Residential Intruder Alarm Systems
Wired or wireless? Unsure?
If you are unsure what system you would like, or indeed what you can have, please read on.
A key consideration for you when thinking about wired or wireless systems is the existing décor and potential disruption to your home.
A wired system by definition needs cabling to reach the detectors from the panel. Our engineers pride themselves on their ability to hide cabling from sight wherever possible. This can be time consuming, but once the infrastructure is in place it should provide years of trouble free operation. The devices are powered from the mains via your panel so there are no batteries in the detectors to replace systematically. Given the time involved in cabling you will not be surprised to learn that a wired system overall may be more costly on a like for like system to wireless but in our opinion it is the most reliable and the most flexible. The best time for a wired installation is when you are planning development, renovation or redecoration to your home. If you have a bungalow a wired system can be easy to install at any time as the cables can be hidden in your loft space!
That is not to say there are problems with a wireless system! The components we use are from a well respected company. The product is tried and tested and is very reliable. The beauty of a wireless system is there is very little cabling involved. (Only to the panel in fact) Everything else is wireless which has two distinct advantages.
The installation is very quick, our engineer should certainly be in and out in less than a day and although the wireless components are slightly more expensive to the wired counterparts part for part, the saving in labour time is considerable. The wireless system will give you the cheapest installation.
The disruption to your home and damage to décor is almost negligible. The majority of devices are secured with just two screws so there is virtually no mess at all.
For both systems the panel itself does need cabling. The panel must be powered via an unswitched fuse spur located within 1 meter of the panel. If you want your system monitored then the panel must also be connected to a live landline telephone via a telephone socket, also ideally located in close proximity to the panel. These works can be undertaken by your chosen electrician or arranged by us if you prefer.
The flexibility of the wired system does extend to wireless devices by the addition of a dedicated wireless module. This enables a wired system to utilise the same wireless devices for 'hard to reach' areas where detection is required. For example, out buildings or smoke detection devices in decorated areas.
