Grade 3 PIR's

[SecurityMad]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking at swapping out all of my components for Grade 3 components.
I've been looking around at all the PIR's on the Market. Now my system is a Texecom, so I was thinking I would just go with the top of the range Texecom grade 3's - the TPE Anti Masking Dual Tech PIR - however I've seen lots of people recommending other sensors, some with two totally separate detection chambers (although my understanding is that this was probably an older sensor with the standard movement sensor and the microwave sensor separately).

Seen people recommending Optex sensors and all kinds of other brands, I think I remember ADE being mentioned as well.

Could anyone tell me whether all the grade 3 sensors are much of a muchness, or if there is a clear leader in the market.
I really am looking for top of the range - dual tech, anti masking, EOL, etc.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, or should I just stick with the Texecom sensors for ease of use/compatability.

I've already got the G3 reed switches sorted as well as the panic buttons and sirens.

An additional question though. I currently have two smoke detectors wired in - Texecom ones - does this keep the system at grade 2, or can it still be considered grade 3 with the smoke detectors?

I ask that no one points out it isn't considered grade 3 unless professionally installed as I have an engineer working along side me on this project, however I don't like to bother him with trivial things like this and prefer to do research mysellf.

Thanks for all your help guys, it is more than appreciated.

Regards,
John

 

[sparkymarka]

why are You fitting a system with grade 3 items ? As it will probably never be certified as a grade 3 system ?

 

[Handymanjo]

Top of the range does not necessarily mean Grade 3 equipment.
What purpose does anti masking have in a domestic property and fault monitoring
unless linked to monitoring station.

 

[secureiam]

Grading is about equipment being capable of meeting a grade if installed to that grade by an engineer that certifies the system, for that certificate to be meaningful, the system has to be maintained and be a member of a certifying body like NSI or SSAIB.

Grading works on the entire system, so the grade is worked out on the lowest grade installed component of the system.

So if you added a Texecom AMDT, but used a mounting bracket, the system would be ungraded because the tamper function for it being ripped off the wall wouldn't work, but it will still do your anti mask. Some manufacturers do sensors with mounting brackets that allow the tamper to function.

As for smokes, not sure they are graded at all wrt to intruder alarms at least the Texecom 4 wire ones don't appear to show any such grading wrt to intruder (just checked Texecom web site), the wireless do appear to be graded at grade 2.

Personally you are better off with dedicated smokes that have built in sounders which the 4 wire smokes do not have.

WRT to antimask feature I would say it is useful in domestic situations, especially given the number of sensors I have seen obscured with picture frames, vases and box's.
So the PIR has been restricted or completely blocked, the anti mask would at least notify you of that.

The professional engineer is certifying under there company or the company they work for, it also wouldn't be graded if the engineer didn't maintain the system.

The grading also comes down to how the system is used, so not only does it have to be installed to the right standard by someone that can certify it has to be programmed to work as grade 3, this introduces certain limitations on operation that in my opinion may make the system less secure.

 

[Europlex]

& don't forget, if a JB (junction box) it must also be a Grade 3, if not fitting a wrong JB (Grade say a Grade 2) then makes the whole system Grade 2 no matter if every thing else used is Grade 3 with or without a certificacte issued by the installing company.

If installed by DiYer it does not matter if you install correctly using all the correct Grade 3 equipment. This would not be classed as a Grade 3 alarm

 

[secureiam]

exactly