Intruder alarm systems – what are the choices?

When selecting an intruder alarm system for a UK property there are several important choices or decisions to be made. Hard-wired burglar alarm systems, which were the only choice for many years, are now being challenged by the latest generation of wireless (wire free) burglar alarm systems. There are two more decisions to be made.

A burglar alarm system can be designed to protect the perimeter of premises using vibration or shock sensors or by a system of "space protection" using movement detectors such as PIR (passive infrared) or dual-technology (PIR plus microwave) detectors. These will be situated in key areas of the premises. It is of course possible to combine these two approaches for a "belt and braces" system where the very best intruder security protection is necessary.

While on the subject of the level of security, it is worth noting that the latest European standard for intruder alarms (EN50131) demands that the intruder alarm installer carry out a risk assessment of the premises and through this decide which security grade is appropriate (see Security Grading). In practice most domestic properties will be classified as Security Grade 2 (unless they have a unusually high level of risk).

Finally, it is necessary to decide whether the burglar alarm system will be "monitored" or "bells-only". A bells-only burglar alarm system (more likely to be a siren these days than a bell) relies on a bell or siren to summon help from neighbours or passers-by. It will usually be supplemented by an internal sounder designed to drive the intruder from the premises.
A monitored burglar alarm system sends a signal to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) which in turn can contact keyholders, the police or fire brigade, or even the premises to establish if an alarm is genuine. This response system is very flexible and can be tailor-made to the customer's needs.

Hard-wired burglar alarm systems

Hard-wired burglar alarm systems will generally be specified in commercial premises or for very large domestic burglar alarm systems. These systems can support a greater number and larger variety of detectors. Our 595/872 system can also be designed to comply with EN50131 Security Grade 3. It comes as standard with our high security double-skin Rapier® external sounder. This is made from stainless steel and is impervious to the UK weather as well as being highly resistant to attack by thieves.

Wire-free burglar alarm systems

The reliability of this latest generation of wireless burglar alarm systems is a vastly superior to early wire free systems, and obviously they have a very clear advantage in terms of speed of installation and disruption to decor. Our PowerMax Complete is the natural choice for domestic properties. It can accommodate up to 30 wireless intruder detectors including pet-tolerant PIR detector, optical smoke detector twin-push panic button and carbon monoxide detector. It also has many features designed especially for use by the home owner (e.g. voice prompts, family message centre, 2-way audio). The PowerMax Complete burglar alarm complies with EN 50131 Security Grade 2.

Monitored burglar alarm systems

Clearly a monitored burglar alarm system provides very valuable extra security compared to its bells-only counterpart. There are a number of different methods of linking an intruder alarm to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). Simple monitoring via an ordinary (existing) telephone line is not as expensive as many people imagine, and gives a very real improvement in security. It should be noted however that this system (sometimes referred to as a Digicom) can be compromised if the telephone line can be easily cut by a thief.

A number of more sophisticated "dual-path" burglar alarm monitoring systems are now available, including Redcare GSM, Dualcom GPS, and Emizon (see Monitored Burglar Alarm Systems). These add even greater security by connecting the alarm to the ARC by two different methods (eg. telephone line plus GPRS or IP) so that an alarm signal can still be sent to the ARC even if the one signal path fails or is compromised by thieves. Again, this level of protection is not as expensive as you might think. Our sales surveyors can advise you on the relative merits (and costs) of adding this extra protection to your system.