Intruder Alarms


What is an Alarm?
Alarm systems are made up of internal or external detectors/sensors that are fitted to parts of the property which can be entered into from outside by forced entry ie. Doors/Windows.If someone enters the propery when the alarm has been set they trigger a detector/sensor which then activates the alarm.Alarms protect areas of your premises for the purpose of safety and protection of property.

Why do I need an alarm?
Alarms help to protect your home or business against damage to your property and any intrusion which may lead to theft or loss of your most valuable items.

What makes up an alarm system? The most common equipment used to make up an alarm system is a control panel,different detectors which range from PIR’s (passive infra red’s) that detect movement,magnetic door/window contacts detect if a window or door has been opened and breakglass detectors which will detect the sound or the movement of glass breaking.You also have an external bell box which will sound if the alarm has been activated.

How will i know if my alarm has been activated when im not there ?

Diallers: If you require notification if you are away from your premises that your alarm has been activated you can add a speech dialler to your system,this will call you and upto 3 other phone numbers and notify you that your alarm has been activated.

Monitored: You can have your alarm monitored through an alarm monitoring company who for a connection fee, will monitor your alarm for you and upon alarm activation will call any keyholders you list with them to attend the site.This is also subject to a monthly maintenance charge.

Police Response: If the property is a medium or high risk your insurer may insist on having police response upon alarm activation,again this is subject to a connection fee,maintenance charge and a BT Redcare being fitted,and will also require a dedicated phone line on a secure BT Redcare network and a URN (Unique reference number) from the police.Once the monitoring station receives a confirmed alarm signal that the alarm has been activated they will notify the police to attend the property.

Please Contact us for more details.

What are the different alarm types/standards? Alarm systems are now graded to meet new European Standards:

Grade 1: This is for very low risk properties.

Grade 2: This is for low to Medium risk properties like small domestic houses or offices that do not keep any valuables on the premises.

Grade 3: This is for Medium to high risk properties like houses with alot of valuable items,and businesses that hold money ect at the premises like book makers.

Grade 4: This is for very high risk properties/businesses like Jewlers,banks,building socities ect.

How do I choose the right Alarm system at the right grade?
The choice of an alarm system will depend on your needs to fully protect your property. Your insurance company may state that they require you to have a system that meets certain criteria/standards/Grading. A full site survey/risk assessment will need to be carried out so please contact us to arrange a free site survey for your home/business.

What guarantee do you give on the Alarm system?
Your Alarm system will come with our standard 12 months minimum parts and labour warranty. After the 12 months warranty has expired you can buy an additional 12 months maintenance/service package,please click here for details.

Security Tips:

Perimeter Security – ensure your doors and windows have good quality locks and are not left open, even when you are at home.
Security systems – Good security systems are not cheap in the short term, if you invest in quality security systems now which will deliver good service for you for many years ,this will become cheaper in the long run.
Security Lighting – Improve your exterior lighting without blinding the neighbours. Ensure that exterior lights (500W and above) are installed at high level to look downwards and give a larger area of coverage rather than pointing directly at persons or other peoples property.
Dummy security doesn’t provide protection. Dont be fooled into thinking that dummy alarm boxes can protect your property replacing the need for a working Alarm systems. The weakness is there to be exposed when the burglar calls!
Neighbourhood watch – Be a good neighbour and enjoy the benefits of good neighbourhood. If you see anyone acting suspiciously in your neighbourhood, call the police.

Q. I was interested in having an INTRUDER ALARM installed how would I go about doing it?
A. Telephone us on 01582 412000 and we will arrange a survey visit of your premises. This is totally free of charge and there is no obligation whatsoever to have the installation carried out.
Q. Why should I choose your company over someone else to give me a quotation for an INTRUDER ALARM?
A. We are a well Established and a well know trusted company that has 100% customer satisfaction, we have proved ourselves as a reputable and reliable installation company with a vast knowledge of the industry, we have a friendly highly knowledgeable team we are always prepared to go that “extra mile” for our customers.
Q. Are Silver Security an approved installer?
A. Yes we are fully NSI approved company.

NSI is the national security inspectorate which was previously known as NACOSS (National Approval Council of Security Systems), NSI is highly recognized by all insurance companies and Police authorities.
Q. Do you use sub-contractors?
A. No, ALL our installation engineers are full-time employees of Silver Security.
Q. How do I know the engineers who will install my intruder alarm are trustworthy and work for Silver Security?
A. It is a requirement of our NSI approved that all members of staff are screened  to BS7858 which  means they have had a 10 year history check (including employment & financial history) and have had a PNC check by the Police
Q. What sort of alarm systems should we fit?
A. There are two types of alarm system;

1) “Audible Only” which generally act as a deterrent by sounding the external bell box if someone breaks in.

2) “Monitored” system, This is where the alarm system sends a signal through to an alarm receiving centre (ARC) and both the Police ( if police response has been applied for and a URN “Unique reference number” is in place) and nominated key-holders are notified.
Q. Will the Police attend an Audible Only alarm if a neighbor calls them when it goes off?
A. No. However, the Police will attend if there is reason to believe that someone has entered the premises illegally.
Q. Which system do you recommend?
A. Both systems are very effective deterrents against burglary.

We recommend that you ask your insurance company if they require the system monitored or audible only but as commercial premises are normally unattended during the night and are often located in more isolated areas so these premises are more of a target for thieves and we recommend commercial premises are monitored.

A monitored alarm gives you additional reassurance that someone will be contacted if your alarm should go off.
Q. Do I own the system or is it rented?
A. All alarm systems, with the exception of any central monitoring dialling equipment, are owned outright by you, the customer once full full payment for the system has been received.
Q. Is the alarm system covered by any warranty?
A. Yes. All parts and labour for items that fail due to normal day-to-day operation of the a system will be covered for the first twelve months.

However if your system is monitored & you have a maintenance contract in place for either 1,3 or 5 years all parts & labour for items that fail due to normal day-to-day operation of the a system will be covered for the term of the maintenance contract.
Q. How long is the installation likely to take?
A. This will depend on the size of the system, for a audible only4 zone wireless system this can take approx ½ a day, for larger wired & monitored systems can take 1-2 days plus.
Q. Is there going to be much disruption to my premises?
A. We make sure there is absolutely minimal disturbance, and often there is none at all. We endeavour to leave your premises exactly as we found them and this means we even vacuum up after ourselves!
Q. Will there be any wiring visible?
A. We aim to hide all cabling wherever possible. We may encounter certain conditions where this is difficult, but when this is the case, it will normally be pointed out to you at the time of the survey.
Q. Do you lift any carpets?
A. Yes. We do have to lift carpets in certain areas to gain access to the floorboards. Our engineers are very experienced in lifting and refitting carpets to route cables where necessary. No extra charge is made for this service, since a professional standard for this particular aspect of the work cannot be guaranteed. Customers may, at their own additional expense, employ a professional carpet fitter to work in conjunction with our engineers to lift and refit the necessary carpets.
Q. Do the wires go under the floorboards or just under the carpets?
A. A lot of companies will not lift floorboards, but at silver Security we endeavour to put the cables under the floorboards wherever we can. Sometimes it is not possible, such as in new houses, which have chipboard sheeting instead of conventional floorboards or laminated florring. We feel the protection offered by the alarm system is better if cables are installed under the floorboards.
Q. I always assumed I couldn’t have an alarm because I have a dog. Is this true?
A. Alarm systems can be fitted into houses where people have either cats or dogs. In these circumstances, we use special pet-tolerant detectors.
Q. Can I arm the system at night time?
A. Yes. All our systems can be programmed for a “PART” setting which means the upstairs or sleeping areas can be isolated from the system. This offers you maximum peace of mind, in knowing that your downstairs or non-sleeping areas are fully alarmed and your system is protecting you against any night time intruders.
Q. Does the bell box on the front of my house have any flashing lights on it?
A. Yes. Our external siren boxes have LED lights which flash alternately, the bell box back plate also lights up at night.
Q. Do you put a siren box on the back of my house?
A. Yes, we put a “decoy/dummy” box on the back of your house (wherever possible).
Q. What happens if there is a power-cut?
A. The burglar alarm has a built-in battery back-up battery which will keep the system operational following a power interruption.
Q. If the alarm should go off, how long does the siren sound for?
A. If the alarm is activated, to comply with local council policies, the external siren box is set to ring for a maximum of 15 minutes.

If someone has broken into your house the alarm will re-activate again after the 15 minutes has passed and will ring again for a further 15 minutes.
Q. How do I stop the alarm ringing if I accidentally set it off?
A. Simply enter your correct 4 digit user code or present your proximity fob to the keypad, and the alarm will stop.
Q. What happens if it just won’t turn off?
A. It is very rare for an alarm not to accept a correct user code or proximity fob to turn it off. Should this happen you should call to our office.
Q. What if the alarm goes wrong outside working hours?
A. All our customers have access to our out-of-hours emergency telephone number to call in an emergency outside working hours. This telephone number is always answered by a member of our team & not a call centre who will be able to deal with the call immediatley.
Q. Is there any way in which I can shut the entire system off?
A. No, there isn’t. If you could, then it would be an easy way for a burglar to defeat the system!
Q. Does the alarm system need any sort of maintenance?
A. Yes those linked a monitoring centre must be inspected every 6 months.

.”Audible Only” should be inspected once a year.
Q. Why do we need maintenance?
A. Maintenance is very important for maintaining the reliability and performance of the system, as well as satisfying the relevant authorities.
Q. What sort of things are checked?
A. The system is fully checked to ensure it is still working to its full potential, we check the battery back-up supply is operational and clean & check the sensors to make sure they are free from nesting spiders and any other items which may cause false activations.
Q. Is it true that spiders and flies can activate the alarm system?
A. Yes! It has been known for spiders and flies to cause false alarm activations.

The problem is usually avoided by ensuring the system is regularly serviced & checked.