Instructions for Wireless Alarms

Basics

• A wireless alarm system should have a number of door and window alarms, a number of motion sensors and a key pad or control panel to handle it all. Select a wireless system which has enough door and window alarms to cover every ground-level entryway in your house, along with any second-story entryways to which a burglar might have access. Then measure the square footage of your house and make sure each component stays within range of the central control panel once it is installed. If an outlying component is out of range, it won't function and that part of your house won't be protected.

Door and Window Sensors

• Door and window sensors usually consist of two components: the transmitter placed on the door or window jam and a magnet placed on the door or window itself. Mount them so that the magnet comes into direct contact with the transmitter when the door or window is closed. (You can usually attach both halves of the sensor with some screws and a screwdriver.) When an intruder opens the door or window, the magnet is removed from the proximity of the transmitter and the alarm goes off.

Motion Detectors

• Motion detectors are mounted on the walls of a room you wish to protect--which either contains something valuable or is at a centralized point in the house which a burglar must pass through in order to access the rest of the house. Like the door and window sensors, it can be put into place using screws and a mounting plate (usually included in the package). You want to place it high up, with a view of the entire room, and free from obstructions such as furniture.

Control Panel

• The control panel runs the entire system and activates the alarm if it detects a breach in any of the auxiliary components (such as the motion detectors and the door/window sensors). Like the auxiliary components, it can be mounted to the wall using screws; for many systems, however, it also requires access to a nearby electrical outlet in order to function correctly. Beyond that, you should mount it near a central entryway such as the front door or the door to the garage. If you can, mount it to the wall of a closet or another hidden location, where burglars can't easily find it.

Troubleshooting

• Wireless alarms are usually battery powered, so be sure to check the batteries in each component regularly. In addition, try to mount each component away from any metal grating or anything else which might interfere with the radio signal. After mounting each component, check to make sure it works and is sending a clear signal back to the control box.