Home burglar alarms

[flatbutt]

Does anyone here have any experience with them such as ADT or similar?

[Scott R]

What are you wanting to know? I have a bit of a different system than the norm I suppose. Everything is hard-wired vs. motion sensors since I have a dog and a two year old that might wander at night.

That means that I need a lot more zones to handle all of the windows and doors. But nothing fancy beyond that. Started out as "Brinks" ten years ago, then was sold a few times, finally to ADT. ADT has a permit on file with the city here for my house so that the police actually have to respond physically.

Something else specific?

[John Rogers]

We have had a hardwired system since the mid 1980s. Some of the questions I asked when we were looking at getting it:

- What sort of monitoring system/company, how fast is their response...1 minute which has turned out to be very true.
- How would they know if the phone line is cut...Their computer system does a line check every 15 minutes and somehow if the line gets cut they get an auto notification from the phone company.
- What do the smoke/gas detectors detect....originally natural gas and smoke, now they also detect carbon monoxide too. This worked when an original gas line under the house cracked back in 1995.
- What happens if power is cut or lost....it has a 72 HR batt. backup.
- Can the external siren wires be cut..... no and immediate police call goes out as an emergency.
- How about the large sliding patio glass doors....they have a shock sensor in case the glass is shattered. Never tried it though.
- Can the several additional wireless sensors we have added be jammed....no, if that happens an immediate police call goes out as an emergency.

So far it has caught two fire/smoke alarms and saved the house and one attempted break in. Cost has long since been recovered in homeowners insurance coverage savings.

[flatbutt]

Scott, there are many choices so I wanted to see who is using what . I'm looking at ADT and Front Point. So you're happy with ADT?

John, I'd like to go wireless / cellular. Your questions will be helpful

Thanks.

[Scott R]

I can't tell you the difference between ADT and anything else sadly. ADT seems like Brinks when I had them. I've never had a billing problem, someone always responds, other than that it's like a hands off relationship.

Maybe someone here has used their customer service and can give you a better answer. I don't expect much from the monitor company other than to call the police or fire. Which they did when the wife had an accident with a candle in the house.

I can say that ADT did honor our lifetime monitor price from Brinks though. It was not in their contract to honor that, but they did. So they scored some points with me there.

[masraum]

I'd skip places like ADT and the other big names that advertiser on commercials. They are overpriced, and the service sucks. Find a local UL rated company and go with them. You shouldn't have to pay more than $10-15 pretty month. Also, just know that the ads that you see for a system that gets installed cheap won't really cover your house. It only includes a couple of sensors.

You may also want to do a search. I've had a thread for security systems and there have given another thread or two besides that.

[BGCarrera32]

They're all b.s..

99% of the ones I see can have the phone line easily cut/disrupted, or the system quickly defeated in some way to make it inoperable.

Food for thought:
Latest news

[masraum]

Originally Posted by BGCarrera32

They're all b.s..

99% of the ones I see can have the phone line easily cut/disrupted, or the system quickly defeated in some way to make it inoperable.

Food for thought:
Latest news

Even when the system has a cellular backup to the hard line and a battery backup for the power?

Besides, the primary reason to have one is as a deterrent. If your house has one and 75% of the houses in the neighborhood do not, that makes your house more trouble and less desirable, I would think.

[JavaBrewer]

Honestly, just pick up a couple ADT signs at a garage sale and post them in your yard. That alone probably protects you as much as the actual system+monitoring. YMMV.

[weseeeee]

If you do get an alarm system consider motion detectors. I have seen a number of burglaries where the bad guy smashed a glass slider door and walked through it (never opening the door). The result was no break in the contacts and no alarm. If you live near other homes an audible system works well because when the alarm sounds most neighbors will take notice. Bad guys don't like to hang out where they can be noticed, so they will leave, hopefully without having had the time to look around for your stuff. A bad a$$ dog also helps AL

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Honestly, just pick up a couple ADT signs at a garage sale and post them in your yard. That alone probably protects you as much as the actual system+monitoring. YMMV.

I thought about that but wondered if the ADT rep would stop by and demand his signs back.

[72doug2,2S]

We have a local security outfit, glass break sensors, motion sensors, doors, water sensor in the basement, smoke detectors, battery back up, monitored for $14 per month.

We have a a setting for "Exit" which arms all motion sensors and a night setting for "Stay" which disarms all motion sensors, so if someone needs to roam around for a midnight feast nothing will go off unless the door is opened or the glass breaks.

We also have a dog. There is no fool proof system, but most thieves are not that bright so even an ADT sign on the lawn could really be a deterrent.

[Scott R]

Originally Posted by BGCarrera32

They're all b.s..

99% of the ones I see can have the phone line easily cut/disrupted, or the system quickly defeated in some way to make it inoperable.

Food for thought:
Latest news

You would have to be inside my house already to defeat the system, it's battery backed up in a hidden place in the house, and the call out it is also cellular. Short of drilling a large hole through a wall it's not going to happen.

[sailchef]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Honestly, just pick up a couple ADT signs at a garage sale and post them in your yard. That alone probably protects you as much as the actual system+monitoring. YMMV.

[sc_rufctr]

Is it a good idea to be describing your home security systems on a public forum?

[72doug2,2S]

That gun sign would work too, unless you were out. Perhaps get your name added to a public listing of gun permit holders would be a crime deterrent.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by 72doug2,2S

That gun sign would work too, unless you were out. Perhaps get your name added to a public listing of gun permit holders would be a crime deterrent.

No, they would then know to steal your guns as soon as you left.

[GWN7]

Most criminals when looking for a place to break into are deterred by you just having alarm system signs. The ones that are not deterred by the signs will break in and grab the first thing they see worth stealing and leave. In out in less than 2 min. Facts from the local police.

So unless your alarm company has a car that can reach your property in less than 2 min you will loose something.

[MotoSook]

Find a local company that will install a radio. Phone lines and cellular can be defeated. As far as zoning and triggers, they will recommend what you should install. Get CO and fire wired to the system too. Ask yourself what 24 hr monitoring is worth to you and your family.

Add a strobe and siren.

With the right system you can configure it to trigger specific zones while you are home.

You might pay more for radio and a local company but it is worth it.

[MotoSook]

Short of 24 hr armed security you aren't going to get more security than a 24 hr monitoring system. Our alarm company won't drive out, but they will alert the first responders who are not far from the house.

Most criminals when looking for a place to break into are deterred by you just having alarm system signs. The ones that are not deterred by the signs will break in and grab the first thing they see worth stealing and leave. In out in less than 2 min. Facts from the local police.



So unless your alarm company has a car that can reach your property in less than 2 min you will loose something.