House Already Wired Up, Do I Diy Fit Or Get It Fitted?

[hillmanblue]

Hello

I would be appreciative of any help or advice. We have lived in a house in Surrey for 12 months, and for that time I have been looking at various wires poking out of walls, reminding me that the previous owner didn't have the alarm fitted as a new build option.

I have found 11/12 wires around the house ( 8 core ), all bunched up under the stairs, with a fitted spur, and telecom cable already to go.

As we have a dog and a cat, I called in a local company and was quoted

[F C E]

hey pm me with your contact details my employers cover that area and would be more than happy to give you a price

regs

FCE

[arfur mo]

Hello

I would be appreciative of any help or advice. We have lived in a house in Surrey for 12 months, and for that time I have been looking at various wires poking out of walls, reminding me that the previous owner didn't have the alarm fitted as a new build option.

I have found 11/12 wires around the house ( 8 core ), all bunched up under the stairs, with a fitted spur, and telecom cable already to go.

As we have a dog and a cat, I called in a local company and was quoted

[alterEGO]

it all depends on how happy you are tyo undertake the work. the worst is done as all wires are there.

i'd go with the gardtec 490x/CPX system and rokonet zodiac pet pirs.

[IanHug]

it all depends on how happy you are tyo undertake the work. the worst is done as all wires are there.

i'd go with the gardtec 490x/CPX system and rokonet zodiac pet pirs.

Before you go for a Gardtec you might want to take a look at the installation manuals. I went for a Texecom alarm in the end largely because the installation manuals looked much easier for a novice to follow compared to the Gardtec manuals.

Wiring up a Texecom 48 with Texecom detectors and a Texecom bell box was very easy as it was all covered very clearly and explicitly in the installation manual.

If you're going DIY, take a look at the manuals first & be happy that you can follow them.

[arfur mo]

i would add here,

there is a chance of the existing cables having faults on them, they are usually laid well before the walls are plastered and boards go down and may have not been tested since.

as there has never been anything attached to prove them a chance exists if your unlucky of one or more of them being faulty - and it happens, so the guy who quoted might be allowing for total re-cabling having had such issues in the past and lost out.

thats not an unusual sentiment amongst pro installers as you don't know what the guys who laid the cables skill level was, and having taken it on we also ytake the risk of intermittent faults.

when i price for these type of work, i have a clause stating the cables are untested but assumed to be in good serviceable order, they will be tested if the order is placed and any remedial works needed are an additional cost and priced on time and materials as used.

so in short, by doing it yourself - your taking a bit of a 'punt' if you like, if the cables are fine you stand a fair a chance as anyone else who is not trade of getting right - or getting it wrong.

regs

alan

[IanHug]

i would add here,

there is a chance of the existing cables having faults on them, they are usually laid well before the walls are plastered and boards go down and may have not been tested since.

as there has never been anything attached to prove them a chance exists if your unlucky of one or more of them being faulty - and it happens, so the guy who quoted might be allowing for total re-cabling having had such issues in the past and lost out.

thats not an unusual sentiment amongst pro installers as you don't know what the guys who laid the cables skill level was, and having taken it on we also ytake the risk of intermittent faults.

when i price for these type of work, i have a clause stating the cables are untested but assumed to be in good serviceable order, they will be tested if the order is placed and any remedial works needed are an additional cost and priced on time and materials as used.

so in short, by doing it yourself - your taking a bit of a 'punt' if you like, if the cables are fine you stand a fair a chance as anyone else who is not trade of getting right - or getting it wrong.

regs

alan

I've found one of the best ways to get a good installer / tradesman is to go to a trades supply counter (can take a bit of digging around to find the right one to ask) and ask them to recommend three suppliers who they are comfortable with & get them to quote. I've found that you get good people that way, probably because the shops don't want you back complaining to them - make sure you go to a decent trades supplier though.

With only one quote you have no idea if it's reasonable or not - he may be a candidate for Rogue Traders next week for all you know.

If he did need to fit new cables would he want more money? How would he fit new cables - would he just run them on the surface and shrug his shoulders "its the only way to do it without charging extra

[markovitch]

I've found one of the best ways to get a good installer / tradesman is to go to a trades supply counter (can take a bit of digging around to find the right one to ask) and ask them to recommend three suppliers who they are comfortable with & get them to quote. I've found that you get good people that way, probably because the shops don't want you back complaining to them - make sure you go to a decent trades supplier though.

With only one quote you have no idea if it's reasonable or not - he may be a candidate for Rogue Traders next week for all you know.

If he did need to fit new cables would he want more money? How would he fit new cables - would he just run them on the surface and shrug his shoulders "its the only way to do it without charging extra

[Guest anguscanplay]

is it a straight dialler or is it police response?

[barooga]

If you're going DIY, take a look at the manuals first & be happy that you can follow them.

And if it doesn't work as desired, what then???

It is simply not a case of banging kit on the wall and job done.