How to Install a Basic Alarm System
Home-security systems can be purchased in various styles with protection features to suit individual needs. Commercial home-security systems are installed by professionals and maintained by a security company. This type of home-security system depends on a certain response time. Another option is to install your own home-security system. A basic wireless alarm system does not rely on a complicated wiring network and is relatively easy for the do-it-yourselfer to install and maintain. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Power drill with 1/4-inch bit
- Security transmitters and alarms
- Electrical fish tape
- 3-inch wood screws
- 3/4 inch wood screws
- 1/2 inch self-tapping screws
- Control panel
Instructions
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Sketch out a floor plan of your home. Include all rooms, windows and doors. This will aid in planning where to place the control panel and the other components of the alarm system. A general rule-of-thumb is that the control panel should be placed near a frequently used door, and near a power outlet that is not switch-controlled.
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Choose locations for the fire and safety sensors and the inside alarm siren. These should be placed where they can't easily be found and destroyed by intruders. Place fire and smoke detectors near the utility rooms and near the sleeping area. Intrusion detectors are placed on windows, doors and any other opening that may be used by intruder. Place the alarm siren near the center of the home and away from any entrance or exit points.
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Install the control panel at a height easily accessed by all members of the household. Wireless units are not completely without wires. The control panel needs power, and wiring must go from the control panel to an outlet directly below it on the wall. Drill holes, using an electric drill, behind the control panel and below the outlet. Push a fish tape, a thin flexible tape used to probe openings, up through the hole below the outlet. Grab the fish tape when it reaches the hole behind the control unit. Tape the control unit power cord to the fish tape and pull it back to the electrical box. Plug in the power cord. Control units usually have battery backup in case the plug is unplugged or in case of power failure. Steps for fastening the control unit to the wall vary with the manufacturer. It usually includes fastening the back plate of the control unit to the wall studs, using 3-inch screws.
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Install all door and window sensors by attaching their transmitters to the edges of door or window frames. Some sensors use adhesives, while others are fastened in place with screws. Use 3/4-inch wood screws for fastening the sensors to wood-framed doors or windows and 1/2-inch self-tapping metal screws for use in metal frames. The number of screws for each sensor varies depending on the manufacturer, but two is common. The sensor also will be equipped with a magnet that is attached directly onto the window or door.
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Program the control panel keyboard as directed in the manufacturer's instructions. The indoor alarm siren will also need to be programmed according to instructions in the operator's manual. Test the system following the process as described in the system manual. The control panel usually has a "test" mode. Be sure to test all sensors.
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Tips & Warnings
Check the owner's manual for instructions for passive infrared motion sensors (PIRS), broken glass sensors, smoke detectors and other features.
