to get control of their alarm system. We had a call from a customer who was charged £300 to fit 3 extra PIR detectors and he had no option but to pay. |
| Installation |
With good planning and design, fitting your own alarm system to a good standard is not difficult. Obviously it will take longer and you may have to buy a few extra tools but everything is within the scope of the competent DIY installer. you have the option to decide how well you want to install your system. |
The large (and expensive) NACOSS registered professional installers without doubt install alarms to a very high standard. With un-registered installers you are relying on their integrity to install the alarm to a good standard - it is easy to take short cuts in the installation and you have no way of knowing. |
Types of Burglar Alarms
All burglar alarms comprise three main parts;
- Detector(s)
- Control Panel
- Signalling Device(s)
The three parts are conventionally connected by multicore cables (hard-wired) and recently by wireless (radio) connections. Systems can also be built using both types of connection.
Types of Detectors
Detectors are designed to provide a signal on detection of a particular event; e.g a person moving in a room or a door opening. This event signal is sent to the control panel which is programmed to respond in a particular way on receipt of the signal. The commonest situation is when the alarm is in a set state and the signal is used to trigger an audible alarm. There are three main types of detectors available in both hard-wired and wireless types:
- Physical switches - magnetic contacts are an example.
- Space detectors - Passive Infra-red (PIR) devices are an example.
- Vibration (shock) sensors.
Any combination of these detectors can be built into any one system.
Types of Control Panels
This section deals with hard-wired Control Panels, wireless Control Panels are explained below. There are two main types of Control Panels;
- Stand-Alone
- Blank End-station
Stand-Alone
Stand-Alone Control Panels are self contained units where the method of seting/unsetting the alarm (keypad/switch) is built into the Control Panel. Most Stand-Alone control Panels have the facility to connect one or more Remote Keypads (RKPs) to allow setting/unsetting from a remote location.
Blank End-station
Blank End-station Control Panels have no on-board means of operating the alarm system, instead they are set/unset and programmed using one or more Remote Keypads (RKPs)
Types of Signalling Devices
There are methods of signalling that an alarm has occurred;
- Audible - usually internal or external sounders.
- Visible - strobe lights are usually incorporated in the sounder.
- Communication - this can be through a speech dialler, to a monitoring station, or over an internet connection.
Wireless Control Panels
Wireless Control Panels are essentially multi-channel radio receivers where each channel receives a signal from a transmitter such as a wireless detector or a setting/unsetting device. Signalling devices are almost always hard-wired into the wireless control panel - wireless external sounders are not recommended mainly because of the battery power required and hence the need to recharge the battery.
Most wireless Control Panels have hard-wired inputs and sometimes outputs. |
