Home security system confusion

[Amethyst]

This post will sound confused, because the situation is confusing.

Our used house, built in 2004, came with a GE wired alarm system, 2 control pads, and zero info. Most doors and windows have wired sensors.

The lights blink, so electricity is getting to the system.

I like the idea of a wired system, as we had a poor experience in Maryland with Simplisafe.

Where we now live, we can't get WiFi outside, probably because the home is concrete block. So I don't know if wireless would work, especially outside cameras.

Do companies even do wired sensors any more?

Should I call to see if GE still services wired system, and then hire ADT or somebody to monitor? GE doesn't monitor.

Who might take care of wiring for new sensors/cameras?

If we replace the windows with hurricane impact windows, the window sensors would be discarded.

I don't know where to start, let alone what to do.

Thanks for wading through this.

 

[Ramen]

I've dealt with this type of situation twice and both times was able to find a local private security system installer/contractor who figured out the old systems quickly and easily. This was long ago, so I think I used the printed Yellow Pages.

Bigger question: Do you even need it? Are you gone for long periods? Do you feel unsafe? If you have it monitored, would there be enough local resources for a timely response? Do you have neighbors who would call the police if they heard your alarm?

In both of my cases, I realized it was a waste to pay for monitoring because the homes were out of town and would take much too long for authorities to get to. So I just set them up as noisemakers with no monitoring, just window stickers.

If your system is for fire, that's another matter and might warrant monitoring if the home is not too far to rush to.

If it's more a theft deterrent, the installers I hired both said that window stickers and lawn signs work well and that only the most serious burglars will ignore them. The rest will move on to the next house.

 

[Amethyst]

You raise good questions! Our first house in MD, no alarm, was broken into and ransacked - they got a lot.

Our second house had monitoring and an insanely loud alarm - I mean, that thing made your head explode. Burglars got in while we were at work and got away with a few things we'd left out, but the noise drove them off before the police could get there. In fact, the police made a bigger mess of the house (with their fingerprint dust) than the burglars did. The dust damaged a fine handmade wooden jewelry box - I never could get it all out of the wood grain.

Our next-door neighbors, who had not gotten an alarm, had vandals break in and completely trash their home. After that, they got a monitoring system, but fast. The house was lit up at night and there were signs all over.

Where we live, there are so many seasonal homes that neighbors wouldn't be much help. But the sheriff's car does patrol - I've seen it in the middle of the night.

I've dealt with this type of situation twice and both times was able to find a local private security system installer/contractor who figured out the old systems quickly and easily. This was long ago, so I think I used the printed Yellow Pages.

Bigger question: Do you even need it? Are you gone for long periods? Do you feel unsafe? If you have it monitored, would there be enough local resources for a timely response? Do you have neighbors who would call the police if they heard your alarm?

In both of my cases, I realized it was a waste to pay for monitoring because the homes were out of town and would take much too long for authorities to get to. So I just set them up as noisemakers with no monitoring, just window stickers.

If your system is for fire, that's another matter and might warrant monitoring if the home is not too far to rush to.

If it's more a theft deterrent, the installers I hired both said that window stickers and lawn signs work well and that only the most serious burglars will ignore them. The rest will move on to the next house.

 

[spencnor]

I've dealt with this type of situation twice and both times was able to find a local private security system installer/contractor who figured out the old systems quickly and easily.

+1
Think of your existing wired sensors as simple switches. Your existing sensors are most likely compatible with many alarm systems. Therefore a competent alarm installer can figure out how your existing system is configured fairly quickly because that’s what they do. I would avoid the large security companies that try to sell you their proprietary systems where you are locked into their service forever.

My house had a basic 4 zone builder grade alarm system installed when built in 1994. I installed and replaced it with a Honeywell Vista 20p system expanded to 24 zones ~7 years ago. Rooms and doors were zoned separately to indicate which zones were open. All my 1st floor doors and windows were hardwired (not wireless). I did add a wireless sensor to the outdoor shed. I’m comfortable with an Envisalink module by EyezOn to self-monitor my system status. There are 3rd party companies that can provide monitoring.

Think of your house security in terms of layers - door locks, warning signs, lighting, alarm system, and cameras. Then hopefully your house will be bypassed for easier marks.

Google key words Honeywell Vista and DSC for alarm panels and components. These systems have been around for decades. You can check pricing on eBay and Amazon.

Good luck!

 

[Ramen]

Think of your house security in terms of layers - door locks, warning signs, lighting, alarm system, and cameras. Then hopefully your house will be bypassed for easier marks.

Don't forget the ferocious dog! The installers I worked with said this is even better than signs and lights.

 

[Amethyst]

First step, then, is to look for a local alarm system installer. Will do.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

First step, then, is to look for a local alarm system installer. Will do.

Yep. We have a mish/mash of new/old and they work well together. I did much of the work myself but if you aren't willing to dig deep into figuring out how to do it, then it's much easier to have someone figure it out for you.

 

[Amethyst]

Ha, ha! Maybe a recording of ferocious barking, lions roaring, sirens...

Don't forget the ferocious dog! The installers I worked with said this is even better than signs and lights.

 

[Ramen]

Ha, ha! Maybe a recording of ferocious barking, lions roaring, sirens...

Sure, anything to make it look or sound like someone is home. A loud radio, stereo, TV, etc. Even a car in the driveway. An old clunker that never goes anywhere is OK as long as it doesn't appear broken down.

 

[Amethyst]

In that case...the first step is actually to develop a list of requirements, so anybody we talk to, will know exactly what we want.

Wish me luck - this is a resort town; services aren't always the highest quality.

Yep. We have a mish/mash of new/old and they work well together. I did much of the work myself but if you aren't willing to dig deep into figuring out how to do it, then it's much easier to have someone figure it out for you.

 

[Aerides]

If we replace the windows with hurricane impact windows, the window sensors would be discarded.

Not if you tell your installers not to, or take them off yourself and reinstall (we did that years ago, easy enough).

We're actually looking at replacing our old ADT hard-wired, land-line dependent system to get rid of our landline. We're a CBS house and our wifi works perfectly well around the outside of the house. ADT actually has a new product "blue" that I'm looking at - has both central and self monitoring and works with Wifi.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Not if you tell your installers not to, or take them off yourself and reinstall (we did that years ago, easy enough).

We're actually looking at replacing our old ADT hard-wired, land-line dependent system to get rid of our landline. We're a CBS house and our wifi works perfectly well around the outside of the house. ADT actually has a new product "blue" that I'm looking at - has both central and self monitoring and works with Wifi.

The newer systems have glass break detectors that work pretty well. I was able to add them to my old wired system with little issue and I see them as necessary since we have some big "picture glass" windows.

 

[Amethyst]

I'm told that hurricane impact windows also resist intruders' efforts to smash them, although I'm not sure how far that really goes.

The newer systems have glass break detectors that work pretty well. I was able to add them to my old wired system with little issue and I see them as necessary since we have some big "picture glass" windows.

 

[Walt34]

Don't forget the ferocious dog! The installers I worked with said this is even better than signs and lights.

I'll second that! A large, ill-tempered, territorial, suspicious dog is by far the best burglary protection. Some, however, have been known to accept bribes in the form of treats from the refrigerator.

 

[MichaelB]

I'm told that hurricane impact windows also resist intruders' efforts to smash them, although I'm not sure how far that really goes.

That's correct. Impact windows are resistant to blows. In addiction, they don't shatter and break, they crack but remain (mostly) whole. They are not easily compromised.

 

[Amethyst]

Large, ill-tempered dogs carry their own risks, unfortunately.

I'll second that! A large, ill-tempered, territorial, suspicious dog is by far the best burglary protection.:

 

[Ramen]

How much do hurricane windows cost? They sound expensive. You could also have yours tinted in an almost imperceptible shade, basically a clear film that would resist shattering. Some shops that tint car windows do house windows too, in any shade, from almost clear to really dark.

 

[Sunset]

Sure, anything to make it look or sound like someone is home. A loud radio, stereo, TV, etc. Even a car in the driveway. An old clunker that never goes anywhere is OK as long as it doesn't appear broken down.

When we go away, I tell my neighbor he can park his extra car in my driveway. Saves him shifting cars around and makes it look like someone is at my place.

 

[Sunset]

...

I like the idea of a wired system, as we had a poor experience in Maryland with Simplisafe.

Where we now live, we can't get WiFi outside, probably because the home is concrete block. So I don't know if wireless would work, especially outside cameras.

.
..

What poor experience did you have with Simplisafe ?

As for camera's , the wyze camera at $20 for version 3 is a cheap way to put a few camera's in the window, turn off the infrared LEDs as they reflect, and it's almost as good as outside camera's. And super easy.

 

[Aerides]

I'm told that hurricane impact windows also resist intruders' efforts to smash them, although I'm not sure how far that really goes.

Don't I know it! We have multiple heavy duty hurricane french doors (our house is a fish bowl...) and some presumably young twits spent a good deal of time throwing rocks at them, and trying to crow bar their way in, based on the "evidence at the scene." They managed to get a handle off one of the doors, but that didn't provide a big enough hole for even a small hand to reach to get to the lock.

They never managed to break glass and the alarms never went off. I came home to see the missing handle and hole. The cops found plenty of other windows/doors they had tried and figure they spent a good half hour trying various entries before giving up.

We figure our investment in whole-house-hurricane stuff more than paid for itself in that one event.

 

[Amethyst]

It would fill a new thread, only life is too short already. TLR:

1) The base station frequently went out of synch, would just flash blue on and off and refuse to be re-set.

2) The sticky on the back of the sensors did not hold well. My phone would say a window or door was open. I'd get home, and the sensor had fallen off.

3) Sensors would stop responding for no reason.

4) The alarm was like a bleat. A tiny thing with no power. A good-sized home on a big lot needs NOISE.

I spent many, many hours on the phone with different techs, wandering around a 3-level house trying to hear a signal, and did everything the technicians recommended. They were going to send out a new base station with, I think, a Verizon module instead of a Sprint module, but by then the house was up for sale and I was done with SS for good.

What poor experience did you have with Simplisafe ?

As for camera's , the wyze camera at $20 for version 3 is a cheap way to put a few camera's in the window, turn off the infrared LEDs as they reflect, and it's almost as good as outside camera's. And super easy.

 

[Amethyst]

It's a good idea, except our neighbors use all their cars. Might talk to them about it, though.

When we go away, I tell my neighbor he can park his extra car in my driveway. Saves him shifting cars around and makes it look like someone is at my place.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

It would fill a new thread, only life is too short already. TLR:

1) The base station frequently went out of synch, would just flash blue on and off and refuse to be re-set.

2) The sticky on the back of the sensors did not hold well. My phone would say a window or door was open. I'd get home, and the sensor had fallen off.

3) Sensors would stop responding for no reason.

4) The alarm was like a bleat. A tiny thing with no power. A good-sized home on a big lot needs NOISE.

I spent many, many hours on the phone with different techs, wandering around a 3-level house trying to hear a signal, and did everything the technicians recommended. They were going to send out a new base station with, I think, a Verizon module instead of a Sprint module, but by then the house was up for sale and I was done with SS for good.

As you have highlighted, Simplisafe isn't nearly as great as when they were a new company. Their stuff (at the time) was earth shattering. Now? Lots of issues and even lots of info out there on how to beat the system, so not too effective a security system these days. Their forum is covered up with issues and very few resolutions offered by the Simplisafe folks.

 

[Amethyst]

Nearly $700 too late, for us.

The concept was terrific - monitoring only when we needed it (traveling), attach the sensors yourself...

Quality control just wasn't there.

At some point, I decided I simply (ha) couldn't spend one more hour of my life listening to their theme song on the phone.

As you have highlighted, Simplisafe isn't nearly as great as when they were a new company. .

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Not an entire solution, obviously, but I have a FakeTV, and it looks really realistic: https://faketv.com