How Is the Alarm System Connected to ADT's Central Station?

ADT Basic Equipment

• ADT authorized dealers have freedom to choose their own electronic alarms systems, but most go with the basic wireless GE or Ademco units. Homeowners receive two door monitors, a motion-detector sensor and often a remote key fob at no charge. Other paid, available sensors include additional door and widow sensors, a fire alarm and carbon monoxide sensor, a flood sensor and a frozen-freezer sensor. These all are connected via a wireless signal to the home's main controlling unit, which may have sub-controllers located throughout the house.

Connecting to the Phone

• The controlling unit is connected directly to the incoming telephone line, bypassing the interior telephone wiring. Usually a phone line is dropped though the drywall and run through the inside walls, floors or ceiling until it reaches the tip and ring junction box that connects the outside telephone wire with the inside wiring. The ADT unit is then connected to the junction box. This allows an alarm to go out even if someone is using the phone or if a burglar takes the phone off the hook. The dialer in the control unit is a direct electronic dialer, which is much faster than hand-dialing.

Alarm Procedure

• When the alarm unit is triggered, either by the homeowner pushing the alarm or by a disrupted sensor, the ADT unit waits approximately 30 seconds before it calls the monitoring station in order to give the homeowner time to stop a false alarm. An information screen pops up on the screener's monitor with the homeowner's information. If no one answers the phone at the home or if the person answering does not know the correct password the ADT screener calls the local emergency number for the location.

Wireless Phone Connection

• ADT developed a special, modified cell phone for homes that are not connected to the land-line phone system or that experience outages with their land-line phones. The cellular equipment is optional, which means the homeowner has to pay extra for the equipment and service. However, if the home is in a high risk area or one with frequent land-line phone service outages, it might be worthwhile.