Re: Where to place smokes/heat?

["Jim" <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

canyonblue@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Ratchet442 wrote:
> > These are the standards which every installer should live-by and prosper
> > greatly. Or ignore these standards and die-by them and get their
> > hind-qaurters sued off.
>
> First... thanks for all the *great* replies, It basically reaffirmed my
> decision to go with 3 smokes and 1 heat.
>
> My "extensive" system is 22 windows on the main floor, 4 in the
> basement, 4 doors, 2 motions, 3 smokes, 1 heat, 1 CO2, 1 Flood, 3
> panels, celluar backup, 1 or 2 two-way voice boxes, 1 box for calling
> into the alarm to check status/arm when out. Might not be extensive for
> some but for me it is. I interviewed a bunch of companies including
> ADT, but ADT is undercutting the next lowest at nearly $900 and is
> including some equipment I didn't even spec for with other companies
> (because it is non-essential... but nice) such as the two voice and
> outside call in features. ADT is also going to sell me the system
> outright (as opposed to their usual lease) and write in the contract
> they will provide the master unlock code after the contract is up so
> anyone can mointor the Ademco box *without* having to provide a new
> master box. It is not an ADT reseller either and I have been talking
> with the sales folks and the regional sales manager for weeks and they
> "claim" (and frankly, I believe it) that they are sending one of their
> best installing teams with more experience then the rest because of the
> nature and size of this residential install. They fully admitted they
> would not send certain teams because they would not trust some of the
> install details I am requesting to them. We'll see how it goes, but
> frankly they really have been supportive of my questions, have a great
> install price, and are within 5 dollars of the lowest mointoring cost
> anyone has offered me.

Sounds like a great system  ..... especially coming from ADT. Their
expertise isn't usually apparent in residential systems. The only other
thing I can think of, that I've found lacking in their residential
intallations
is that they don't seem particualarly good at using the least obvious
sensors. That is, they buy motion detectors, contacts and other sensors
and they use the same equipment in commercial jobs as they do in
residential. So where someone who does residential might purchace
small contacts suited for your particular application and mount them
underneath the molding on a casement window, ADT will use a serface
mount contact on the top of the molding, where it can be seen because
that's the only contacts out of the two or three models that they buy.
For
instance, it's not too often that a company that does primarily
commercial
installations, will have recessed contacts as part of their inventory.
Yet
recessed contacts are a major type of contact usually used on
residential.

You might want to get
right down to the nitty gritty with them and ask them to show you
specifically how they are going to install each sensor on each of
your different openings. Have them show you what the motion
detectors look like and the smokes. There are some smoke detectors
that hang down from the ceiling 3 to 5 inches that a ok for use in
commercial. But there are those that are flat (about two inches)
to the ceiling which would be more preferable in a home.

I've seen some pretty awful looking commercial components installed
in homes by companies that typically do commercial installations.
They just don't have the expertise, experience or familiarity with
the components that are used by residential experienced installers.
The system they install works ok but it should be installed as
inconspicuously as possible ..... too.