How to Install Wiring for a Home Alarm System
Wired home alarm systems give homeowners a feeling of security when they are away and a feeling of safety when they go to sleep at night. The upside to wired security alarm systems is that they are quite affordable and an easy project for a DYI "weekend warrior" to complete. With costs so low and installation so easy, there are few reasons for putting off installing an alarm system to make your family feel safe and secure. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Select a location for the control panel. The more concealed from view the better. Examine the length of wire you have to work with for the control panel, as each unit of the alarm system (sounder, switch sensors and keypad) will ultimately be connected to the control panel.
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Find a location to mount the alarm sounder unit and the keypad, checking to make sure that wires for these units will be able to reach the control panel. If your unit has a combination control panel and keypad, this will make it easier to choose the location. Find a location for the sounder unit that is far enough away from the doors and windows that you are wiring so that an intruder cannot easily see the units and disable the sounder from operating. Select a spot for the keypad (if separate) or combination keypad with control panel, where an intruder won't be able to see the red blinking LED display unit to tell whether the system is on or off.
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Mount the keypad and the backplane for the sounder unit. Mount the switch sensors on the doors and windows that you want to serve as your "first alerts" if they are ever opened. Mount the magnets for the doors and windows close to the switch sensor.
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Wrap about an inch of the two exposed wires for the alarm unit around the screws for the door switch sensor. Repeat this process with the copper wires and attach them to the window and door switch sensors.
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Run the long cord for the sounder along the seams of a wall or along a baseboard. Use a staple gun to carefully staple the cord to the baseboard. Do not staple firmly. Leave slack between the wires and the staple to avoid flattening the wires. Attach the end of the cord to the backplane for the sounder unit.
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Find a concealed location, such as a closet or cabinet, to install the battery unit (if your system has a separate unit). Otherwise, the battery connectors will be on the control panel. The battery component will have one red and one black wire. These wires activate the sounder. Attach the wires according to the alarm system instructions. Typically, this means connecting the black wire for the battery with the black wire for the sounder, and repeating the same with the red wire.
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Secure the sounder to its backplane. Test to see if the sensors, sounder and keypad are working properly. Turn on the key switch on the control panel. Open a door or window. If the alarm sounds, your system is working. If not, examine your wire connections to make sure there are no loose wires and that all wires are properly and securely attached to screws and corresponding connections. Continue troubleshooting until the system works properly. If needed, refer to the kit instructions that came with your alarm unit to double-check that you have followed all wiring instructions properly.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep wires a little slack when you bend them, and never pull or stretch the wires. That could make the wires malfunction. Also leave a bit of space between staples and wires if you are stapling the wires to baseboards.
Replace any wire that gets an accidental hard hit with a hammer. That could flatten the copper wires inside the PVC wrapping, creating a hot spot that could trigger an electrical fire.
References
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
