Installing a new alarm system

Scientist

New Member
Hello everyone!
 
We have a house under construction and would like to have a security system.   Unfortunately, due to budget concerns, having a professional come in and do a turn-key system isn't possible.   From a DIY perspective, I thought it would be best to pre-wire the house and add a panel later on.  
 
I'm thinking about running 22/2 (solid copper) wire from each exterior door and window to where the future panel will be.   And running 22/4 (solid copper) wire from each of the keypad and motion sensor locations to the future panel.    Then installing 944T and 944TRE reed switches at the doors and windows. 
 
From what I read, the 944T and 944TRE switches are normally closed (when the doors and windows are shut), is this correct?  
 
Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated, along with recommendations for a panel and motion sensors.
 
Thanks!
 
 
22/2 to each door and window is a good start.
 
22/4 to each keypad location may be ok for some panels. but others (like the Elk M1) are easier to wire if you have a Cat5/Cat6 cable to each keypad.  Also, you might want an extra two conductor cable for a speaker at each keypad for voice announcements.
 
Think about wiring for smoke detectors and heat detectors.  You'll need 18/2 or 18/4 fire rated cable (FPL) for these, depending on whether you want 2 for 4 wire smoke detectors.  If you're not sure, run 18/4 and it'll cover both cases.
 
Wiring for speakers or sirens, both interior and exterior, if you want them.  18/2 or larger.  Exterior speakers and sirens may also have a tamper switch, so run a 22/2 as well.
 
Wiring for a landline and/or internet to the panel location.  Cat5/Cat6
 
And a cable from the panel to a location for a cellular dialer.  This should be at least 10 feet from the panel, and preferable up high.  High up on the wall in a closet is a good location.  A Cat5 cable plus 18/2 for power should cover most needs.
 
Other things to think about wiring for are motion detectors, glass break detectors, water leak detectors.  Usually a 22/4 for each of these is what you'll need.  Planning the locations for the motion detectors will take some studying of your floor plan and the recommendations for placing the detectors (e.g. avoid pointing them at windows when possible).
 
If you haven't already, read through this guide on wiring your house.
 
Fire alarm is generally a more difficult thing for most novices and tinkerers to get correct. Both with device location and usually including the proper topology to ensure proper supervision. People make the mistake of shotgunning cable or devices and hoping for the best. Fire is one application where home-running is NOT desirable. Same goes with running multiple zones unless they're completely different detectors (heats vs. smokes).
 
If the house is being built, it may be easier to just install a few "spot" detectors, IE: one on each floor, and leave the required units as-is.
 
Cellular should be not installed in a basement or in an unconditioned space.
 
Speakers or sirens shouldn't need greater than an 18AWG. In the specific case of using a tamper switch, it's a lot easier to just pull an 18/4.
 
Don't go cheap an wire. Make sure it is rated to be inside a wall if that is where you located it.
 
I would use 18/4 at most location as you may need additional wire, or if one is damaged? Elk makes some nice crimp connectors with gel, great for locations with more humidity where corrosion may occur.
 
Read up on the link DEL but above to wiring guide. I did not see this until later, and it would have saved me some mistakes.
 
Make sure you label ALL wires. make a plan, figure out location of all devices. Each device will usually have guidelines as to how, and were to locate. Smokes are critical. So are CO and gas detectors.
 
Also look at water leak detectors are nice.
 
One more thing, it is a LOT of work if you have many zones, areas, devices. It if is simple, it should not take long. But make sure you budget the time. As a non professional, everything will take you much longer.
 
Also, it ended costing much more than I had anticipated. The a-la-cart system for the Elk is nice, but adds up.
 
newalarm said:
Also, it ended costing much more than I had anticipated. The a-la-cart system for the Elk is nice, but adds up.
Take the cost you anticipate and quadruple it.
 
Have a look at:
 
Wiring Your New House 101
 
The wire is reasonably priced.  The labor is time consuming unless you do it before the walls go up.  You do have that opportunity now during construction.
 
I had an alarm company do the prewire a few years ago and the contractor let me do the rest of the low voltage cabling. 
 
It took the alarm company one day to do their stuff and it took me two days to do my stuff.
 
ano said:
Take the cost you anticipate and quadruple it.
 
LOL, that is funny! but dead on. Everything ended up being about 4 times the initial cost. But i did not have set budget. I had rough idea.
 
Same goes for time. The worse thing is the road blocks you hit... setting up the damn email from XEP took forever, and then it just stopped working one day and have not bothered to try to fix it. Some of the networking stuff can be frustrating as well. I set up my XEP on a dynamic IP since I was too cheap to pay the static, or go the other options, but either ISPs have ever changed it in 3 years now??
 
The whole process is fun, until you hit major road blocks. Then you loose some hair...
 
Looks like we scared him away... I love these threads where a new person posts something and then the usual crew jumps in and heated discussion follows, and you never hear back from original poster.
 
Hopefully he will re-post. Curious to see what he ends up doing.
 
Maybe.
 
The worse part is when you think you got it all figured out, you realize you forgot a few things after drywall goes up. Or you pulled the wire too high, or too low for device. That is when you get to practice your fishing skills. My snake camera has come in handy fishing wire through.
 
I need to buy a cheap snake camera....  adding lots of cable runs to my 21 year house. Glad that I had empty conduits/boxes installed on lots of walls in every room.  But I'd now like to install some new sensors on the ceiling and didn't plan for that.
 
Do you research on snake cameras. Hi bought a basic ridgid, and it is not all that. They make better ones now, that are wireless. Makes it easier to view screen while manipulating camera.
 
But real issue is that it is near impossible to steer the thing, harder to figure out what the hell you are looking at since scale is confusing. Then the worst part is you have no idea if it is upside down, and how it is oriented.
 
They will most likely one day make better ones that can be directed once inside the wall, zoom, etc if they do not already.
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]I am thinking about buying a surveillance camera for my home, so that I can keep track of who comes and enters into my home. I have decided to order home automation system from Think Protection[/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]. My porch is quite small, so I am not sure how to best angle the camera to see everything. Can you suggest me where to place the camera if I would like to see the whole patio area? Thank you.[/SIZE]
 
 
But I'd now like to install some new sensors on the ceiling and didn't plan for that.
 
Here I have installed a few sensors in my LV post wired home.  Saved a small sealed container of paint for every room that was painted in case of needing to do touch ups.  Repainted every room in the new home over time one by one over time.  Concurrently I added LV wiring / terminations to each of the rooms redecorated.  It was high on the WAF doing it this way.   (Speakers, wall controls, sensors, network jacks).  It was easier to do this on the second floor from the attic. (chase is in place from the basement to the attic for all second floor LV wiring.).  Some outside walls (with insulation) I cut 3 small holes in the drywall to fish wiring (top, middle and bottom with the bottom having a LV wiring ring).
 
For the ceiling stuff post contruction basically here just cut a small square hole near the top of the ceiling and one on the ceiling a few inches from the first hole.
 
The basement is not finished here and so I started there with the wire pull.  It is time consuming but not difficult.
 
1 - pulled wire to the top square hole near the ceiling
2 - pulled same wire to the ceiling hole
3 - cut another small square at the ceiling position where the sensor was to be installed.
4 - note that I went between the studs in the ceiling here and marked the studs off with a pencil prior to cutting the drywall
5 - patched up small square holes with the cut pieces of drywall.   You cannot see them today.
 
The example here is for ceiling speakers.  I used the same methodology for doing the 5.1 / 7.1 ceiling speaker wiring in the family room.
 
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