Best part of having a burglar alarm installed in your home is not that it will scare robbers away before they take your stuff, but that it will often keep them from attempting to enter your home in the first place.
PLANNING THE INSTALLATION
Before attempting to install any wiring or system components, it is recommended that a plan of the proposed installation is prepared. This should help the installation to be completed using the most unobtrusive and effective methods. The following guidelines should be followed and used in conjunction with the example provided when preparing your own system plan.
ALARM CONTROL PANEL
The Control Panel is the heart of the intruder alarm system and contains the microprocessor and electronic circuitry necessary to monitor the various detection circuits (Zones) and to initiate an alarm condition in the event of an intrusion into a protected area.
The complete system operates at 12 Volts powered from the plug-in mains adaptor. In the event of a mains failure, the system will operate from the optional Back-up Batteries if these have been fitted.
Control Panel: The control panel is a cabinet that incorporates the electronic circuitry and microprocessor that control the alarm system. It collects information from various sensors, processes it and responds in various ways. It also includes the user-interface – control keys, numerical keypad, display, sounder and loudspeaker.
LOCATING THE CONTROL PANEL
The Control Panel should be located out of obvious sight of potential intruders and in a safe location, but easily accessible for system operation.
Typically, the Control Panel may be located close to the main entry door or in a small cupboard under the stairs(or similar) close to a mains socket. An ideal mounting height would be the same as a household light switch or similar. If small children are in the household, a further consideration should be given to keeping the Panel out of reach.
Also consider the user’s ability to hear the Entry/Exit Tone emitted by the Control Panel effectively when setting the system. It is preferable that the Exit Tone can be heard from outside the property when arming the system.
The final position of the Control Panel will depend on the individual user requirements.
Note: If using the Home Arm feature the Control Panel must not be located within an area protected by a PIR Movement detector unless this detector is not activated during Home Arm.
ENTRY TIME
This is the time programmed to allow the user to reach the Control Panel to disarm the system before an alarm occurs. The Entry time may be set between 01 – 240 seconds, depending on your own requirements. The programme default Entry time is 30 seconds. If the system is not disarmed during the Entry delay period, a full alarm will occur when the Entry time expires
EXIT TIME
This is the time programmed to allow the user to exit the premises before the system finally arms. The programme default Exit time is 30 seconds however, this time may be set between 01 – 99 seconds, depending on your requirements. You will need to leave all protected areas and close protected doors/windows before the Exit time expires or a full alarm condition will occur.
ALARM DURATION
This is the time that the External Siren will sound for following an alarm activation. The programme default Alarm duration time is 20 minutes, however this can be set to between 01 – 20 minutes, depending on individual requirements.
Note: Most Local Authority noise pollution requirements set limits acceptable for alarm duration. You should therefore check your Local Authority requirements.
Chime Zones: allow you to keep track of activity in the protected area while the alarm system is in the disarmed state. Whenever a chime zone is “opened”, the buzzer beeps twice. The buzzer doesn’t beep, however, upon closing the zone (return to normal). Residences can use this feature to annunciate visitors or look after children. Businesses can use it to signal when customers enter the premises or when personnel enter restricted areas.
Note: Your installer will never designate a 24-hour zone or a fire zone as a chime zone, because both zone types actuate an alarm if disturbed while the system is in the disarmed state.
Although one zone or more are designated as chime zones, you can still enable or disable the chime function.
Arming: Arming the alarm system is an action that prepares it to sound an alarm if a zone is “violated” by motion or by opening a door or window, as the case may be. The control panel may be armed in various modes
(see AWAY, HOME, INSTANT and LATCHKEY).
Abort Period: When an alarm is initiated, the internal sounder is activated first for a limited period of time which is the abort period set by the installer. If you cause an alarm accidentally, you can disarm the system within the abort period before the real sirens start and before the alarm is reported to the remote responders.
AWAY: This type of arming is used when the protected site is vacated entirely. All zones, interior and perimeter alike, are protected.
Disarming: The opposite of arming – an action that restores the control panel to the normal standby state. In this state, only fire and 24-hour zones will sound an alarm if violated, but a “panic alarm” may also be initiated.
Disturbed Zone: A zone in a state of alarm (this may be caused by an open window or door or by motion in the field of view of a motion detector). A disturbed zone is considered “not secured”.
Forced Arming: When any one of the system zones is disturbed (open), the alarm system cannot be armed. One way to solve this problem is to find and eliminate the cause for zone disturbance (closing doors and windows).
Another way to deal with this is to impose forced arming – automatic de-activation of zones that happen to be disturbed. After force-arming and while the system is still in the armed state, de-activated zone(s) that are restored to normal (closed) will automatically become protected and will initiate an alarm if “opened” again.
Permission to use this arming method is given or denied by the installer while programming the system.
Quick Arming: Arming without a user code. The control panel does not request your user code when you press one of the arming buttons. Permission to use this arming method is given or denied by the installer while programming the system.
Remote Responder: A responder can be either a professional service provider to which the home or business owner subscribes (a central monitoring station) or a family relation/friend who agrees to look after the protected site during absence of its occupants. The control panel reports events by telephone to both kinds of responders.
Restore: When a detector reverts from the state of alarm to the normal standby state, it is said to have been “restored”.
A motion detector restores automatically after detection of movement, and becomes ready to detect again. This kind of “restore” is not reported to the remote responders.
A magnetic contact detector restores only upon closure of the protected door or window. This kind of “restore” is reported to the remote responders.
Zone: A zone is an area within the protected site under supervision of a specific detector. During programming, the installer allows the control panel to learn the detector’s identity code and links it to the desired zone. Since the zone is distinguished by number and name, the control panel can report the zone status to the user and register in its memory all the events reported by the zone detector. Instant and delay zones are “on watch” only when the control panel is armed, and other (24-hour zones) are “on watch” regardless of whether the system is armed or not.
MAGNETIC CONTACT DETECTORS
Each Magnetic Contact Detector comprises two parts; a Magnetic Contact Switch and a Magnet. They are designed to be fitted to either doors or windows with the Magnet fixed to the moving/opening part and the Contact Switch fixed to the door or window frame. When the protected door or window is closed, the Contact Switch is held closed by the magnetic field from the Magnet. Opening the protected door or window will remove the magnetic field and allow the contact switch to open generating an alarm signal at the Control Panel, (if the system is armed).
Decide which doors and windows are to be protected by fitting the Magnetic Contact Detectors. Normally the front and back doors will have Magnetic Contact Detectors fitted. Additional detectors may be fitted where required to other more vulnerable doors or windows, e.g. garage, patio and conservatory doors etc.
PASSIVE INFRA RED MOVEMENT DETECTORS
Passive Infra Red (PIR) detectors are designed to detect movement in a protected area by detecting changes in infra red radiation levels within its field of vision. If movement is detected the PIR detector will generate an alarm signal at the Control Panel, (if the system is armed). PIR detectors will also detect animals, so ensure that pets are not permitted access to areas fitted with PIR Movement Detectors when the system is armed.
EXTERNAL SIREN
The External Siren installed and wired to the Control Panel will activate in the event of an intrusion with the system armed. In the event of the cable to the Siren Unit being deliberately cut an alarm will be generated at the control panel, provided that the tamper circuit to the Siren has been connected.
Siren should be located as high as possible in a prominent position so that it can be easily seen and heard. When running the cable to the siren, the cable should pass through a hole in the external wall and enter through the rear of the casing.
Sounds generated by the system can be made different for various system alarms. In addition, the type of sound can help to scare away an intruder or evacuate the building during a fire.
During a burglary the siren’s sound is startling, but more effectively, filling the room with sound blocks the intruder’s ability to hear police sirens approaching. This lack of ability to hear into the distance raises the panic level of an intruder most likely making them want to leave. Consider outfitting the system with indoor sounders to fill the room with noise and outdoor sir