Things have really moved on in the security alarm space
Despite being in tech, even I was surprised
I was recently asked to quote for a home security alarm installation. The property, a large Victorian house that was already well into a renovation. During the renovation, wires and cables had already been run to every room to support connecting the PIR movement sensors, the sirens and keypads. The request was not only to install the system but to select the system. So, I set about researching.
I already had some experience with alarms within different business premises and some domestic installations. Such systems generally ran along a certain vein. They fell into the typical electrician’s repertoire, were purchased from electrical suppliers or DIY stores and were wired, but also kind of dumb, or analogue, as some might say.
Given the client had spent money having all these wires routed all over the house, I naturally had a bias towards that type of system when I set about my research. Especially as the wireless, app-enabled alarms today have a sort of less professional and more corner-cutting domestic feel about them. But what I found surprised me.
What’s changed?
Firstly, the traditional wired alarm systems, like the one made by Honeywell, simply haven’t modernised. They are still, in my opinion, overly complicated, whilst being too basic to meet modern demands. Something I believe was to encourage costly professional installation and squeeze people into ongoing support contracts. Secondly, they are inflexible, and thirdly, that was simply the availability of the tech at the time. Want to add another sensor? Then you had better get drilling, channelling and decorating. Want to control the alarm remotely? If so, you need to buy the required PCB module and install it in the alarm; those are not cheap, by the way. How about adding a leak detector or a temperature sensor? no chance.
In fact, very few of these traditional alarm types exist anymore. The industry has pivoted to the app-enabled, wireless and relatively easy-to-set-up alarms. Most will recognise such brands as Ring, SimpliSafe, Yale, and even brands built on networking like Unifi are now blazing the alarm trail.
I know which interface I prefer…
Not as simple as wired vs wireless
Battery capability now allows for sensors to go five plus years on wireless, which negates the need for wires, but there are many more poignant differences, for example:
- A typical wired alarm will only support around six to a dozen sensors; to support more, you need extra modules. And even then, there are limitations. Where Ring, for example, supports up to 100 sensors and device connections utilising Z-Wave frequencies.
- The App is king. A push-button panel with a green/grey single-line LCD display is simply no match for the content-rich control environment on an app, running on an iPhone or Android device. Anyone who has used both to set up and customise an alarm system knows the two methods are frankly worlds apart.
- The modern touch. Remote control is a basic feature with the likes of Ring and SimpliSafe. As well as alerts, notifications and simplified customisation. Perhaps there is a wired alarm system out there that, with the extra module, will allow voice control via Alexa or Google Home, but I couldn’t find it.
- A broadening range of sensors, devices and add-ons. Sound sensors that recognise breaking glass, temperature sensors that can detect whether your pipes are at risk of freezing and sensors that detect leaks, just in case the pipes do freeze, and thus burst. Just some of the additions available with the range of new smart security alarms.
- Adding cameras, along with all the benefits that it brings, simply can’t be done with the traditional wired alarm. Not to mention doorbells.
The result of my research
From everything I’ve seen and read, if you want an alarm system for a small business or your home. The app-enabled wireless alarm system is the way to go. Indeed, this is how two of our premises have gone recently. Both had traditional wired alarms fitted; in fact, the wiring and control panels are still there. But over the top, the newer wireless Ring alarms have been set up. And we are extremely happy.
No more:
- No more mice eating the sensor wires.
- No more expensive maintenance contracts.
https://en-uk.ring.com/pages/home-security-system
To summarise: The older, traditional wired alarms have had their day, and the new generation of app and subscription alarms are not just as capable, they are leagues ahead.
Maidstone Technology
Maidstone Technology provides installations for CCTV, networks and alarm systems. For any advice on an installation you are considering, please contact us for advice.