Re: Your Favorite Install Tool?

["Crash Gordon" <webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

inline...


"Sylvain Robitaille" <syl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:slrndm0iis.ar71.syl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| Crash Gordon wrote:
|
| > Typically PIRS are at 8' fff.
|
| That's consistent with what I was intending to do, likely in the corner
| of an L-shaped hallway joining kitchen/dining/living rooms with
| bedrooms.  Another motion sensor will likely be placed in the basement,
| (though that one won't get to 8'), and perhaps a third in the stairwell
| joining upstairs and downstairs.
|
| > I always position them looking into the house ...
|
| My concern there is that I'd like to make the installation as
| inconspicuous as possible.  I hope no one here will be offended by
| this remark, but I find alarm components rather unsightly.

Some are...but you can buy pretty ones :-)
Not anymore ugly than thermostats, hvac registers, cheap lighting fixtures,
etc.


|
| (Have I just gotten kicked out of the newsgroup? ;-)

No...why? You're asking good questions.

|
| >| What I don't know is where to put the magnetic switches for doors and
| >| windows.  ...
| >
| > Mostly dictated by building construction and where you can get a wire
| > TO.
|
| Ok, so if I apply a little common sense I'm not likely to put sensors
| anywhere that I'll later wish I hadn't.  I'll consider your order of
| preference.  Thanks.
|
| > Hinge side (not like to false but a pain in the butt to get the magnet
| > distance correct so the switch will open when the door opens)
|
| I imagine it's also more difficult to service, offering another tradeoff
| from the "not likely to false trigger" characteristic.

Only if you're careful...like i said getting the break-point right on a
hinged side switch is tricky.

|
| > I prefer small surface mount contacts on windows in most cases...due to
| > lightning and other service reasons.
|
| Lightning?

It's been my experience that recessed contacts in metal framed windows tend
to get welded closed by a close lightning strike, and you'll never know
unless you are religious about testing all your window switches on a regular
basis (highly recommended practice, btw). Recessed contacts on sliding
windows can go out of adjustment when the little metal wheels the windows
slide on wear down...or fall off. They're also hard for a homeowner to
troubleshoot if a magnet is out of alignment...its a service call to open
the loop in the panel and find out which window in the zone is not
closing/aligning properly...with a surface contact even the dumbest
homeowner can look and see if the magnet is lined up...or missing.

|
| > In residences I don't like recessed window contacts.
|
| Fair enough, but I take it that I should go ahead with these for doors.
| They appear (from what I've seen of installations in friends' homes) to
| be what is typically used.
|
| > Protect your phone line.
|
| Ugh!  Unfortunately the phone line coming into the house is easily
| reached by a 6' tall person standing on the deck at the rear of the house.
| We had the phone company look at it (we'd requested that they move it)
| when we bought the house.  Our claim was that it presented a hazard
| (based on the report about it given by our building inspector).  The phone
| company disagreed, and we've since contemplated paying them to move it,
| but haven't done so yet.

They'll move it if you squeak louder.
|
| It would be interesting (for future reference, really) to find an alarm
| system that dials first, and sounds the local alarm later.  Or does such
| a system already exist?

Some panels you can delay the dial out for a few seconds...personally I wont
do that but you can do whatever you want.

good luck..and hth.

R.


|
| --
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------
| Sylvain Robitaille                              syl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
|
| Systems and Network analyst                       Concordia University
| Instructional & Information Technology        Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------
|