alarm systems?

we are shopping around, reluctantly, for an alarm system as part of process to obtain new homeowners insurance. if anyone has advice on who is good and whom to avoid, would appreciate it… many thanks

slopegirl

in General Discussion 6 years and 6 months ago

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SoSlope | 6 years and 6 months ago

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Seconding Booisgolden. You can go either way on a burglar alarm and there are lots of new alternatives, but anyone who does not have a monitored fire alarm, especially in a Brooklyn attached home, is crazy. If there is smoke in your house or a fire starting, you want the fire department to get there immediately, not after someone on the sidewalk notices the entire building up in smoke. Similarly, if a small fire starts in your basement while you are sleeping, a smoke detector three floors away might not wake you. You want the alarms in the entire house to go off.

It really isn’t that expensive. The new systems can be entirely wireless and quick and easy to install.

sleestack | 6 years and 6 months ago

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I agree with the other posters. It’s amazing how far the technology has come in the last few years. When we renovated in 2011-2012, we went with an old school, wired alarm system and wired video intercom for the front door. I think you can avoid all of that completely now using something like Frontpoint or a Ring alarm system combined with a Ring, Nest or similar video doorbell. We recently ripped out our old video intercom and replaced it with the Ring doorbell and couldn’t be happier with it. Just make sure you have plenty of wifi bandwidth and a strong signal throughout your house and at the front door.

greenworks | 6 years and 6 months ago

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Oh and check the requirements on you insurance — they seem picky so they may insist on a “monitored” security system, rather than something that is not monitored.

Whatever you do, the video doorbell is the best thing since sliced bread, agreeing with DIBS as well. It probably won’t suffice for insurance but we’ve had Skybell and now Nest Hello for about four years now and consider it our first line of defense. It’s fascinating to watch the action from your doorbell. Call me odd, LOL.

greenworks | 6 years and 6 months ago

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What Bob said! We actually don’t have our system for alarm’s sake, but have it for smoke carbon monoxide detectors that will alert fire since we have two dogs home alone most of day. Yes, non-monitored ones will let you know there’s a problem so you can call 911 but we’re often not available to get those notifications.

But if it’s solely for insurance purposes, go with cheapest possible.

And DIBS, our system is not wired at all — it’s all wireless now (door and window sensors too) In fact, I think I spent the first three months of our time when we first bought the house pulling out all of the 5,453 feet of old wiring from the prior owners’ alarm systems.

daveinbedstuy | 6 years and 6 months ago

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An “alarm” is so 20th Century. You want a system where you can monitor who is on your property or at your door first and an alarm second. We have one through our DirecTV subscription but the Ring system is probably the one in widerst use now. And these are much cheaper than some old school wired up alarm system.

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 6 years and 6 months ago

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IF you’re just getting this to satisfy your insurance company, and don’t really want an alarm system, why not just get the least expensive system that meets their requirements. You don’t have to actually use the thing, do you?

greenworks | 6 years and 6 months ago

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We have had frontpoint and have had them for several years now — any time we have had any equipment issues, they have been EXTREMELY helpful at troubleshooting and quick to replace free of charge anything that doesn’t respond to a couple of troubleshooting ideas.

My only complaint with them is that their fancy control panel does not react well to having the circuit it is plugged into turned off. We’re on our third panel right now because we have had to turn the circuit off a few times to do things like replace a light fixture.

They do replace the panel quickly and for free but still — they should account for the fact that circuits need to be turned on and off occasionally!

But their techs are incredibly helpful at least and very friendly.