Alarm Installation - as hard as it looks?

[watersm]

Does anyone have any ideas how much it would be to get a burglar alarm installed. I was planning to do it myself but have been slightly put off by the apparent complexity of it all (as well as a 23 stone neighbour who'll soon let me know if its done wrong and keeps him awake!!)

Just a standard control panel, 2 door detectors and 3 room motion detectors....

Cheers

 

[securespark]

How hard it is depends upon your understanding of house construction, alarm wiring and diy. If you don't have a good grasp of all these areas (Matron!!) then you will struggle.

 

[AdamW]

You may run into one problem into particular: insurance.

If you can prove that your alarm was fitted correctly then household insurers will give you a bit of a discount (possibly). You do not need to be a member of an alarm-installation professional body for this. I know a guy who faxed over a copy of his MEng (electrical & electronic engineering) and they accepted that as competent.

However, even if you take time and effort learning about alarms, plan it, install it, get the job done perfectly... if you can't prove it has been done by someone that the insurers recognises as "competent", then it may be a redundant exercise.

It's the same with car alarms I believe, if you DIY it then you don't get a discount.

 

[breezer]

the discount you get for a domestic premises is not usually worth it, but then neither is a diy alarm.

Unless you go to an alarm wholesalers and get decent kit (but you won't know what is decent) I would not bother, the other thing is like most things in life, there is a lot to learn to get it right, best get several quotes from alarm companies.

The other thing with diy alarms , if it goes wrong who are you going to turn to for help? and when will you do it? when you get around to it, alrm companies have some one on call 24/7

Go to your local police station ask for the Crime prevention officer, and he/she can give you a list of local reputable companies

 

[Big_Spark]

Some may find this surprising, but I am in wholehaearted agreement with Breezer on this. If you are extremely knowpedgable about the subject or you are electrically qualified with some common sense and access to advice, installing the alarm should not present too many issues.

However, if you are not any of the above, as Securespark and Breezer have pointed out, you will struggle, likely annoy your neighbour, have an alarm that may be next to useless and still have to call someone in to put it right.

Considering the potential for loss, I would think that having an alarm installed by a Professional Body would be the right course of action, some of those that operate the monitored alarms install for free or offer sizable discounts if you sign up to monitoring...and monitored alarms from recognised companies will always offer the greatest discount..up to 70% in some cases, on Insurance premiums.

 

[breezer]

Some may find this surprising, but I am in wholehaearted agreement with Breezer on this.

 

[il78]

Insurance companies can be funny, I had to get the company I work for to install the alarm so that I got all the required documentation etc.....Just that thing with letting another "engineer" loose in your house.....They stuck a Galaxy panel in, which did confuse me.......(probably not that hard, to confuse me, that is).....

 

[securespark]

What Ian?

Your alarm is made out of chocolate?

Yummy!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No raisin why not - you'd be nuts to object on those grounds. I fear that we might be getting off-topic again though, and due for a marathon session of bad jokes, but the plain truth is I revel in that sort of stuff - makes me snicker, even if it is no picnic.

 

[ninebob]

Are we getting off-"topic"? I should cocoa - so far off that we could be on Mars, or anywhere else in the Milky Way... This thread could become a "mocha"rie......

 

[Big_Spark]

Guys, you really have too much time on your hands..have a break..have a

 

[securespark]

It's an old one, but I liked the "advert" for the afore-mentioned choc-bisc combo snack that appeared in a 1979 rag-mag...

"Have a break, have a quick cr*p......"

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Are we getting off-"topic"? I should cocoa - so far off that we could be on Mars, or anywhere else in the Milky Way... This thread could become a "mocha"rie......

Hey! that was one of mine...

No raisin why not - you'd be nuts to object on those grounds. I fear that we might be getting off-topic again though, and due for a marathon session of bad jokes, but the plain truth is I revel in that sort of stuff - makes me snicker, even if it is no picnic.

Stealing another chap's joke - that really takes the biscuit.....

 

[securespark]

Wasn't me this time....

 

[diyhell]

I hate to get back on subject, but I heard a Whisper that http://www.thesecurityinstaller.co.uk is good for alarm info - contributors are kind to DIYers and newbies.