I've been reading the back posts here on uk.d-i-y about burglar alarms. I'm
thinking about instaling an alarm, and I had a professional installer out,
who recommends Bosch kit. It looks very smart, and I was impresssed.

He also recommended installing some smoke alarm sensors. I wired the front
of the house for an alarm installation a few years ago, but I forgot to
consider wiring for smoke sensors. Where's the best place to site them? I
could probably connect one to the alarm if it it was located in the hall,
but this would be impossible if it was located on the landing upstairs. Are
the wired ones worth the money, or should I just go for a couple of those
battery Black & Decker alarms?

For the alarm installation itself, my original intention was not to install
an external siren, because I thought that it would just attact attention to
the house. I was thinking of the saying never be the first or last in a
street to install an alarm. The installer recommended that I should mount an
external siren. On our block of about 100 houses, there are probably 3
alarms installed, and none so far on our street. This is why I was thinking
of only going for an internal siren. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Paul

"Paul Moore" wrote in message
...
I've been reading the back posts here on uk.d-i-y about burglar alarms.
I'm thinking about instaling an alarm, and I had a professional installer
out, who recommends Bosch kit. It looks very smart, and I was impresssed.

He also recommended installing some smoke alarm sensors. I wired the front
of the house for an alarm installation a few years ago, but I forgot to
consider wiring for smoke sensors. Where's the best place to site them? I
could probably connect one to the alarm if it it was located in the hall,
but this would be impossible if it was located on the landing upstairs.
Are the wired ones worth the money, or should I just go for a couple of
those battery Black & Decker alarms?

For the alarm installation itself, my original intention was not to
install an external siren, because I thought that it would just attact
attention to the house. I was thinking of the saying never be the first or
last in a street to install an alarm. The installer recommended that I
should mount an external siren. On our block of about 100 houses, there
are probably 3 alarms installed, and none so far on our street. This is
why I was thinking of only going for an internal siren. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Paul

Not really an answer to your question but I've had one of these for about 6
months and it's excellent http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/ESKIT2.html
Very easy to install and set up and - so far - very reliable, with no false
alarms at all.

I already have mains powered, battery backup, interlinked smoke alarms on
their own MCB back at the consumer unit so I don't need that functionality
from the "burglar" alarm (I put "burglar" alarm in quotes because this unit
can do so much more. Of course, it's all extra expense but, if you wanted
to, you can get it to close your curtains, switch on your lights and other
things as well).

And definitely go for an external siren. It's all about deterrent. Hopefully
the scrotes will see it and decide they don't want the hassle and just break
into somewhere else.

Jelly.

On Sun, 3 Dec 2006 15:58:17 UTC, Owain
wrote:

Paul Moore wrote:
For the alarm installation itself, my original intention was not to install
an external siren, because I thought that it would just attact attention to
the house. I was thinking of the saying never be the first or last in a
street to install an alarm. The installer recommended that I should mount an
external siren. On our block of about 100 houses, there are probably 3
alarms installed, and none so far on our street. This is why I was thinking
of only going for an internal siren. Any ideas?

I would recommend an external siren (or two - front and back) not just
because of the noise they make but also because they can have strobes.
Without the strobes, it can be difficult to tell in built-up areas whose
alarm is sounding.

But install a painfully loud internal siren too....it's very
disorienting, and means they won't stay long enough to grab much, even
if they manage to think straight.

--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
Avenue Supplies, http://avenuesupplies.co.uk

The message
from "Bob Eager" contains these words:


But install a painfully loud internal siren too....it's very
disorienting, and means they won't stay long enough to grab much, even
if they manage to think straight.

Smoke's good, too. Attracts attention from all over, needn't damage the
premises if you're sensible, and can make finding your stash darned
hard.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

In article ,
"Paul Moore" writes:

He also recommended installing some smoke alarm sensors. I wired the front
of the house for an alarm installation a few years ago, but I forgot to
consider wiring for smoke sensors. Where's the best place to site them? I
could probably connect one to the alarm if it it was located in the hall,
but this would be impossible if it was located on the landing upstairs. Are
the wired ones worth the money, or should I just go for a couple of those
battery Black & Decker alarms?

Upstairs landing is the number one location.

For the alarm installation itself, my original intention was not to install
an external siren, because I thought that it would just attact attention to
the house. I was thinking of the saying never be the first or last in a
street to install an alarm. The installer recommended that I should mount an
external siren. On our block of about 100 houses, there are probably 3
alarms installed, and none so far on our street. This is why I was thinking
of only going for an internal siren. Any ideas?

It's a good idea to delay installation of the external siren until
you have had at least a couple of months with no false alarms.

--
Andrew Gabriel

In article , Andrew
Gabriel writes

It's a good idea to delay installation of the external siren until
you have had at least a couple of months with no false alarms.

Pussy :-P

ps: Yes to multiple sounders, inside & out, they're cheap and a deterrent.
Outside, one front, one back, inside, depending on the volume, one
downstairs, one up, all 115dB.
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

On Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:00:55 GMT, "Paul Moore"
wrote:

I've been reading the back posts here on uk.d-i-y about burglar alarms. I'm
thinking about instaling an alarm, and I had a professional installer out,
who recommends Bosch kit. It looks very smart, and I was impresssed.

What sort of alarm? They come in different flavours :-

Bells only, attract no police response, make a noise, annoy the
neighbours, deters no one.

Dial up, favoured by installers everywhere, attract no police
response (despite what the installer tells you) but will annoy the
fire service as well as your neighbours after the third false alarm
so don't be too surprised to find your door kicked in "to find the
fire". Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) will phone you up to tell you
the alarm has gone off - really useful if you are in Ipswich and the
house is in Cleethorps. Trivial for a burglar to defeat (despite
what the installer tells you). Great for annual fees to the alarm
company for doing nothing.

Redcare monitored. Attracts police response until you have had two
false alarms after which you are on your own, annoys the neighbours.
Very good, especially if you like living in a Gulag and have neither
pets nor children. Not difficult for a burglar to defeat in most
houses if they know a bit about how Redcare works. Great for annual
fees to the alarm company for doing nothing.

He also recommended installing some smoke alarm sensors.

They do. It is usually a waste of time as the things false alarm
fairly frequently (unless you live off warmed up McDonalds in a
microwave). There is no evidence the remote link to the fire service
via the ARC helps save lives or property and some that they do the
opposite. After the second false alarm which entails explaining to a
sodding great fire engine and crew why they have been called to a
slice of toast many people disable the sensors.

Where's the best place to site them? I
could probably connect one to the alarm if it it was located in the hall,
but this would be impossible if it was located on the landing upstairs.

The landing upstairs is the single most important point, especially
if there are smokers in the house.

Are
the wired ones worth the money, or should I just go for a couple of those
battery Black & Decker alarms?

Battery ones are fine as long as you change the batteries yearly or
if the low battery indicator sounds (which it always does at 03:00 in
the morning).

For the alarm installation itself, my original intention was not to install
an external siren, because I thought that it would just attact attention to
the house.

I wouldn't worry too much. If you have much worth nicking then
realistically how secure do you think the alarm installers staff or
database are?

Alarms are not much of a deterrent. You are better spending the
money on improving physical security such as doors and locks and
improving perimeter security with simple things like thorny shrubs
and good fences.

Get your local crime prevention officer to pop in for a chat before
deciding to go for a fancy alarm. Their advice will be better and
less biased than any alarm salesman.

If you do fit an alarm beware of the insurance trap. It is usually
better to tell the insurance company you have an alarm but will not
be using it than it is to claim their meager discount for having one.
If you do the latter it can give them a big let out clause on many
claims.

--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

On Sun, 03 Dec 2006 23:33:07 +0000 someone who may be Peter Parry
wrote this:-

Alarms are not much of a deterrent. You are better spending the
money on improving physical security such as doors and locks and
improving perimeter security with simple things like thorny shrubs
and good fences.

Something on which I agree with you about, at least as far as
commercial alarms are concerned.


--
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

"Paul Moore" wrote

He also recommended installing some smoke alarm sensors. I wired the front
of the house for an alarm installation a few years ago, but I forgot to
consider wiring for smoke sensors. Where's the best place to site them? I
could probably connect one to the alarm if it it was located in the hall,
but this would be impossible if it was located on the landing upstairs.

I presume your questions linked smoke alarms refers to units which are
interlinked rather than linked to an independent home security monitoring
service?

I am in the process of installing linked fire detectors. Depending on the
size, construction and layout of your house, it may no be possible to hear
an alarm from some parts of the house. My install has been prompted by the
need to have a heat detector in a re-worked kitchen layout to satisfy
building regs. As our kitchen is an extension, it would not be possible to
hear the detector sounder from the more remote upstairs rooms.

I have chosen the Aico EI16* series see www.aico.co.uk.
If you check out their site, they show which detector to use in each
location.

Personally, I am not convinced about radio linked models (potential conflict
with RF heating controls etc), so I have gone for the hard wired versions.
One good feature is that each detector type (within the same range) has a
common baseplate. So you could swap alarm types around if one specific type
generated false alarms in a specific location.

Final point, I will also be fitting a battery type smoke detector in the
kitchen to tell SWMBO when the toast is done!!!

HTH

Phil

Peter Parry wrote:


I wouldn't worry too much. If you have much worth nicking then
realistically how secure do you think the alarm installers staff or
database are?

They're not, alarm companies employ whoever they can get, no security
checks required!

Alarms are not much of a deterrent. You are better spending the
money on improving physical security such as doors and locks and
improving perimeter security with simple things like thorny shrubs
and good fences.
Yep.

Get your local crime prevention officer to pop in for a chat before
deciding to go for a fancy alarm. Their advice will be better and
less biased than any alarm salesman.
Er, no, often they seem to over spec what you need, and they like the
fire lot have prefered suppliers and the like.....

Big internal sounders, several together even better, don't shut up after
20 mins so still audible from outside too...