House alarm recommendations please.

[Akshay]

Hi I'm getting an alarm system fitted for my parents's place and would like to know what to look out for and what/who to avoid. I have so far had 2 quotes from separate companies who suggested an ADT wireless system that is linked to the police and covers both upstairs and downstairs, plus an external garage. The prices from both are roughly the same at around £900.

Any help and advice welcomed, expecially as its for an elderly couple.

 

[youtekkinthepish]

Hi I'm getting an alarm system fitted for my parents's place and would like to know what to look out for and what/who to avoid. I have so far had 2 quotes from separate companies who suggested an ADT wireless system that is linked to the police and covers both upstairs and downstairs, plus an external garage. The prices from both are roughly the same at around £900.

Any help and advice welcomed, expecially as its for an elderly couple.

unless this is a mansion, i'd get further quotes. And don't feel obliged to go with the Nationals. Look on the NSI and SSAIB web sites for local dealers.
£900 seems too much for a standard house...and thats before they skank you with the bills for monitoring.

 

[RF Lighting]

£900 seems expensive

Wired is better than wireless.

You will be connected to an alarm receiving centre (ARC), NOT the police.

Watch out for hidden charges with monitored alarms, such as a premium rate phone calls to the ARC.

 

[Akshay]

Ok thanks for the replies. The house is a 4 bedroom semi with a flat roof extension to the rear and one flat roof above the garage giving access to one window. The alarm company have offered a wireless ADT system (to minimise cabling disruption) with the following components:

Front door contact
Garden door contact
4 motion sensors downstairs
4 motion sensors upstairs
Door contact on rear shed
Alarm box etc
Yearly maintenance charge of £26/month
One of police registration of £44
Total cost approximately £950

Does this still sound unreasonable? If so who else would you recommend?

 

[BabaOsw]

Ok thanks for the replies. The house is a 4 bedroom semi with a flat roof extension to the rear and one flat roof above the garage giving access to one window. The alarm company have offered a wireless ADT system (to minimise cabling disruption) with the following components:

Front door contact
Garden door contact
4 motion sensors downstairs
4 motion sensors upstairs
Door contact on rear shed
Alarm box etc
Yearly maintenance charge of £26/month
One of police registration of £44
Total cost approximately £950

If your going down the route of wireless - install it yourself? The price youve been quoted are extreme!
try your locel electrical wholesaler - usually on industrial estates. ESP (ww.esp-uk.com) do a wireless system, easy to install for just over the two-hundred quid mark.
registrations seem to diff county to county, but a 24hr monitoring should cost you no more than £12 per month irrelevant where you live

 

[youtekkinthepish]

If your going down the route of wireless - install it yourself? The price youve been quoted are extreme!
try your locel electrical wholesaler - usually on industrial estates. ESP (ww.esp-uk.com) do a wireless system, easy to install for just over the two-hundred quid mark.
registrations seem to diff county to county, but a 24hr monitoring should cost you no more than £12 per month irrelevant where you live

And Police response???

 

[Akshay]

I am quite good when it comes to DIY and the hardest part of this install would be fitting the actual box and configuring the sensors etc, but is it possible to buy the same ADT device that they're trying to sell me?

 

[bernardgreen]

WIRELESS ALARMS should only be used as a last resort for the lazy can't be bothered DIYer and the make a fast buck pseudo professionals.

Yes a lot of people love them. But a friend who is a key holder for four houses has just returned the keys to one "client" after the 5th false alarm this year. Police have now stopped responding and hence my friend is reluctant to attend to silence the alarm without police in attendence just in case it is for once not a false alarm and intruders really are on the premises.

It has to be said that up until recently the false alarm rate at this house was about once a year. Then without any changes inside the house the false alarm rate has increased to more than one a month.

 

[breezer]

is it possible to buy the same ADT device that they're trying to sell me?

no.

its not that good any way.

as has been said, if you do install what ever yourself, you will not get police responce, since it has to be installed / maintained by an "aproved company"

You may like to read 15 here

 

[youtekkinthepish]

Nothing wrong with radio systems provided the conditions are right. Ignore the doom mongers who tell you differently.

 

[bernardgreen]

Nothing wrong with radio systems provided the conditions are right.

Can you [a] define the right onditions and then ensure that the "right conditions" will be maintained for the life time of the alarm system.

Ignore the doom mongers who tell you differently.

You could just as well ignore the doom merchants who tell you your house may be burgled.

Get professional advice, talk to the Crime Prevention Officers at your local police station.

 

[Atilla]

The CPO is not really in a position to give technical advice on the specifics of a system.

I would argue a system installed by an accredited company will be fit for purpose - wireless or wired.

 

[whistle]

but a 24hr monitoring should cost you no more than £12 per month irrelevant where you live

not true at all. Do you have a source to back your claim up?

 

[securespark]

Hmm. Either £900 is reasonable, or I was ripped off!

In 1999, I paid a local firm to fit a bells-only. It was Accenta 6 with a blank end station, 2x RKP's, an extension speaker, 2 vipers, 2 surface contacts, a roller shutter contact on the gge door, 3 pet passives & 2 x quads, & one flashguard XL + & one dummy.

I was charged £800.

 

[seasickstevie]

You have to consider that over the last ten years, all electronic gear (inc. alarm gear) has not kept up with inflation.

You can now get much more bang for your buck.