ADT home alarms? worth it? Competitors?
Discussion
Ralf Rockefeller said:
Hi all,
My current alarm is very basic and look like a simple bit of kit which is very un-secure.
Any advice on going with ADT? Looks like its around £500 install and then £25/month for the police support etc.
Cheers,
RR
£500 sounds very cheap for an ADT system/installation/phone connection, what's included at that sort of price?My current alarm is very basic and look like a simple bit of kit which is very un-secure.
Any advice on going with ADT? Looks like its around £500 install and then £25/month for the police support etc.
Cheers,
RR
To get police support/call-out you will need a well specified alarm that needs to pass your local police authority tests/minimum specification.
You may also want to include fire/CO monitoring. With ADT that means if a CO sensor goes off then the ADT call centre will phone the house immediately, if no response then the fire brigade are called straight out.
Mike
We've got one, a wireless install with heat detector for fire. Had some problems at the start as the sensors they provided were consuming batteries very fast, but was a bad batch. All fixed and since then has been a good system. Has not cost us anything beyond the monthly fee which is about £22/month; for that you get whatever engineer callouts are needed, including regular checks. Cost was I think about £1100 for a 4 bed house.
At the time we bought it we were based overseas, so the house was unoccupied for long periods, the alarm gave good peace of mind. Do bear in mind though that you need 2 people to act as keyholders; typically they are called first in case of an incident.
At the time we bought it we were based overseas, so the house was unoccupied for long periods, the alarm gave good peace of mind. Do bear in mind though that you need 2 people to act as keyholders; typically they are called first in case of an incident.
Wouldn't recommend ADT for a domestic install... I suspect that the 500 you are stating would increase somewhat.
Not sure on current legislation, but IIRC you can get a system installed by a NACOSS approved installer, and get a third party monitoring company to monitor the system remotely, providing the install meets requireed standards.
There are different levels of response from monitoring centres, from keyholder notification only, to police response if the system is capable of "confirmed reporting" (a system that can determine between a fault or false alarm, and a genuine break-in or attempt.
NACOSS may be able to provide up to date guidelines (google them!) But I think in a domestic install, you may get better and more cost effective service from a decent local independant rather than one of the big players like ADT
Not sure on current legislation, but IIRC you can get a system installed by a NACOSS approved installer, and get a third party monitoring company to monitor the system remotely, providing the install meets requireed standards.
There are different levels of response from monitoring centres, from keyholder notification only, to police response if the system is capable of "confirmed reporting" (a system that can determine between a fault or false alarm, and a genuine break-in or attempt.
NACOSS may be able to provide up to date guidelines (google them!) But I think in a domestic install, you may get better and more cost effective service from a decent local independant rather than one of the big players like ADT
Having worked for ADT and just left before they started to do 'domestic' in a big way, I would say look at the total cost of ownership over a given period. Not sure if you own the system now, we used to rent all the equipment so if you stopped the contract, the kit left as well....
You need a NACOSS approved company, (National Approval Council) to get police response. You need to decide what you want to happen when the alarm goes off. Do you want the poice, as slow as they will be given 98% of alarm calls are false. Or do you want a security firm? Do you want a close neighbour or friend who could be there in minutes?
Police need the NACOSS approval and expensive maintenance, the dialling unit in the alarm control panel that dials out is cheap and is programmed in the alarm box so if you want any form of response apart from the Police then you don't need a maintenance contract, so minimal running costs.
Pm me if you want, I could go on for ages...
You need a NACOSS approved company, (National Approval Council) to get police response. You need to decide what you want to happen when the alarm goes off. Do you want the poice, as slow as they will be given 98% of alarm calls are false. Or do you want a security firm? Do you want a close neighbour or friend who could be there in minutes?
Police need the NACOSS approval and expensive maintenance, the dialling unit in the alarm control panel that dials out is cheap and is programmed in the alarm box so if you want any form of response apart from the Police then you don't need a maintenance contract, so minimal running costs.
Pm me if you want, I could go on for ages...
Ralf Rockefeller said:
Hi all,
My current alarm is very basic and look like a simple bit of kit which is very un-secure.
Any advice on going with ADT? Looks like its around £500 install and then £25/month for the police support etc.
Cheers,
RR
Sounds expensive to me. I got a good independant who fitted alarm for similar price, but the monitoring fee is about £120/yr.My current alarm is very basic and look like a simple bit of kit which is very un-secure.
Any advice on going with ADT? Looks like its around £500 install and then £25/month for the police support etc.
Cheers,
RR
No charge for call out if it's a fault. If it's not a fault he charges £50/call. Used it once when a carpet fitter cut through a cable...
As said above, make sure with ADT whether you are renting or buying the system outright. Some of our customers have previously come unstuck due to this.
As to ADT, all I'm preparred to say on the matter is "You pays ya money, ya takes ya choice".
I really must get it finished, but if you would like some tips on how to find an installer, have a look here.
http://www.omigasecurity.co.uk/download_area.htm
For a policed alarm, there will be a one off payment of around £40 ( I forget the actual amount atm ) payable to the local police authority so you can be given a Unique Reference Number (URN) for your alarm. This is not, at the moment, an on going fee so be aware if this is charged on a yearly basis. I don't know if this fee is included in the first years monitoring for an ADT system.
Also be aware that if your alarm is to be policed, the monitoring centre will need to know whether the alarm is set or unset, resulting in a call every time the system is set or unset. Depending on the communication method used, you may notice an increase in your telephone bill. There is now a product on the market that can stop these phone call charges for a yearly fee, but they are currently having problems working on some systems.
As a guide for a basic monitored system, which can be policed as well, we charge from £165 incl VAT (depending on area). This charge includes the monitoring and 2 required services, one of which only has to be on site, the other can be done via dialling into the system. However we mostly carry out on site visits for our customers. We aren't the cheapest or the most expensive but I'd say average for an Independent, Friendly, Local and Hardworking installer.
Also ask about callout charges as you never know when you will need call somebody out.
As a note, I wish everybody would stop saying NACOSS
SSAIB recognised firms are also insurance approved even though they still keep asking for NACOSS.
And anyway NACOSS is now called NSI...so there.
As to ADT, all I'm preparred to say on the matter is "You pays ya money, ya takes ya choice".
I really must get it finished, but if you would like some tips on how to find an installer, have a look here.
http://www.omigasecurity.co.uk/download_area.htm
For a policed alarm, there will be a one off payment of around £40 ( I forget the actual amount atm ) payable to the local police authority so you can be given a Unique Reference Number (URN) for your alarm. This is not, at the moment, an on going fee so be aware if this is charged on a yearly basis. I don't know if this fee is included in the first years monitoring for an ADT system.
Also be aware that if your alarm is to be policed, the monitoring centre will need to know whether the alarm is set or unset, resulting in a call every time the system is set or unset. Depending on the communication method used, you may notice an increase in your telephone bill. There is now a product on the market that can stop these phone call charges for a yearly fee, but they are currently having problems working on some systems.
As a guide for a basic monitored system, which can be policed as well, we charge from £165 incl VAT (depending on area). This charge includes the monitoring and 2 required services, one of which only has to be on site, the other can be done via dialling into the system. However we mostly carry out on site visits for our customers. We aren't the cheapest or the most expensive but I'd say average for an Independent, Friendly, Local and Hardworking installer.
Also ask about callout charges as you never know when you will need call somebody out.
As a note, I wish everybody would stop saying NACOSS
SSAIB recognised firms are also insurance approved even though they still keep asking for NACOSS.And anyway NACOSS is now called NSI...so there.
Edited by Westy Pre-Lit on Wednesday 21st April 07:50
Westy Pre-Lit said:
And anyway NACOSS is now called NSI...so there.
:ahem:http://www.nsi.org.uk/approval/electronic-security...
OP - whereabouts are you?
My O/H had a few alarm companies round when she bought her flat; some coming out with all sorts of scare stories and OTT installation ideas (window grilles and PIR sensors in every room of a first floor flat!!).
In the end she went with Banham Locks who did a nice tidy install, updated door locks, etc. No idea what costs would be now as this was some 6 years ago.
My O/H had a few alarm companies round when she bought her flat; some coming out with all sorts of scare stories and OTT installation ideas (window grilles and PIR sensors in every room of a first floor flat!!).
In the end she went with Banham Locks who did a nice tidy install, updated door locks, etc. No idea what costs would be now as this was some 6 years ago.
We've had an ADT system installed in our house for about 6 years, and it's been faultless - and I mean utterly faultless as in no false alarms, no faults etc.
It cost £1300 fully installed in 2004. The installer was exceptionally gifted, and although it is a fully wired system, we had no remedial work to undertake
Hopefully we're moving in the next couple of months, and the first thing on the list will be another ADT system - they're that good
You'll always get a few doubters who claim they are expensive, crap etc. I always suggest a walk along to high street to recce what the commercial properties and banks are using to protect their investments
It cost £1300 fully installed in 2004. The installer was exceptionally gifted, and although it is a fully wired system, we had no remedial work to undertake
Hopefully we're moving in the next couple of months, and the first thing on the list will be another ADT system - they're that good
You'll always get a few doubters who claim they are expensive, crap etc. I always suggest a walk along to high street to recce what the commercial properties and banks are using to protect their investments
Kuroblack350 said:
We've had an ADT system installed in our house for about 6 years, and it's been faultless - and I mean utterly faultless as in no false alarms, no faults etc.
Which is as it should be. However, do you have a maintenance contract? If you do, then obviously the £1,300 was not the end of the expense for you.If not, then after six years and an untouched system, the problems will not be far away - backup batteries will need replacing for a start.
Kuroblack350 said:
You'll always get a few doubters who claim they are expensive, crap etc. I always suggest a walk along to high street to recce what the commercial properties and banks are using to protect their investments
Because for commercial properties, using ADT, Chubb and the like means a one stop shop.Alarm system, Remote Monitoring, Keyholding, First Response can all happen under one roof.
I never claimed ADT were crap. On the contrary, the equipment they fit is good. They are just expensive.
You paid £1,300 six years ago for a domestic property? I'd say that was expensive. Depending on what level of equipment you have, the hardware should really come to no more than £300 (particularly when coming from a large organisation who can bulk buy their kit at lower prices), and installation..... One man for two days?
The skill in a domestic installation is the quality of the installation - particularly when in comes to cable routing.
I'm pleased that you had an installation engineer who cared to treat your property as he would his own... there are many installation chaps (in both the major players, and the smaller operations) - including some of my former colleagues - who are not so diligent.
^^^^^ This
ADT which are part of the TYCO group, will be used basically because they are a massive world wide and well known company so able to win the top end contracts, as in most walks of life.
ADT in most cases will also use the same kind of equipment as most independent installers. As far as I'm aware they have nothing, equipment wise, that is unique to them.
Unfortunately for the smaller installer ADT have massive buying power and have heard that in some cases can dictate how much they will pay for an item. Therefore, not that this should matter, but I suspect their profit margins are much greater per installation than the little man scrapping a crust.
ADT which are part of the TYCO group, will be used basically because they are a massive world wide and well known company so able to win the top end contracts, as in most walks of life.
ADT in most cases will also use the same kind of equipment as most independent installers. As far as I'm aware they have nothing, equipment wise, that is unique to them.
Unfortunately for the smaller installer ADT have massive buying power and have heard that in some cases can dictate how much they will pay for an item. Therefore, not that this should matter, but I suspect their profit margins are much greater per installation than the little man scrapping a crust.
Edited by Westy Pre-Lit on Wednesday 21st April 19:47
Thanks for all the advice so far. We are based near Bluewater, Kent. Our neighbour has just had his fitted, so I will look at his for price.
Regarding my original quote for around £500- I was going off my FiL quote- who fitted his a few weeks back, but that was in East London/Essex.
I am also tempted to get security cameras installed, as we have had our cars keyed, and a few local break-ins.
RR
Regarding my original quote for around £500- I was going off my FiL quote- who fitted his a few weeks back, but that was in East London/Essex.
I am also tempted to get security cameras installed, as we have had our cars keyed, and a few local break-ins.
RR
That just so happens to be in our area if you would like us to give you a quote on a system for you.
Please don't feel under an pressure to say no, not a problem.
Here's our website if you are interested.
http://www.omigasecurity.co.uk/home.htm
Please don't feel under an pressure to say no, not a problem.
Here's our website if you are interested.
http://www.omigasecurity.co.uk/home.htm
Westy Pre-Lit said:
That just so happens to be in our area if you would like us to give you a quote on a system for you.
Please don't feel under an pressure to say no, not a problem.
Here's our website if you are interested.
http://www.omigasecurity.co.uk/home.htm
ok, so which one are you? The big one at the front or the little that seems far away [Father Ted mode]Please don't feel under an pressure to say no, not a problem.
Here's our website if you are interested.
http://www.omigasecurity.co.uk/home.htm
<b>As far as I'm aware they have nothing, equipment wise, that is unique to them</b>
The bell box / siren is, I used to make it.
IMHO An indie local installer will do a far better tailored installation than any national working from a more rigid equipment list.
Any national will cost the earth for call outs and servicing and the fact the alarm has never gone off after years means I would do a full walk test asap !!!
The bell box / siren is, I used to make it.
IMHO An indie local installer will do a far better tailored installation than any national working from a more rigid equipment list.
Any national will cost the earth for call outs and servicing and the fact the alarm has never gone off after years means I would do a full walk test asap !!!
Westy Pre-Lit said:
That just so happens to be in our area if you would like us to give you a quote on a system for you.
Please don't feel under an pressure to say no, not a problem.
Here's our website if you are interested.
http://www.omigasecurity.co.uk/home.htm
I will be filling out a quote form later on tonight- Please don't feel under an pressure to say no, not a problem.
Here's our website if you are interested.
http://www.omigasecurity.co.uk/home.htm
softtop said:
ok, so which one are you? The big one at the front or the little that seems far away [Father Ted mode]
Considering other names and things I've been called, Father Ted and little is a compliment....thank you. 
Ralf Rockefeller said:
I will be filling out a quote form later on tonight-
Thank you, we should be able to take a look in the morning. DSLiverpool said:
<b>As far as I'm aware they have nothing, equipment wise, that is unique to them</b>
The bell box / siren is, I used to make it.
Damn scuppered...Doh!The bell box / siren is, I used to make it.
I forgot about that nasty yellow ( well made though
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