Alarm options
Hi All — We’re trying to find out about alarm systems for our house. We’ve gotten one quote for a wireless system and one for a hard-wired system. The hard-wired is more expensive, it seems. Does anyone have any info about which is a better way to go & why? And also, if anyone had…
Hi All — We’re trying to find out about alarm systems for our house. We’ve gotten one quote for a wireless system and one for a hard-wired system. The hard-wired is more expensive, it seems.
Does anyone have any info about which is a better way to go & why? And also, if anyone had a suggestion of a good company to work with, that would be great!
Thanks
I have Slomin Shield and must say it is a great option. It is really reasonable. Plus they knew a lot about the area and crime statistics which helped give a piece of mind. I’m sure most alarm companies have the same deal as them with free installation and equipment. But it’s at least worth checking them out.
P.S. we use wireless b/c of new construction. As others have mentioned it could be harder or need a different type with older construction.
All the best
But just to clarify, our receiver IS in the basement. Still no problems for us. We are 2 stories with finished English basement, single family brownstone house.
@ Traditionalmod: You will most likely be OK on 2 floors. The problem comes when the receiver is on the 1st floor or in the basement and the want to put a wireless transmitter on the roof hatch. Those transmitters are not making it through 4 levels. Your cordless phones and wifi are very different animals as they transmit with much more power.
“Unfortunately it does not always work so well in brownstones because of the density of the walls and the materials used in the home.”
Really? We have a 100 year old brownstone that’s 2 stories with the wireless alarm system throughout and never had a problem with the signal getting anywhere. Floors in brownstones are wood with hollow gaps between, not solid cement. People probably wish brownstone construction had more solid floors. As everyone knows who has actually lived in a brownstone, noise travels pretty well through wood floors in brownstones. As do signals. Our wireless modem also works all the way from the top floor to the basement den, so does our cordless phone.
We also haven’t had a problem with false alarms, to address something else somebody said was a problem with wireless. Not even once. We’ve had the system for 2 years now. I’m not saying everyone should get wireless. I was just surprised to hear of these problems.
There is no verified response anywhere in the State of New York. However on your 3rd false alarm you are fined by the city.
To Steve: Any problems or concerns you have with your alarm company should be addressed to the NYS Department of State who licenses all alarm companies and are very swift in dealing with consumer complaints.
Fire Alarm Guy would know this stuff better than me. Yes, panic/fire calls are treated seriously, providing of course the alarm company responds at all.
Beware these security companies. Some of them are little more than thieves themselves, except they’ll do it quasi-legally, like not providing service then billing you for a service call like it’s your fault.
I’m told that NYC is adopting, or has adopted already, a policy of “verified response” which has become policy for many metro PDs. Cops won’t respond to a burglar alarm without an independent, on-premises confirmation of an intrusion: a private security guard, a surveillance camera, a neighbor, whatever. That sort of defeats much of the purpose for having central station, at least for burglar deterrence.
I have had with wireless devices. When the battery in the transmitter started to fade, it triggered a false alarm. That means ear-splitting sirens that will drive your neighbors crazy, and (eventually) a visit by the fire department or the police.
That said, I have had pretty good follow-up service from ADT in Brooklyn. They have made prompt service calls (no charge) to correct problems, and an ADT person did phone me within minutes of when the alarms were triggered.
I have no complaints about ADT, but if I had known about other providers, i might have considered others.
Both posters are fundamentally correct. Wireless typically works well in poorly constructed homes and apartments. Unfortunately it does not always work so well in brownstones because of the density of the walls and the materials used in the home. Mirrors also play hell with wireless.
Let me explain. Depending on the system manufacturer, the wirless transmitter on your door or window will send a periodic check in signal back to the alarm panel roughly once every 30 minutes. It just says “hi I’m here and all secure” so that your maid can’t steal the transmitter off your back door during her shift and have her no good brother in law come by and rob you that night. These signals are typically kind of weak to conserve battery power. The batteries typically last about 2-4 years depending on traffic and are camera type cells that cost about $9.
Wired is always better than wireless.
As far as central station goes, Steve is correct that NYPD takes a long time to respond as residential alarms are a low priority. However they take panic buttons and fire signals very seriously. Typically the cost of monitoring is more than absorbed by the home owners insurance discount.
Though I would make sure you sign your contract for no more than a year. They will try to discourage you and tell you they can’t do it. Tell them to leave and they’ll change their tune quickly.
For residential work I like Gorilla Security or DGA. Stay away from the big guys like ADT (Another Dumb Technican). The central station is typically in Kansas and it can take months to get service. They also have the worst contract terms and refuse to negotiate as all pricing is dictated by corporate.
I had hardwired before and liked it because there weren’t the visible boxes on the windows and doors, but now with wireless it’s handy because the wireless sensors can be moved so easily and we don’t have to call in the alarm company and pay them to reinstall the wired device. When we installed an air conditioner in the window and when we replaced the back door, it was nice we could move the sensors ourselves. If we made holes in walls and installed central A/C at any time in the future, I would probably change to the hardwired alarm though.