How to Hook Up a Home Alarm

Target the door the home alarm will protect; for example, the door leading to an attached garage or to a basement that has windows accessible from the outside.

Open the door halfway. Place the passive sensor plate against the bottom edge of the door. Run wood screws through the holes in the plate and into the door using a Phillips screwdriver.

Place the active sensor switch, contact pins facing out, against the bottom inside edge of the door frame. Run wood screws through the holes in the switch and into the door frame using the Phillips screwdriver.

Loosen the two screws on the side of the switch using a Phillips jeweler's screwdriver. Slit 4 inches in on the outer insulation from the end of the cable on the wire cable spool using a utility knife. Peel the insulation back to get to the two inner wires. Strip a half-inch of insulation off the ends of the two wires using a wire strippers.

Wind the exposed ends of the two wires around a screw each on the switch. Tighten the screws. Close the door.

Run the cable along the baseboard until you come to the control panel for the home alarm. Cut the cable off the spool with wire cutters. Slit 4 inches in on the outer insulation from the end of the cable using the utility knife. Peel the insulation back to get to the two inner wires. Strip a half-inch of insulation off the ends of the two wires using wire strippers.

Enter the password, if one is needed, to disarm the home alarm. Open the control panel's cover, if there is one. Loosen a pair of "Input"-labeled screws inside the control panel using a Phillips jeweler's screwdriver. Wind the exposed ends of the two wires around a screw each and tighten the screws. Close the cover. If there is no cover, ignore the steps relating to the cover and attach the wires to the input screws on the top edge or back instead. Enter the password to arm the system.