How to Install Home Alarm Systems
Start the installation process by reading any documentation that came with your home alarm systems. This may include the warranty, user’s manuals, installation schematics, warnings, and registration information. Know what will void your warranty and do your best to avoid these problems. In addition, by perusing the schematics you gain a fair idea how to space the various components of the home alarm kits.
Pick up your notepad and pen so that you may begin sketching where to place the assortment of components that make up your home alarm systems. The odds are good that you do not have enough contacts to wire each and every window, so it is necessary to carefully pick out the windows you believe to be the most vulnerable to intrusion. These windows may be those obstructed from street view because of trees or a fence, and do not forget to include those easily accessible with a ladder or house mounted garden trellis.
Start with the siren that will alert you to a potential intruder. Find a central location within your home where a mounted siren will be heard from any room. Even though you want it to blend into the décor of the room, do not obstruct it by placing it inside a faux cabinet. The sound must be loud and clear to get the job done. Secondly, from that location you require easy access to an electrical outlet.
Mount the back plate of the siren first and only loosely attach the actual siren. You need to first hook up other wires before being able to securely connect the bell portion of the siren setup.
Decide on a location for the control panel next. Ideally, you will place it next to the door that you generally use when entering your home. In addition, make sure that you have an electrical outlet nearby.
Install the control panel by drilling a hole into the wall and threading the wire that will hook up the panel to the outlet behind the wall. Running the wire behind the wall protects the panel from being tampered with. Sometimes it helps to connect the wire to a piece of regular wire, then threading it through the wall first.
Put in the window and door sensors next. Professionals use double sided tape to attach the magnetic portion and the switch piece to ensure a perfect connection. Go ahead and do likewise. Once you have the sensors set up perfectly, mount them permanently with the screws that came with the home alarm kits.
Run the wires and connect the sensors to form the closed circuit. Finally connect them to the siren. This is the reason why in Step 4 you did not firmly attach the bell portion of the siren to the back plate. Wire it also to the energy source and install a battery backup.
Join the siren to the control panel.