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?

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

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:-

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

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

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

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.

Reply to
David Hansen

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.

Reply to
jg.campbell.ng

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.

Reply to
Broadback

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.

Reply to
daddyfreddy

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