Installing a home alarm system is one of the best ways to enhance the security levels of your property. You might be tempted to try and save money by following the DIY route and trying to install your own wireless burglar alarm, but doing so could really cost you in the long run.

While you won’t struggle to purchase DIY wireless alarms online or in-store, it’s highly likely that you will struggle to effectively install them to provide proper security when they arrive, and the results will be far from ideal.

On top of this, such alarms lack many of the benefits of a professionally-installed alarm system. For home security you can trust, it is essential to enlist burglar alarm installation specialists. Furthermore, for insurance requirements, you will need the system to be installed and maintained regularly by an NSI or SSAIB approved company.

The problem with DIY wireless burglar alarms

The burglar alarm installation process is multifaceted and technical. Each element has to be installed with the utmost care and attention or the entire system could be ineffective. No matter how handy and confident you feel with DIY solutions, it’s not worth risking your security if you are not a security professional; for example, it is crucial to know not just how but where to properly install sensors and detectors.

Worst of all, you might not even realise you have installed the system incorrectly until it’s too late and leave your home vulnerable to break-ins. If your alarm is not installed properly, you run the risk of invalidating your home insurance policy.

Installing an efficiently and properly operating home alarm system requires expertise for what may seem like basic steps.

1. Installing and programming alarms requires careful consideration

A security system expert should conduct a thorough survey of your property prior to any alarm system installation. They will be able to make informed decisions on how and where your panel and alarm detection equipment is installed, based on a wealth of experience and knowledge of how to spot security weaknesses in your property.

When it comes to programming the alarm, an engineer will also be able to show you how to use the system and teach you about the various processes you should be familiar with, such as how to set and unset your alarm when you are at home as well as when you leave your property.  Many wireless DIY alarms require the user to disable a siren tamper before installing the other components of the system. In such circumstances, it could be easy to accidentally trigger the siren or fail to properly configure the panel.

2. Positioning sensors around the home is a precise science

Effective home alarm systems will include multiple motion detection sensors, placed at strategically selected key points around the house. It is not advised to simply put one sensor in each room, or to point them only at the key entry points like the front and back doors.

Finding the ideal spots to place these sensors takes the kind of know-how and precision professional security experts build up over the years. An alarm installation expert will be able to analyse your home and assess where best to place sensors for maximum effectiveness in detecting and deterring intruders and minimising false activations.

Their expertise is crucial when you consider the implications of poorly installed passive infrared (PIR) sensors: if they are blocked by a wall or not positioned correctly, they will not detect an intrusion.

3. Testing the home alarm system thoroughly takes time

The final stage of the installation process should involve a comprehensive walk test of the system. Every sensor has to be working effectively for an alarm system to do its job properly. If a single detector is malfunctioning or positioned improperly, you could be leaving your home with a major security flaw

Once your new alarm system has been tested and is fully functioning, you want to be able to enjoy complete peace of mind knowing that your home is well protected.

The advantages of professionally installed alarms over DIY alarms

While it may look as a viable quick fix, buying a cheap wireless burglar alarm and setting it up yourself is a security risk and a financial liability. Security is something that should take time and careful consideration. Your prized possessions and your personal safety are far too important to protect on the cheap, especially without the required expertise and professional experience.

More than an intruder alarm

Even if you do manage to install an alarm yourself, most DIY alarm systems do not come with the benefits, capabilities and extra services that more traditional, professionally-installed alarms do.

A high-quality, professionally-installed alarm system from Banham can also include:

• panic buttons with a Police response

• carbon monoxide monitoring

• fire monitoring

• professional keyholding services

Investing in a Banham alarm system with the associated monitoring and security services will go a long way to minimise all kinds of potential security risks, not just burglaries.

Professional maintenance and monitoring

Additionally, if security professionals install your home alarm system, those same professionals can undertake the maintenance, repair or replacement of your burglar alarm system with the peace of mind of a 24-hour emergency response if required. If your self-installed wireless system breaks down, it’s your own responsibility to fix it. Even worse, without professional maintenance, you might not even realise your system is not operating properly.  

Finally, for extra-conscious homeowners, alarms like the ones we provide at Banham can be monitored by a team of security professionals 24 hours a day. When a monitored alarm is triggered, experts in our Alarm Receiving Centre will instantly assess the situation and in the case of a verified alarm signal, they will contact the nominmonitoringated keyholders and/or the Police (depending on the selected alarm response level). As an additional level of security, CMS Keyholding provides professional keyholding and alarm response services so that you may avoid any associated risks of attending your property in the case of a burglary or other emergency.

As well as being safer, opting for a monitored alarm system could save you money. Some insurers offer hugely reduced prices for homes that have monitored security, which means even though a DIY alarm system might look like the cheaper option on the surface, a professionally installed and serviced intruder alarm system will provide the highest level of security for your property.