Which wired alarm is best for me?

[drkash]

Hi,

Advice please. I'm planning an extension / renovation project and plan to upgrade my very old Gardtec alarm. I've read on here that wired is best so will go for this. I've been looking at the Texecom Premier Elite or the Pyronix enforcer. I considered the Risco Agility 3 but I believe this can only be installed by approved installers, then they will try and tie me in no doubt with annual services.

I plan to ask my builder to install the system.

The areas needing covering will be the hallway, dining room, utility room, 65m2 kitchen lounge and the 4 upstairs bedrooms. I would like to be able to set the downstairs alarm on at night when asleep.

I'm keen for low maintenace as possible and it must have a phone app.

1. Which alarm would be the easiest for the builders to install and me to use?
2. Is it best to have the PIRs wired also or are these usually wireless?
3. I assume I will need 4 PIR's downstairs and 4 upstairs?
4. Which Texecom control unit is best for my needs? The webiste lists 24, 48, 64 but I'm not sure what I will need.
5. Is there a particular website to purchase them from?

Thanks!

 

[secureiam]

Firstly:-

Agility 3 is being phased out for Agility 4 and its completely wireless to be fair
Pyronix Enforcer is a wireless panel

The Premier Elite is a true hard wired or hybrid depending on your options

Hard wired is best way to go without any doubt, but having flexability for wireless for future options is worth considering.

If you buy it yourself then your at risk at getting whomever installs it saying its faulty and they wont replace the item as they can't without charging extra, if that doesn't happen and you get the item swapped while there on site it probably wont cost you any more, but order online and returns can take several days to a week to get resolved.

I know of very few builders that install the right equipment for the job, many just buy a cheap kit and add a sensor to it without considering what the sensors function is, know some alarm installers that do the same mind.

Most alarms will all full and part setting options.

As for tying you in for servicing, alarms should be serviced regularly to ensure they are working correctly.

I would advise you don't tell the insurance company you have an alarm as you wont be insured if you don't set it and in some cases not insured if it isn't maintained. You will also find you wont save much if anything by saying you have an alarm and its maintained, but you do become subject to the alarm being set when you make a claim.

 

[drkash]

Secureiam - thanks for the advice. I will be going with the Texecom then.

Can anyone help with the following:
Will I need 4 PIR's downstairs and 4 upstairs?
Which Texecom control unit is best for my needs? The webiste lists 24, 48, 64 but I'm not sure what I will need.

Cheers

 

[sparkymarka]

24 ok 8 onboard zones , 2 on hardwired keypad plus option for 16 extra zones
Don’t forget contact on entry door plus speaker cable if panel away from entry route, plus cable for any comms eg cat 5 from router position to panel

 

[VDubDan]

I've been very happy with my Texecom, but it is relatively complex to set up and get going, so just be prepared for a bit of fiddling about.

The nice thing about them, though, is that they're pretty close to professional grade, super flexible and expandable - so you're not tied to your first decision.

The differences between the panels are in the amount of "things" they can handle - as far as I know, they all have the same functionality (Except the WiFi/Vs Wired of course) but the bigger ones can do more of it:

https://www.texe.com/uk/products/series/control-panels/premier-elite-series/

I.e., 24 is 8 zones, 2 areas out of the box - expandable to 24. I've not done this yet, but I'm pretty certain you can add a wireless controller to the board too so you can add wireless zones later on.

 

[secureiam]

Don't think Texecom would be happy with "pretty close to professional grade"

the panel can be installed to a professional grade if done correctly, although wouldn't count as graded without the correct installation certification.

 

[sparkymarka]

That made me laugh too ...lol

 

[secureiam]

Maybe they can clarify what they meant by that statement. Find it worrying that someone thinks that.

 

[drkash]

Thanks for the advice.

Can someone just confirm that I should get 4 PIR's downstairs and 4 upstairs as per my first post?

Thanks

 

[VDubDan]

Don't think Texecom would be happy with "pretty close to professional grade"

the panel can be installed to a professional grade if done correctly, although wouldn't count as graded without the correct installation certification.

Oof, no offence intended! To be honest it, I didn't outright say professional in anticipation of a professional posting to say it's not! I rolled the dice and lost

Thanks for the advice.

Can someone just confirm that I should get 4 PIR's downstairs and 4 upstairs as per my first post?

Thanks

Personally, I didn't bother putting any upstairs - obviously, it's useless at night (And I have to say, nighttime security is my main concern after we had a break in while in a few years ago), and I don't think ladder entry upstairs-only burglaries are particularly common.

Downstairs I protected all the individual rooms, though.

 

[secureiam]

WRT to sensors you have to determine what is at risk and the likelihood of it being exploited.

I went to a potential new customer yesterday, where a guy climbed in through the upstairs window while they were in bed and had a knife.

The man of the house ensured that the intruder had a nice landing onto the concrete back yard below and I understand the intruder is in hospital.

A PIR in the bedroom wouldn't have been any good unless it was just across the window (curtain lens), even then there was limited space to place some curtain lensed PIR's, Risco did still do a slim line curtain lens PIR which certain would have fit a conventional PIR with a curtain lens may not have fit.

A conventional lens PIR's in bedrooms are only really any good when the room is empty, due to occupant setting it off.

A shock sensor on an open window may not be activated because the window can be eased open, so it would have been a curtain lens across the window in that case, or Orisec wireless accelerometer which activates when its moved.

If the window was slightly open and on a lock, then force would be needed and the shock sensor would more likely activate, without the window on a lock when partially opened it may not be activated.

A contact on a window is only any good when the window is shut enough for the reed to be closed.

That advantage of the accelerometer, is it activates when the it or the object its attached to is moved a relatively short distance, it then resets in its new position ready to activate if its move again.

Unlike the curtain pir, which could activate if you open or closed the blind as you reached across to control it, it would only activate if the window was moved.

However if the window was wide open, the accelerometer wouldn't be moved probably.

I haven't seen your property and don't know how you use it so it be fair to state exactly what you do and don't need.

Conventionally you would have PIR's down stairs and a door contact on the main entrance door and a PIR on a landing, although as I said it comes down to risk and how you use your property.

 

[drkash]

Secureiam - many thanks for the advice!