Burglar Alarm for the house

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DTR

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Any recommendations please? There's been a few break-ins down our road recently and it's making me (even more) paranoid. I don't really know where to start so please go easy on me. We live in a 3 bed semi with PVC windows and doors. At the mo the back is easily accessible although there is a 6' brick wall in the pipeline. It is suspected that the culprits of the recent break-ins are scally kids rather than experienced professionals, for what it's worth. Whatever alarm we get it has to be cat friendly :oops:

No suggestions to get a Doberman please :p

Thanks in advance
 
I would suggest a good quality wireless system

Easy diy fit and they do work

I have had mine now for about 3 years ( after my last break in ) and it also covers my workshop and sheds

I do a test now and then and also replace the batteries in the transmitters once a year

If you are going to use it to cover rear shed / workshops , fit the main control box somewhere near the rear or the house to keep the transmitters / receivers within range

I have also had some A4 size " Alarm system fitted " laminates made and put them on the doors in the garden / shed / workshop :wink:

You can also add wireless smoke alarms / and movement sensors to this system as well
 
Hiya

I had a wireless system and I hated it, always showing battery errors, susceptible to other radio frequency devices, setting off the doorbell chimes.

I had a chat with a few local alarm fitters and all strongly recommended a wired system. I ended up with a 12 zone system made by Honeywell, free text service, wireless panic buttons and very simple to use as I have elderly parents living here as well.

I also have a standalone system for the garden shed with lawnmowers and bikes etc. Much easier that trying to integrate into the household system.

For cats you need tuneable movement detectors or possibly dual mode detectors that asses the risk and change detection modes appropriately.

For a 3 bed semi there are many good systems at a great price but do get it fitted professionally as you should then be able to get a discount on your insurance.
 
No experience of wireless systems, but have had wired systems in two houses and even they can give problems.
You should get a discount on house insurance when one is fitted (in fact, some insurers in some areas won't even give contents insurance without an alarm) but remember you'll have to get it serviced annually to satisfy the insurers. We pay something like £80 for annual service.
 
Wireless and quality don't go together.

3 bed semi - so

kitchen, hallway, dining room, Living room - that's 4 PIR's. Kitchen door - that's a mag contact\Viper. Living room window should be another Viper as should the kicthen window. Upstairs hallway another PIR.

That makes a total of 8 sensors\zones. Although you can fit the kitchen window in series to the kitchen door and the living room window in series with the living room PIR. You should have 2 Panic buttons - 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs, ideally in the hallways. These can be in series.

That makes 7 zones in use, with 1 spare - assuming the panel is 8 zone.

Texecom make good panels and PIR's and a strobe\bell. Vipers are made by Honeywell.

Annual service - that means popping the cover having entered the engineers code and checking the battery voltage, whilst it's connected and again with it disconnected. Never seen an alarm "engineer" doing anything else on a domestic system.

Perfectly within the realm of a competent DIY'er to fit. The Texecom range of Veritas panels allow the easy connection of a phone\text dialler.

Only thing you need to be prepared for is lifting some boards upstairs and perhaps a little re-decoration downstairs\upstairs depending on the runs required for the cable. Best to use 8 core alarm cable, even tho 6 will do. For future upgrades, should you replace the panel or upgrade to one that can cover the shed\garage.

Panels are available with a greater nbr of zones and far more functionality, i.e. split the whole property into say 4 areas, can arm\disarm all areas, or just some areas whilst not others. Each person can have a separate code, that you can dictate what they can and what they can't disarm. Plus master code (not to be confused with engineers code). also can dictate what remote keypads can arm\disarm. With these you aren't limited to a small number of sensors\zones - you can have several sensors in each room - i.e. PIR, windows sensors and another on a patio door. Even have it send you a sms if a sensor has been triggered and it tells you which one triggered - i.e. each sensor is given a textual name. You can then reset remotely via a registered mobile phone. Depends what you want to pay.

Also with most domestic systems - it will only trigger when a burglar is physically inside the room, which might be a little late by then. Better to have it trigger when they try to force the window or door but aren't yet inside.

HIH

Dibs

p.s. PVC doors - make sure the locks are snap proof locks and also fit door jammers to the frames to stop a door being brute-force.
 
I would prefer to go with wired rather than wireless due to some of the reasons already posted. Also I'm sure I read on here that wireless systems can be defeated quite simply. We haven't been here for that long (well, 1.5 years now, where did it go?) so most of the house is still a work in progress. Running cables and so on won't make a big difference.

Thanks for the tips so far, keep 'em coming!
 
Dave,

Im in sunny thurrock as well ( :( ), roughly what area are you in? (grays/west thurrock myself) - be handy to know if the wallys are working my area :evil: :evil:

We had a spate a couple of years ago, 4 or 5 garage/shed break ins (including mine) in our road over a short space of time.

I would never recommend a doberman.


Rotties all the way :D
 
No Skills,

We're in Stanford-No-Hope now so I think you're safe. Maybe it's a coincidence (probably not) but all the properties that have been hit have easy access from the back (alleyways etc). Sorry to hear about your break-in, did they get much? Before moving here we lived in Purfleet, and despite the reputation it was the quietest place I've lived.
 
Dave

Sounds familar, very open easy access here - been expecting another visit of late especially reading in the gassette how much break ins have shot up over the last 12 months.

He had some bits, nothing major BUT.. I go to look for something - spend ages not finding it - then remember it was stolen :roll:

Tis a funny thing in Thurrock, few good roads here few bad roads there no matter what part your in. West thurrock is by far the worst part of thurrock I have spent much time in :lol:

One day I'll get off my buttocks and weld up some steel doors and bits for my garage, have a propper go at having a workshop.

Best of luck with the alarm.

Simon
 
DTR":3nvjksv4 said:
Any recommendations please? There's been a few break-ins down our road recently and it's making me (even more) paranoid. I don't really know where to start so please go easy on me. We live in a 3 bed semi with PVC windows and doors. At the mo the back is easily accessible although there is a 6' brick wall in the pipeline. It is suspected that the culprits of the recent break-ins are scally kids rather than experienced professionals, for what it's worth. Whatever alarm we get it has to be cat friendly :oops:

No suggestions to get a Doberman please :p

Thanks in advance
Hi Dave
We had a Scantronic wired system installed professionally about 12 years ago after being burgled. The electrician recommended a wired system for reliability plus not having to remember to change the batteries in the sensors twice a year. It has been very reliable and we don't have it serviced. The only time it played up was after about 7 years when it started to give regular false alarms which annoyed the neighbours. I got the installer back and the back-up battery in the main unit was past its sell-by date and he recommended changing the battery every five years. I've just changed it now.

A couple of tips. If you have trees close to the house within sight of the sensor a high wind can cause enough movement to trigger the alarm so we close the curtains for that window when we go out. Also spiders seem to like to nest behind the sensors and they can walk across the sensor and set the alarm off so a regular vacuum behind the sensors cures that. Somebody suggested a conker placed next to the sensor deters spiders but this may be an old wives tale. :D

One final tip we got burgled the same day that a taxi picked us up from the house to take us on holiday. It was obvious we were going away because he took us to the coach station. The police suggested in future we got picked up away from our home so the b.....s wouldn't know which house you came from!!

Regards Keith
 
The Eriba Turner":14bg43kx said:
Also spiders seem to like to nest behind the sensors and they can walk across the sensor and set the alarm off so a regular vacuum behind the sensors cures that.

It's because some lazy sod when punching the hole in the back\top of the PIR, couldn't be @rsed to seal it before putting the front back on. It's not like they don't know spiders get in. But then if you get the installers in every Spring for a service - should minimise the chance of false alarms. :roll:

Dibs
 
Got a quote today from a local firm. Because of the cat they recommended mostly using shock sensors rather than PIRs. The chappy was surprised that I was leaning towards a wired system, apparently I'm 20 years behind the times. For a wireless system we were quoted £750. I was surprised it was that much but I'm not going to put a price on security. I'm more inclined to install something myself (as most here are, I expect) but the missus doesn't think I'll find the time.

Any thoughts?
 
There are established techniques for defeating wireless alarms. If you really think that the threat is only from scallys then maybe they won't be smart enough to use the techniques and wireless will be Ok for you.
Installers love them as they are easy to fit compared to a proper wired system.

Bob
 
9fingers":3f7alnqy said:
There are established techniques for defeating wireless alarms. .....
Installers love them as they are easy to fit compared to a proper wired system.

Bob

I assumed as much but thanks for confirming
 
hi dave, i wired an alarm system including the garage i can have the garage/house alarmed ,just the garage or just the house.
All for about £150.
As far as wireless...... the stone is already cast,but i would imagine todays wireless is far superior than yesterdays!
 
Dave

Security is all about layers. Perimeter then the central space. Shock sensors (wipers) on the windows\doors and PIR's in the rooms.

£750 - hell, I'd come down and fit it for that! :mrgreen:

Work out what you need in terms of protection - i.e. entry\monitoring points and then work it outwards. Say shock sensors on potential entry points and then PIR's in rooms\hallways. Also the 2 panic alarms. Do you want dialler\sms functionality?

1 strobe\siren on the front. One on the side\back?

Keypad in the downstairs hallway? One upstairs? Full arm when unoccupied, but do you want part set at night? At night - do you want to just arm the external door contacts and the window\door shock sensors and exclude the PIR's?

Wireless is used in the commercial world - Grade 3 stuff, but that costs a bundle.

PIR's are about £10 as are Viper shock sensors. Panic buttons & door contacts are a few quid. Strobe\siren is around £40 and a panel depends on the functionality\nbr of zones, etc.

HIH

Dibs
 
240 volts to the door knob should fix ti.
I know, its illegal, but if it has melted his
lock picks to his hand, who is he going to
complain to??? :mrgreen:
 
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