Prewire questions

[RandyKnight]

We pour the foundation on Tuesday and framing begins immediately thereafter, so prepare to be inundated with my last round of prewire questions.

1. Where should I put CO detectors. Just near furnaces, water heaters, etc. or in all bedrooms / bedroom areas?
2. Same as above for LP Gas detectors.
3. Smoke detectors in every bedroom or just hallways near bedrooms?
4. Glass breaks vs. window contacts vs. both. Should I put glass breaks in every room. Just downstairs? What about fixed windows vs. those that open? Rooms with fixed windows get a glass break and openable windows get contacts?

Note that security is not a huge concern as we're out in the country and crime should not be a big issue where we're at. So maybe glassbreaks are overkill in general?

Thanks.

 

[Mike]

1. Recommendations vary, but the one I followed was one on each floor, covering furnace, kitchen, and outside the bedrooms.
2. Haven't had to deal with this.
3. Every bedroom, outside the bedrooms, one where the panel is located, and one on each floor I think is a good summary. The documentation that comes with the detector will provide detailed recommendations. I also installed heat detectors in teh garage and attic.
4. Still working on this myself, but I have heard it recommended to do both. You can break a window without opening it, and you can open a window without breaking it...

 

[bfisher]

Regarding #4, personally I did both. It's not much harder or more expensive to do both... and this way you are covered either way.

 

[betrickey]

Don't let living in the country lead you into a false sense of security. Homes in the country are just as likely to be broken into as homes in the city. Where I live (Kansas City MO) the rural areas get hit pretty bad. This is due to the high level of meth production in this part of the country. Living in the country is a perfect setting for a thief (meth head) no nosey neighbors right next door to see you break in. A thief can bash any window that he wants w/o having to worry about neighbors hearing a thing.

If it were me I would want to give my family every bit of security that I can. My job (a fireman) keeps me away from my home for 24+ hours at a time every three days. That is an easy schedule to figure out, even the dumbest criminal (meth head) in the county could figure that out.

If I were in your situation I would start with some type of perimeter warning, IR beams, exterior motion sensors or such, this would be my first layer of protection.
I would buy the biggest English Mastiff money could buy, there is my second layer of protection.

I guess what I am saying is that you can't be too secure. When I did my house I went overboard. I have sensors on every door and window that can be reached from the ground. Backing up those sensors are both glass breakers and strategically placed motion sensors. The Elk M1 allows you to turn off the motion sensors in the "occupied areas" of your home when armed in the "night" mode. With redundant systems (sensors) I still have complete and overlapping coverage.