Advice on sensors, please

I've posted a (suitably anonymous) plan of my ground floor showing my uninformed choice of motion sensor locations 1-5 and a door contact at

  1. See

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    The blue dots are the sensors and the red lines are radiators.

Could any experts out there kindly tell me if I've made a good choice of sensor location, please, or whether alternative positions would be preferable. Have I got enough sensors?

Many thanks

Reply to
Old Dad Smith
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The plan may be misleading - there is no partition between the Playroom and Lounge room, only a couple of steps. Therefore, I am hoping that sensor 5 will cover the 30 ft. distance to the patio doors and detect someone breaking the glass.

I intend to use combined PIR/microwave sensors to avoid radiators triggering the alarm.

Reply to
Old Dad Smith

Are you talking about HEAT radiators? Do you know what infrared is?

Reply to
Vacu Flo

"Old Dad Smith" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

Poor layout. You've got motion sensors looking at south facing windows. You've got no contacts on other entry doors which will restrict your use of the system while you (or your family) are at home. A PIR of any sort in the kitchen isn't required unless you're using gold faucets. Taking out #3, and moving #1 to the South east corner of the dining room would be better. You'd cover a good portion of the kitchen there as well. A sensor in the living room would be best in the South West corner. Glass breaks and contacts for the patio doors in the "lounge room". PIR in the north east corner of the utility room (where you indicate #6). If you have pets, the motion looking up the stairs isn't a good idea (even if you're planning on using "combination units") and you may have to mask the lens. If the walls aren't up yet (drywalled), I'd rethink your system to incorporate more perimeter type sensors (even if you just pre-wire for them at this stage, you can expand on the system as your budget allows. Contacts on the windows that open, glass break detectors, security screens, etc. What about pre-wiring for system smoke detectors, CO, and heat?? You don't need more than two PIR's for the main floor if you're going with a perimeter system, and those should cover the areas/rooms with stairs to the second or basement levels. For instance, your PIR #4 won't see the stairs going down to the basement (I'm assuming the door adjacent to the back door is the door to the basement). Moving it to the corner adjacent to the kitchen door would probably be better, but you're going to have to be careful with the radiators in this area as well. It's a nice house-plan though...

Reply to
Frank Olson

And along with all that Frank has pointed out, are you familiar with the powers of Microwave and how to adjust and test this feature? Using dual technology is the proper thing to do, but don't think that you can just lick it and stick it. They can be just as prone to false alarms, as other sensors, if not properly set up.

Reply to
Bob Worthy

In addition to all the advice you've already received, I haven't looked at your floor plan but just the description of your system sounds as if your intention is only to arm the system when you are not home. OR, to try to arm the system with some motion detectors active, when you go to bed. It is adviseable to concentrate more on a perimiter system with motion/glassbreak detectors as a backup. Motion detectors were/are not meant to be a primary form of detection. Contacts on doors and windows are a very stable form of detection, and allow for more versatility in the use of your system. You can count on the fact that the easier it is to use, the more likely it WILL be used. Also .... More motion detectors .... more possibility of false alarms. Every motion/glass break detector should be on it's own zone, by the way. Also, it's a good idea from day one, to get used to arming your system when you are home ( and in for the night) and definitly when you go to bed. Just think in terms of ......... when are your most valuable things in the house? Just think for a moment. If you had a choice of only arming the system either when you were home or when you're away .... which should you choose?

Lots of motion detectors will make arming the system while you're home difficult, which will cause you to not do it. And that's the most important time to have it armed. The basic builders smoke detectors are great, but don't forget smoke and heat detectors as part of your alarm system. Because these will allow the fire department to be called when you're away from the house. And when you're in the house ...... What good is a beeping local smoke detector when you've already been overcome by smoke? This is a life safety system, skimping is the last thing you want to do. You'll never get another opportunity to do it as good as you can, while the house is being built. At the very least, run all the wire that you possibly can NOW.

Reply to
Jim

OK. Thanks for your advice, Frank.

How for away from the radiator should a PIR sensor be? Do you have any views on ceiling mounted PIRs, given the number of radiators in the corner of each room?

Reply to
Old Dad Smith

You must also think about power requirements. By overloading a panel with devices that require power and you start to reach the max amount of current draw or exceed it, you will start to have problems and possible false alarms. Dual tech motions (microwave)are power hungry for instance. Keypads, audios, smokes, etc all require power and the numbers are cumulative (amps not volts) You will probably want to consider an additional power supply and the batteries should also be on the higher side as far as Ah's. Don't float your grounds if you add additional power.

Reply to
Bob Worthy

Bob's right. Motion sensors that incorporate microwave technology have to be properly located and set up. They're quite finicky. If you spend two hours on the phone with one of the posters here though, I'm given to understand that he'll give you all the knowledge and experience of his 24,

26, 27, 31 years of being "in the trade". After all, installing and laying out a home security system isn't "rocket science"... :-))
Reply to
Frank Olson

Infra-red is "infra-red". It doesn't matter how far away the sensor is, it's going to see quite a heat "bloom" when your radiators come on. You may have to selectively mask the detector from seeing that part of the protection pattern (I would highly recommend never mounting a PIR right

*over* a radiator though). These days with the multiple layers of protection most sensors "see", that's not hard to do (albeit a bit time consuming). I'd stick with a good Digitial PIR like the Paradox line
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I've never experienced a false alarm with this detector due to a room's "environment". You just have to follow good installation practice and test, test, test...

Ceiling mounted PIR's probably won't give you the protection coverage you want. They're even more "finicky" to set up and position correctly.

Good luck!!!

Reply to
Frank Olson

By "perimeter sensor" do you mean sensors that are installed _outside_ the building. For example, those listed at

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? Or do you mean things like magnetic contacts on doors and windows?

I will make sure that I cable up for these!

Sounds as though I should largely forget about the internal PIR motion sensors and just go for detection of broken windows and forced doors. Is that a correct summary?

I had been considering arming the house at night or when leaving the property but am now thinking about protection while the family is in the house. I probably need a manual "panic button" as well.

Reply to
Old Dad Smith

Perimeter generally means door/window contacts...the perimeter is your first line of defense. Then Glassbreaks (imo), since I put them on Perimeter type zones, then Motion Detectors (since the bad guy is already in your house by then). IMO, you need a good mix of all three...depending on floorplan and your life style and cost/risk/value assessment.

Some people also include exterior perimeter - exterior motion/beams, fence sensors etc.

Reply to
Crash Gordon®

Just buy a Loxxon alarm system. Robert Campbell is the North American supplier for them, and their system is flawless. Professor X has created a true security masterpiece in the Loxxon. Hey Bob Campbell, wake up from your nap and give this man a deal on the Loxxon.

Reply to
no wires showing

Why would you tell the OP that that piece of smoked salmon was any good? That's Paulie Parrotts favorite alarm panel isn't it?

Reply to
Crash Gordon®

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