Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve got good door and window locks so why should I consider an Intruder Alarm System?
Alarms are expensive aren’t they?
I want an alarm but I’ve got a cat and a dog that will set it off?
I’m not very good with technology. Will the alarm be easy to use?
I want an alarm but I don’t want to see any cables or have to re-decorate?
I don’t want false alarms activating the alarm all the time?
Why don’t I just buy a cheap DIY alarm and fit it myself?
Can I set an alarm at night if I’m in the house?
How will I know if my alarm has activated?
Where can I
get a new user manual for my DSC Security alarm?
Q:
I’ve got good door and
window locks so why should I consider an Intruder Alarm System?
A:
It is a fact that in a given area of houses,
the properties WITHOUT an Intruder Alarm are MUCH more likely to be
targeted by potential burglars.
The opportunist burglar is not fussy, but what they would like is
plenty of time to pick and choose what they wish to steal without
being disturbed. Visible signs of an Intruder Alarm when potential
burglars are ‘casing’ an area, put them off and make them turn their
attention to properties with NO sign of an Intruder Alarm.
Any burglar breaking into a house which instantly triggers a siren
which they cannot silence, will have no time to tour the property
for valuables and is more likely to run off empty handed as soon as
the alarm sounds because they don’t know who is looking out of their
window or whether the alarm is being monitored by an Alarm Receiving
Centre.
In over 15 years of DSC Security installing thousands of Intruder
Alarms we have only had 2 instances where domestic properties have
been burgled with one of our alarms installed. One where the alarm
had NOT been set by the owner so the burglar was able to take his
time, and the other a secluded bungalow where the siren box was at a
low level and was ripped off the wall (still ringing) wrapped in a
duvet to muffle the sound as they could not silence it (back up
battery in the siren box!). They didn’t stay in the house long and
didn’t steal much because of the internal sounder and they will not
have known whether the system was being monitored by our Alarm
Receiving Centre.
Q: Alarms are expensive aren't they?
A: Not nearly as expensive as 15-20 years ago when the average alarm system could cost up to £2000. DSC Security can install a small, simple NACOSS Gold alarm system with 12 months warranty and 12 months FREE maintenance from as little as £475 (inc. VAT). The average cost of an alarm system to a 3-bedroom sized house is usually between £600 and £700, but obviously it depends how many detectors you want and how much you want to spend which determines whether we can match your budget with your requirements.
Q: I want an alarm but I’ve got a cat and a dog that will set it off?
A: No problem! DSC Security can install ‘Pet-Friendly’ detectors, instead of the ordinary PIR detectors, which will not activate when cats or dogs weighing less than 45kg (100lb) are in the area. These detectors will still detect humans and therefore protect the area from intruders.
Q: I’m not very good with technology. Will the alarm be easy to use?
A: DSC Security generally install the Castle Euro-Meridian range of control panels and keypads, which must be the most user-friendly systems ever! The Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) shows full English text rather than just a number or an LED flashing when something is wrong so you immediately know where a potential problem is, rather than having to find the manual to decipher what a flashing ‘3’ or ‘F4’ means! But the best bit is the proximity tags that we can provide. They allow you to simply set and unset the alarm, by swiping a small tag device across the keypad. A 4-digit code can be used if you prefer, however the tags make life so easy that codes are rarely used.
Q: I want an alarm but I don’t want to see any cables or have to re-decorate?
A: All DSC Security staff are fully trained and take pride in being able to conceal cables wherever possible, and the majority of the time NO cables are visible or obtrusive. Most cables will be run under the edges of carpets and you won’t see or feel them. If you don’t have carpets the surveyor may suggest that you have a wireless system installed, which will be more costly but will solve the problem. Our engineers will also have the training and the necessary equipment to ensure they leave your house as clean and tidy as they found it without any need for you to re-decorate. The only visible signs that our engineers have been into your house should be the presence of new alarm equipment and nothing else!
Q: I don’t want false alarms activating the alarm all the time?
A: Technology has been racing ahead for many years now and Intruder Alarm Equipment is far more reliable now than in the past. DSC Security is an ISO 9001:2000 Quality Assured Company and uses high quality, award-winning equipment when installing an alarm. This coupled with the installation being carried out by our fully trained and experienced staff, ensures that false alarms from within the system are very unlikely.
Q: Why don’t I just buy a cheap DIY alarm and fit it myself?
A: If you purchase an Intruder Alarm from a DIY store and fit it yourself, there is no back up help if it goes faulty and you may not be able to stop the siren from sounding, which can be especially annoying for you and your neighbours at 3am in the morning! DIY alarms do NOT comply with any Insurance requirements for a NACOSS, EN50131 & PD6662:2004 Intruder Alarm System as they cannot be covered by a maintenance agreement with a 4-hour engineer response time. They also CANNOT communicate to an Alarm Receiving Centre to obtain a Police response. All DSC Security alarm systems can comply with any Insurance requirements, will be installed to a high standard and there will always be back-up help from our engineers who will visit if necessary to investigate a fault.
Q: Can I set an alarm at night if I’m in the house?
A: Yes in most cases, although bungalows can sometimes pose a few problems. All modern Intruder Alarm Systems have the facility to ‘Part Set’ the system, which basically means that if you have any detection devices on the first floor e.g. Landing, these are isolated when you part set the system at night so you can visit the bathroom without activating the alarm! This ensures that the Ground Floor is protected from intruders but still allows you to walk into isolated areas upstairs.
Q: How will I know if my alarm has activated?
A: If you’re not in your house, there are a number of ways that this can be done but with our Castle Euro-Meridian systems the simplest and most ingenious method is for the alarm to send SMS text messages to your mobile phone (and/or up to 3 other mobiles) showing which zone has activated. BRILLIANT! (For other methods of alarm communication please see the section on Alarm Monitoring)
Q: Where can I get a new user manual for my DSC alarm?
A: If you require a new user manual for your alarm system please follow the link below to go to the manufacturers web site to enable you to download a replacement user manual.