Definition for fitting burglar alarm

Looking to renew house insurance one question they seem to ask is realarms ..... "is it professionally fitted"

Now I assume they mean DIY or a company fitting it. Now if I buy a wireless alarm and fit it myself what else would a professional do to make any difference? What are the implications regarding the insurance company.

I am inclined to buy a wireless fit it myself and just say professionally done.

Reply to
ss
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Then you run the risk of the insurance co not paying up as you have not been honest with them. Be assured that for claims of any reasonable size, most insurers will explore every possibility of not paying out the full amount of the claim.

Reply to
Bob Minchin

You may want to reconsider telling the insurance company.

#1 - The discount for an alarm is usually quite small, =A35, 5%, maybe

7.5%.

#2 - If the alarm fails or you forget to say it, they have a get out clause.

#3 - Professionally fitted can often mean moron, going by those locally. The sounder time is hours when it should be 30min IIRC. The number of false alarms is high which is absolutely something you need to avoid if you want goodwill neighbours.

#4 - You are paying more than DIYing it.

So if you want an alarm, fit it yourself, use it, but do not add it to the insurance policy.

Conversely, check carefully you have locks which are suitable for the insurers requirements. Some specify the standard and "keys removed from before retiring at night or vacating". Can be a surprise to find your locks do not comply and =A335-70 per door to fix if the conventional wood door type. External lighting can be as useful as an alarm.

It is about making what you have look less attractive than easier pickings down the road as it were.

Reply to
js.b1

If you tell them it's professionally done, they'll want you to prove it. Fibbing cancels your insurance.

If it is professionally fitted, the annual maintenance fee is close to, and often more than the discount.

If they accept it, and it's not set, and you're burgled it's a good excuse for them not to pay out, and the discount isn't worth the risk of giving them that excuse.

We've got an alarm. I fitted it. I know it works. I don't tell the insurance company. We just use it.

Reply to
F

"We've got an alarm. I fitted it. I know it works. I don't tell the insurance company. We just use it."

Good point, never thought of that. My last house I was in for 21 years and never used the alarm as we had a dog and 3 teenagers in the house.

Reply to
ss

Ok guys you have helped me come to a quick conclusion on this one, thanks.

Next question....on a DIY wireless system is there any reason why I shouldnt include a sensor in my garden shed? It should be within distance (approx 7 metres)

Reply to
ss

No reason not too, iwt. Just make sure it can't be triggered by rodents, etc.

Reply to
grimly4

I thought that was the idea, to let you know when the rats were in there.

Reply to
Bill

Mine wanted to know if it was remotely monitored. As I don't have one anyway, I never asked the obvious question!

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

I have a DIY fitted alarm - ages old and all cabled. Spent time making sure no cables show - or were tucked down the side of carpets, etc. They are all under the floor or inside walls. Just like you'd do with mains if making a good job.

It has never once had a false alarm. Unlike many of the pro fitted ones around me...

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Personally I am right off wireless for most things. Our old Yale alarm was wireless, and despite much fiddling, we never could persuade it that it wasn't being jammed - which triggers the alarm. We had to disable that feature. Plus our wireless doorbell goes off when an unseen neighbour gets a call (plays a different tune !!!) despite me trying all 16 combinations of frequency. Plus the wireless intruder alarm in the garage, which despite only being 7m from the bell unit, refuses to work. And don't get me started with wifi ....

Cable it !

Reply to
TerryJones

Currently being driven mad by wireless Motorola T6 walkie-talkie.

They are great, compact, easy to use. Usual push to talk (PTT) Single button "bell" like a phone ringer. Very good sound quality compared to Doro WTX91 (which failed).

However now on the 4th unit because all fail by randomly powering off when PTT or Bell pressed. Power then on again and it repeats. A short time later it will work ok. The battery indicator is 100%. The battery is a shrunk wrap 4-AAA unit with the bottom battery contacts re-routed to two disc contacts on the rear which contact two spring contacts on the battery cover. This I presume is done so AAA alkaline may be fitted but are physically prevented from charging if inserted in the charger - re safety.

Unfortunately I suspect there is a bad batch of batteries. Motorola UK just say return. Interesting they all have the same functionality whoever makes them re Doro Binatone Motorla Cobra, probably contract made with the same chip.

Wireless is a pain whatever its form, and alarms put me right off unless you spend a lot.

To the OP:

- You may want to use screened alarm cable, does not cost much but can be useful if cables run near mains or outside.

- Also avoid Texecom because their transformers hummmmmm like a substation on the wall. Annoyingly loud, the iron laminations are loose, the screw to hold the laminations also screws into a plastic post so you can not get enough torque. A good bath in varnish would silence the thing if I get chance, Texecom I believe want to =A320 for another noisy one.

- Do not enable the outside siren initially until the alarm has proven itself for a month or so re false alarms.

Visonic do some very discrete ceiling PIR units, Visonic Disc (TLC Direct did them). Seem reliable.

Reply to
js.b1

Don't tell them you've got an alarm whatever you do! The discount is usually some trivially small amount and they are almost certain to use it to wriggle out of paying up if you are burgled when it isn't set or you haven't had the alarm regularly serviced (with the service cost being far greater than the discount.)

SteveW

Reply to
Steve Walker

When i got one of those wireless room stats, all was fine for the first few months, then it suddenly began turning the boiler off and on when my room stat was(nt) calling for heat,

sure enough a neighbor had just got a wireless room stat, totally different make and style, but uses the same frequencies, thankfully simple enough to set to another freq.

Reminds me of an american friend of mine, he had a remote controlled air mattress topper in his motorhome, so you can adjust the pressure and thus firmness when you are laying in the bed.

one night on a campsite, he got into bed, and increased the pressure as he likes his bed hard, went to sleep but woke up a couple of hours later with back pain, and found the matress was soft, so he pressed the button to inflate it till it was hard again, and got off to sleep, bit later he's woken again, soft matress, this went on through the night, so he was convinced it had a leak.

Next day he fully inflates the matress topper, and takes it to the campsites swiming pool, so he can try to find the leak, but no sign of a leak. That night he does the same routine, set it hard as he likes it, wakes to it soft, one time he didnt get back to sleep as fast as usual, and heard the matress deliberately letting it's self down.

he pumps it back up then unplugs it, and it stays hard all night,

He's then trying to figure out why the matress is activating the release valve on it's own, and gets talking to his neigbour, who tells him she too has one of those remote controlled air matresses, but it's been driving her mad since she got to that campsite, she sets it nice and soft how she likes it, and wakes up to it rock hard, so lets it down......

Reply to
Gazz

Motorola GP* series radios, best in class prolly best on the market. U gets what you pays for like power tools i.e. Makita -v- most any cheap clobber from the high St. sheds...

Reply to
tony sayer

In article , Gazz scribeth thus

Look!, this is more information than what we really need U know;!...

Reply to
tony sayer

I agree. I answer no to alarm _and locks_ on the insurance forms although I have a DIY installed alarm and the door locks are probably up to standard. The small print with locks is that you also have to have them fitted to all opening windows.

For a domestic installation it may be worth disabling the external bell/siren as all that seems to do is annoy neighbours. Just leave the flashing light. Put the bell box in a prominent position and possibly add a dummy box to the other side of the property. You will never stop the thief but if he sees that you have an alarm next door may be the easier target.

In a dozen years I've had a couple of false alarms. One during a power cut and the "old" backup battery didn't have enough charge to cut in fast enough. I now replace the battery ever 2/3 years (usually after being reminded with a thread such as this).

Reply to
Alan

An internal sounder is also a good idea. According to a friend who used to a Crime Prevention officer, the purpose of burglar alarms is to alarm burglars.

Reply to
charles

I have a separate one (very loud) on the hall ceiling

Reply to
charles

Ditto. Painfully loud, in fact.

Mine's in the integral garage.

Reply to
Huge

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