First time install in self build house

[Sparkypenguin]

Hello all,

 

I am hoping for some general advice about choosing a decent intruder alarm in a 2 storey house that I am in the process of building.

I have a basic understanding of electrics and I have done some research and I am planning to use mainly wired connections but will require at least a few wireless ones as well.

Most of the research I have done so far has been on Texecom systems, mainly because that is what is fitted to my current house but I am also considering systems from Honeywell and Pyronex.

If I go OTT, which is the norm for me, I will probably have dual / quad motion sensors in most if not all rooms, an internal garage and an outdoor shed, so 14 in total.

I may also incorporate vibration sensors, glass breakage detectors, water leak sensors, under flooring pressure sensors, beams, panic buttons and internal sound bombs.

I would also like the system to notify my mobile and at least one other mobile if it is triggered and also be capable of turning on my security lights, probably via a contactor fitted in the consumer unit.

I am also planning on having a CCTV system fitted with most likely 4 to 6 cameras. 

Note that I do plan to keep vast amounts of anything valuable in the house but I really want to insure that it's kept as secure as possible as I have been broken into before and it's not nice.

Also the system must take into consideration pets, although these may be outdoors or kept in a specific area of the house when the alarm is armed.

As I will be doing all the cabling and fitting work then the additional cost of extra sensors is pretty much limited to the cost of the sensor. 

I have attached the blank floor plans just in case it helps.

 

Some of the questions I have are:-

What are peoples opinion on the types of sensors I have listed? Which are overkill, redundant, recommended etc?

Is there any point in fitting door contacts if I have motion sensors in all of the rooms? 

Are the 360 motion sensors any better than the corner 180/270 motion sensors?

I have 6 sliding / patio doors that are either ground floor or accessible via the balcony, is it worth having vibration sensors on all of them and if so do you need to have one per pain of glass?

Is it worth having glass break noise sensors?

Should I be looking at using a single system for the CCTV and intruder alarm or are these best kept as totally separate systems?

Based on value and technical support which suppliers of equipment would people recommend? 

I am planning on having a keypad on the upstairs landing to allow partial sets and should I have a keypad at all possible entry points (another 5 keypads) or just the main ones? 

Are there any products that verbally warn potential burglars on approach that they are being watched and that the house is fully alarmed and monitored etc?

Plus any general comments, ideally helpful ;), about anything I have said would be most welcome.

 

And sorry for anything dumb and/or obvious that I have undoubtedly written.

 

Regards,

Mark.

BASIC FLOORPLANS.docx

[MrHappy]

1 hour ago, Sparkypenguin said:

I am hoping for some general advice about choosing a decent intruder alarm in a 2 storey house that I am in the process of building.

 

 

ah

 

 

1 hour ago, Sparkypenguin said:

I am planning to use mainly wired connections but will require at least a few wireless ones as well.

 

why ?

 

1 hour ago, Sparkypenguin said:

If I go OTT, which is the norm for me, I will probably have dual / quad motion sensors in most if not all rooms, an internal garage and an outdoor shed, so 14 in total.

I may also incorporate vibration sensors, glass breakage detectors, water leak sensors, under flooring pressure sensors, beams, panic buttons and internal sound bombs.

I would also like the system to notify my mobile and at least one other mobile if it is triggered and also be capable of turning on my security lights, probably via a contactor fitted in the consumer unit.

 

As I will be doing all the cabling and fitting work then the additional cost of extra sensors is pretty much limited to the cost of the sensor. 

 

Is there any point in fitting door contacts if I have motion sensors in all of the rooms? 

 

Are the 360 motion sensors any better than the corner 180/270 motion sensors?

 

I have 6 sliding / patio doors that are either ground floor or accessible via the balcony, is it worth having vibration sensors on all of them and if so do you need to have one per pain of glass?

Is it worth having glass break noise sensors?

 

I am planning on having a keypad on the upstairs landing to allow partial sets and should I have a keypad at all possible entry points (another 5 keypads) or just the main ones? 

 

 

I assume your naïve enough to expect to power all this from a single control panel ?

 

[james.wilson]

I pretty much have that setup

Wired movement sensors in every room (including upstairs), these are used as room presense sensors for the home automation.

All external doors have wired door contacts

All windows have wireless shock sensors

 

External sensors and doors trigger security lights and in alarm

 

Im using HKC detection and controls. Linked to home assistant via output I/F and esp32

 

I do not allow my HA to disarm my alarm etc.

CCTV is cabled and uses frigate (currently) for person / object detection.

 

Use cat 5 to every camera location but take advice on locations as most diyer fit them too high.

Use alarm cable to every alarm component.

Your going to need an expandable panel and at least 1 additional psu.

[sixwheeledbeast]

4 hours ago, Sparkypenguin said:

I have a basic understanding of electrics and I have done some research and I am planning to use mainly wired connections but will require at least a few wireless ones as we ll

Why? Just wire everything if your building it. Personally only use wireless where I have no other aesthetically suitable option on retrofit.

 

4 hours ago, Sparkypenguin said:

Note that I do plan to keep vast amounts of anything valuable in the house but I really want to insure that it's kept as secure as possible as I have been broken into before and it's not nice.

At this point I am thinking you should consider just cabling to keep cost down but first liaising with a company that can install a monitored system let them do the second fix etc.

 

4 hours ago, Sparkypenguin said:

What are peoples opinion on the types of sensors I have listed? Which are overkill, redundant, recommended etc?

Is there any point in fitting door contacts if I have motion sensors in all of the rooms?

I have 6 sliding / patio doors that are either ground floor or accessible via the balcony, is it worth having vibration sensors on all of them and if so do you need to have one per pain of glass?

 

For pets you need perimeter protection really, so contacts and/or shocks all round every opening you can access.

Sensors minimum quads for normal rooms DT's for more harsh enviroments so garage etc

Shocks are mounted to the frame you need to read spec sheets for areas covered and positioning depending on construction, ideally need some experience or careful reading when setting up, you may get false alarm if you fit will no commision.

 

4 hours ago, Sparkypenguin said:

Should I be looking at using a single system for the CCTV and intruder alarm or are these best kept as totally separate systems?

I would always say separate systems for redundancy

 

4 hours ago, Sparkypenguin said:

Is it worth having glass break noise sensors?

Maybe but would only detect breaking glass and not other entry types. More usual to have them in retail environment.

 

4 hours ago, Sparkypenguin said:

Based on value and technical support which suppliers of equipment would people recommend?

That is something you would have to decide yourself, every installer has there own preference for this but we're fitting it all the time.

I wouldn't rate value over reliability, in theory you shouldn't need to contact technical support if you know the product.

 

4 hours ago, Sparkypenguin said:

I am planning on having a keypad on the upstairs landing to allow partial sets and should I have a keypad at all possible entry points (another 5 keypads) or just the main ones?

Not looked at drawings but you want to minimise how much of the house your walking through to switch the system off.

We consider entry routes as doors where you would arm/disarm the system on leaving. If all 5 doors would be used like that then maybe but I doubt it.

 

4 hours ago, Sparkypenguin said:

Are there any products that verbally warn potential burglars on approach that they are being watched and that the house is fully alarmed and monitored etc

You could do something like this yes, but not the norm.

[PeterJames]

The consensus is only use wireless if its too late, or you like to piss Greta Thumberg off by filling landfill with old batteries.

[Sparkypenguin]

Thanks for everyone's replies.

To answer the questions raised by them....

Wireless will only be used where it will be uneconomical or aesthetically required.

Everywhere else will be first fixed with 8 core cable (using this as I have loads of it).

CCTV will all be first fixed with cat 5E cable.

 

@MrHappy I did think I would be able to power all sensors from 1 control panel as long as the control panel had enough zones?

Something like the Texecom premier elite 24 + expansion card(s).

Am I incorrect? 

 

@james.wilson Do you work for securitywarehouse? This was one of the sites I had shortlisted to buy the items from.

 

@sixwheeledbeast Thanks for the detailed reply and also for the suggestion of doing the first fix and using a specialist company to advise and then doing the 2nd fix. 

From your comment about pets and using perimeter protection is this in place of the motion sensors and is this because pets will basically set off the alarm even if I use pet friendly motion sensors?

 

Anyone have any preference or thoughts about using either the 360 ceiling mounted middle of the room sensors versus the usual  corner sensors?

 

Mark,

 

 

 

[MrHappy]

27 minutes ago, Sparkypenguin said:

 

@MrHappy I did think I would be able to power all sensors from 1 control panel as long as the control panel had enough zones?

Something like the Texecom premier elite 24 + expansion card(s).

Am I incorrect? 

 

no, its a common misconception that 1 controls panel is going power anything you can think of putting on it

 

 

[sixwheeledbeast]

Still wouldn't use wireless if your first fixing. You say uneconomical but you will be thinking different after a few years worth of lithium batteries.

 

Yes you are incorrect to have one panel, you will need a much larger area than you think to mount control kit. It's not the zone capacity it's the power supplies and battery capacity that is the deciding factor.

I would be thinking at least PE48 with one PSU200XP possibly more, if using Texe kit from what has been described.

 

You may want both perimeter and motion detection, pet sensors are not ideal solution if you have a blank slate and are more for retrofiting when a customer gets pets, they can be hit and miss.

 

360 is more for where you can't cover with standard sensors you don't get the same coverage depending on the ceiling height, ideal for retail environments and maybe on domestic a garage or something but not the norm.

 

If you go with the company route then don't concern yourself with manufacturer selection, they should use what they are trained on to provide you a good service.

[PeterJames]

1 hour ago, Sparkypenguin said:

Something like the Texecom premier elite 24 + expansion card(s).

Am I incorrect? 

Psu in an Elite would be 2amp, each device will draw current, ancillaries such as keypads, expanders, and signalling all draw current, battery, and sounders draw current, and dont forget ohms law you lose current in the cable especially the longer cable routes. When the system is in alarm it draws even more current. Its why we do meter readings at the end of the install it ensures that we specified enough power.

 

 

[sixwheeledbeast]

Exactly and even so you often don't get near the 2amp because you can't get the (mains off) standby time required for the battery capacity.