Common Questions & Answers
Can a P.I.R. be installed in a garage or outhouse?
External P.I.R.’s can be installed in out buildings up to 150 metres
away from the main control panel, however there is a £30 charge for each
external P.I.R.
Can the system provide protection for
my Caravan/Motor-Home or Boat when it’s
parked beside my home?
Yes, as long as it’s parked within 150 meters of your home we can configure
the system to monitor it. You will need to remove the detection devices from
inside them when you’re using them; we normally recommend that you simply
put them in a draw at home. Please note there is a £30 charge for this
installing a PIR into a caravan or boat.
For what reasons would I need to obtain permission to have an alarm system
installed?
Rented or dual ownership homes and some grades of listed buildings may require
planning permission or the owners consent.
What happens if I move house?
Simply call us and we’ll make arrangements for
settlement statement to be sent to you. The settlement amount is usually
a percentage of the outstanding
contract. If you want a system in your new home we make a small administration
charge and ask you to sign a new aftercare contract. Depending on the size
and layout of your new home we do not normally charge for the installation.
What happens to the system I leave behind?
We turn the functionality of the alarm off remotely,
then shortly after the new owners of the property move in we will contact
them to see if they want
to use our services. If so, we’ll send an engineer in to service the
system, remove all of your old key-fobs and replace them with new ones. We
will of course ask the new home owners to sign our standard aftercare contract.
What’s the difference between
the types of alarms systems?
Firstly we need to share a very important fact: the average burglary in the
UK takes 5.6 minutes to perpetrate, hardly surprising when you think about
it; the burglar wants to be in and out as fast as they can.
In the UK there are three main types of alarm system; bells only, police response
and keyholder monitored. Bells only alarms are the most popular but the least
effective; all that happens should the alarm be triggered is a bell or siren
outside goes off. Recent legislation now prevents bells only alarms from sounding
for more than 15 minutes and the local council can levy heavy fines for noise
pollution should they sound for longer.
Police Response alarms are becoming less popular as it
has been found that the Police can rarely attend in a meaningful time frame.
All Alarm Receiving
Centres (ARC’s), otherwise know as Monitoring Stations have 3 minutes
in which to verify if an alarm activation has been accidental or not. These
3 minutes also includes calling the keyholders and asking them to attend and
lastly the Police. The Police respond to calls from Monitoring Stations in
different ways depending on the Police region you live in. But as an average
the Police target to respond to calls from Monitoring Stations within 1 hour
and only if resources are available.
Keyholder Monitored Security is by far the most practical
form of electronic security available today. Your MONITOREDHAUS Security & Care system is
connected to the monitoring station via your phone line, if activated it sends
a signal through to the Monitoring Station who contact your home within seconds.
If no answer or an incorrect answer is given to the security questions then
we call your keyholders. Any would be burglar has no idea if your keyholders
live next door or across the road. This means that as far as they’re
concerned someone could be on the spot in seconds. Clearly this is rarely the
case and we would never ask someone to go into a potentially risky situation
but the burglar doesn’t know this and therefore moves onto a softer target.
What certifications and standards are held by the Monitoring Centre?
The Monitoring Centre has the highest level of certification
possible and is certified under NSI’s (NACOSS) Gold Scheme. Under this
scheme the centre is accredited to ISO9001 Management system and works to
European Standards
for alarm systems (BS EN 50131, PD 6662) and to codes of practice for installation
and configuration of intruder alarm systems (DD 243). All employees at the
centre are screened according to BS 7858 by the Police.
What does SSAIB stand for?
Security System Alarms Inspection Board.
Why choose an SSAIB Certificated Provider?
When it comes to protecting your home from the potentially devastating impact
of crime you can not afford to take any chances. SSAIB check the following:
- Personnel have been screened to the relevant
British Standard
- Competence and experience of management and staff
- Insurance cover is relevant to the level and nature of work undertaken
- That best-practice standards are maintained
- That sufficient staff and resources are employed to provide the services
offered
- Compliance with all relevant standards and codes of practice, British
or European
- Identity cards are carried
What does the Standard system consists of?:
- 3 x wireless PIR’s
- 1 x wireless door contact
- 1 x remote keypad
- 1 x control panel
- 1 x wireless receiver unit
- 1 x dummy bell box with flashing LED
- 4 x key fobs
- 1 x internal sounder
When will my System be installed?
Once we have received your request for an installation we first run a credit
check on you at the premises your system will be installed at, if the system
is being installed at a different address then we ask that you provide us with
the address of your previous home. Once this part of the process is complete
we will write to you with the paperwork that needs completing and returning
to us.
As soon as you return the pack our engineering department will contact you
within 48 hours to make arrangements for the system to be installed within
10 working days.
If you need to have the system installed urgently, then we are usually able
to process your order more quickly by using email and next day postage services.
What do I get?
All parts and labour to install the bell box, main control
box, one key pad, 3 internal P.I.R.’s (Passive Infra Red), a door contact,
four key fobs, the Careholders neck pendant(s) where required - In other
words, everything
that is necessary to secure the average UK home. Please see extras price list.
Will every room in my home have a PIR?
No, for us to be able to issue you with an SSAIB certificate of conformity
we need to protect the main areas within your home. For homes with an upstairs
this usually means that hall ways, sitting rooms and dinning rooms will have
detection devises installed. If you live in a bungalow then we would normally
install detection devises in the rooms where access from the outside can be
easily made. Extra detection devises can be installed and we suggest you discuss
this with your installation engineer when you meet him.
Will the installation damage my decor?
Our engineers do all they can to minimise any disruption to the decor of your
home. We use wire-free detection devises so this removes unsightly wire runs.
Where we have to run wires we do all we can to make sure they are either not
seen or are tucked away in cupboards and alike.
Where do the parts of the alarm go?
Most alarm systems consist of 2 PIR’s (these are the small devises you
see in the corners of rooms), a control panel that houses the main processor
of the system and a bell box. The MONITOREDHAUS Security & Care System
offers you a great deal more. A standard installation consists of a minimum
of 3 wire-free PIR’s, a neat and smart looking RKP (Remote Key Pad) which
is normally located near the front door. The control panel of the system is
tucked away either under the stairs or in a cupboard, a wire free door contact
fitted to the main exit/entry door, we also install a radio transmitter and
receiver, this enables communication between the various detection devises.
On the outside of your home we install a bell box; this acts as a visual deterrent
to would be burglars.
How long does the bell box sound for?
As the MONITOREDHAUS Security & Care system is fully monitored the bell
box on the outside of the property makes no sound, there is a 113dB sounder
inside your home which automatically switches itself off after 10 minutes.
The MONITOREDHAUS Security & Care systems bell box is installed as a visible
means of deterrent and benefits from a flashing LED.
How do people know my MONITOREDHAUS
Security & Care
system is Monitored?
All MONITOREDHAUS Security and Care systems are fully monitored. With every
installation we provide a small disk which we would ask you to display near
your front door in the holder provided. It is similar in size to a car tax
disk and clearly shows that your system is operational and fully monitored.
What service do I receive for my 83p per day monitoring and aftercare payments?
Keeping the system operating correctly at no further costs to you:
- If it breaks we fix it
- If you are having trouble using it we retrain you
- If you build an extension to your home and you need more devices we
normally fit these free of charge
- The system is constantly monitored, anything found to be not working
or getting close to operating outside of acceptable tolerances we repair or replace
free
of charge
- We replace batteries when needed free of charge
After the initial 36 months what contract period do I have to sign up to?
The contract continues on a monthly basis, with a 3 month cancellation period.
What is a Keyfob?
Until the launch of the MONITOREDHAUS Security & Care system setting and
un-setting security systems was fiddly to say the least. You had to walk to
the control panel and either set the system with a key or by pressing a PIN
number into the keypad. As this process takes time quite often householders
just didn’t bother setting the system.
Using MONITOREDHAUS keyfobs means that setting, part
setting and un-setting your system couldn’t be simpler; all you have to do is wave your keyfob
past the RKP and the system will set, part set or un-set depending on what
you want it to do. Each keyfob has its own identifier contained inside and
there are over 4.3 billion combinations so there is an almost impossible chance
of two being the same. Every installation receives 4 keyfobs so each member
of your family can have their own; you even get a variety of picture stickers
so they won’t get mixed up. More Keyfobs are available should they be
required at a price of £10 for 2.
How does the key fob know to set night time operation and how many different
zones can be set?
The panel can be set up to realise that if the front
door is not opened it knows that you are not leaving the premises, it therefore
assumes you are going
upstairs so it performs ‘Part Set’ that will have been set up with
the installer. You can set up as many zones as there are P.I.R.’s.
Can different zones be set with varying sensitivity for pets?
We can supply a detector that ignores pets up to a mass size of 80lb, although
the top half of the detector works as a normal P.I.R. so consideration needs
to be given to mounting, i.e. not looking at stairs or at the back of settees
where cats can jump up.
Are there occasions when a new or another telephone line will need to be installed?
The systems use a standard telephone connection. The
control panel has a built in ADSL & Broadband filter. No further telephone
lines are needed.
What is a Keyholder?
A keyholder is someone you nominate to act for you in
your absence; say, whilst you’re away on holiday. These are normally neighbours, friends and family
living not further away than 20 minutes from your home. If the system is activated
we will first contact your home to ascertain if the system has been accidentally
triggered, don’t worry if it has been, we make no charge for activations
and understand that sometimes children and grandchildren like to fiddle with
things.
In what order would Keyholders or Careholders be contacted?
When the system is first installed you will be asked for your Keyholders and
Careholders details, and in what order you would like them to be contacted.
This can include your own mobile number if required. If your Keyholder or Careholder
details change in the future, a simple phone call to the 0845 number provided
is all it will take to amend the details.
How many Keyholders are required?
It is recommended that you have a minimum of 3 Keyholders.
What is required from a Keyholder?
A Keyholder would ideally investigate an alarm activation and dial 999 in
the event of any suspicious circumstances.
What is the difference between Care holders and Key Holders?
Careholders are people we can call in the cases where
you need personal assistance, perhaps because of a fall or feeling unwell.
Simply pressing the button on
your neck pendant sends a separate signal through to the monitoring station.
The monitoring station knows that this signal has come from your neck pendant
and that you need someone to help you. Firstly we will try and call you, this
is to make sure that it hasn’t be accidentally triggered, don’t
worry if you can’t get to the phone as by not answering it means we automatically
move to calling up your careholders. Careholders can be elderly neighbours
who can assist you in times of personal difficulties but perhaps not be an
ideal person to act as a keyholder where there is a remote possibility of them
finding unwanted persons in your home.
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