Alarm system - does it need a professional?
 

We recently had a huge job done on the sash windows
in this old (1860) house.
One effect was that the alarms on the windows were removed,
after disabling the alarm system.

Do I need to call the alarm company,
or could I re-install the alarms myself?

Are alarm systems akin to brain-surgery,
or are they in the bicycle-puncture bracket?

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail (80k only): tim /at/ birdsnest.maths.tcd.ie
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

Alarm system - does it need a professional?
 

In article ,
Timothy Murphy wrote:
We recently had a huge job done on the sash windows
in this old (1860) house.
One effect was that the alarms on the windows were removed,
after disabling the alarm system.

Do I need to call the alarm company,
or could I re-install the alarms myself?

Are alarm systems akin to brain-surgery,

Some alarm companies would certainly like you to think so. ;-)

or are they in the bicycle-puncture bracket?

Some find that difficult too.


What sort of sensors were they on the windows?
Most electrical wholesalers sell the common bits and this might be some
help:-

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...dex/index.html

It would be much easier if you'd noted the wiring colours and where they
go before they were removed.

--
*The average person falls asleep in seven minutes *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Alarm system - does it need a professional?
 

On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:25:36 +0100 someone who may be Timothy Murphy
wrote this:-

Are alarm systems akin to brain-surgery,
or are they in the bicycle-puncture bracket?

They are very simple, or rather the sort of alarm systems one buys
commercially are very simple.

However, "insurance" companies generally specify that such things
can only be done by "professionals" if the "insurance" "policy" is
to be valid.

Therefore you need to be sure why you would want to do this yourself
and what the implications are.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

Alarm system - does it need a professional?
 

Timothy Murphy wrote:
We recently had a huge job done on the sash windows
in this old (1860) house.
One effect was that the alarms on the windows were removed,
after disabling the alarm system.

Do I need to call the alarm company,
or could I re-install the alarms myself?

Are alarm systems akin to brain-surgery,
or are they in the bicycle-puncture bracket?

More information is needed. Try to describe what was removed (I assume
you still have the parts), maybe there will be brand names on?

Guessing. If surface mounted magnetic relay make/break switches, then
easy; presumably a rectangular shaped thing connected to a four core
cable like telephone cable is hanging loose and another half of the
pair still on the window? Even if connection broken and/or components
misplaced, it's probably still in the easy bracket. Maplin should have
parts; I made a few d.i.y. house alarms 20 years ago, and the parts
were sourced from Radionics (Herberton Road - Dublin, noting the TCD.ie
email address); I cannot imagine they are still there.

Trying to remember --- if connections are broken, maybe the four cores
are somehow (pesudo-) randomised ...

But if the whole lot is monitored by an alarm company, they may have an
interest and may demand a professional ... and they may want to go for
something modern like PIRs ... and there's the matter of insurance
companies wanting to wriggle loose ...

Over to the experts ...

Jon C.

Alarm system - does it need a professional?
 

David Hansen wrote:
On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:25:36 +0100 someone who may be Timothy Murphy
wrote this:-

Are alarm systems akin to brain-surgery,
or are they in the bicycle-puncture bracket?

They are very simple, or rather the sort of alarm systems one buys
commercially are very simple.

However, "insurance" companies generally specify that such things
can only be done by "professionals" if the "insurance" "policy" is
to be valid.

Therefore you need to be sure why you would want to do this yourself
and what the implications are.


My insurance company was pleased to give me the "alarm" discount even
though it is self installed and maintained. There is a rider that if I
have a burglary and the alarm does not go off then I pay an excess, but
this would apply to a professional alarm as well.

Alarm system - does it need a professional?
 

David Hansen wrote:
On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:25:36 +0100 someone who may be Timothy Murphy
wrote this:-

Are alarm systems akin to brain-surgery,
or are they in the bicycle-puncture bracket?

They are very simple, or rather the sort of alarm systems one buys
commercially are very simple.

However, "insurance" companies generally specify that such things
can only be done by "professionals" if the "insurance" "policy" is
to be valid.

Therefore you need to be sure why you would want to do this yourself
and what the implications are.

Depends if the OP has his policy tied to a professionally installed
alarm, of course.
And even if he does, it's normally not valid without an annual service
anyhow.

You could install them and then have them checked over by a NACOSS
installer if your policy counts on it, otherwise just do it yourself
and leave it at that.