Guest Doma Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Guys, I'm looking at alarm systems, for a new house built by a major housebuilder (didn't have the option of installation before we moved in as house was already 100% complete). Yesterday I read the electric meter, its outside behind a standard metal cabinet. I was very surprised to see a mains on/off switch in the cabinet. Lets say a burglar is on the lookout at a holiday period (cars missing etc..) Could he simply just switch of at the external mains switch, come back the next night when back up batteries would probably be dead and then find a whole alarm system completely out of action. I hope I'm wrong and just inexperienced here, if not I'll put a real lock on the external cabinet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esp-protocol Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Blimey....! How do we know your not a burglar looking for a flaw in the system.....?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doma Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Blimey....!How do we know your not a burglar looking for a flaw in the system.....?? I'm a finance controller, I'd probably make a pretty hopeless burglar. Ask me any question on finance/tax/business law, hopefully I could provide a more accurate answer than your average burhlar. I checked the meter to change gas/electricity supply companies, still remember new supplier's gas rate of 1.924 pence (exc VAT) per kWh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 ... Lets say a burglar is on the lookout at a holiday period (cars missing etc..) Could he simply just switch of at the external mains switch, come back the next night yes when back up batteries would probably be dead and then find a whole alarm system completely out of action. probably, not necessarily I hope I'm wrong .. unfortunately not ..and just inexperienced here, possibly but that would be irrelevant if not I'll put a real lock on the external cabinet. which will be crushed in two seconds.. get your alarms monitored and external cabinet protected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Guys, I'm looking at alarm systems, for a new house built by a major housebuilder (didn't have the option of installation before we moved in as house was already 100% complete). Yesterday I read the electric meter, its outside behind a standard metal cabinet. I was very surprised to see a mains on/off switch in the cabinet. Lets say a burglar is on the lookout at a holiday period (cars missing etc..) Could he simply just switch of at the external mains switch, come back the next night when back up batteries would probably be dead and then find a whole alarm system completely out of action. I hope I'm wrong and just inexperienced here, if not I'll put a real lock on the external cabinet. [/quote External mains switch?? is this house a mobile home?? or a chalet at Butlins maybe?? (Sorry I couldnt resist ) There is a backup battery in the control panel, if the system was installed after October 2005 this should hold the system for at least 12hrs, if installed pre October at least 8hrs. After that if the system is bells only the bell will start ringing for 15 minutes or 20 minutes, again dependant on the standards at the time it was installed. To me the obvios answer is to have a monitored alarm and make sure that mains failure is signalled (it has to be if the battery only lasts 12hrs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Common thing up and down the country, sort of. Some REC's do it, some don't. Even if there isn't a switch there'll be a fuse to pull or a meter to smash to bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince8282 Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 Common thing up and down the country, sort of. Some REC's do it, some don't. Even if there isn't a switch there'll be a fuse to pull or a meter to smash to bits. QFA I have seen loads like this on council estates and up-market estates too. The strengh of a chain is in it's weakest link, comes to mind Practice in the morning, practice at night. Practice in the evening, until you get it right. Only make sure you are practising in the right way at the right time for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 ... The strengh of a chain is in it's weakest link, comes to mind and sometimes it is faulty engineer who gives out sensitive info to criminals... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doma Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 External mains switch?? is this house a mobile home?? or a chalet at Butlins maybe?? (Sorry I couldnt resist tongue.gif )I moved from Leeds in 1997, and I remember that just before that time, I received info. from Yorkshire Electricity that they were proposing to install a switch next to the meter for all new installations.... the idea being that anyone needing to carry out any work on the electrical installation could remove power while undertaking the work. I don't know if this premises is in the Yorkshire area, or maybe other supply Co.s are also doing the same. Perhaps we should all check when installing in new premises. Hardly a mobile home, its a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doma Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 yesprobably, not necessarily unfortunately not possibly but that would be irrelevant which will be crushed in two seconds.. get your alarms monitored and external cabinet protected. Are there alarms that would signal to a monitoring centre, that the power had been off for a certain period and monitoring centres that would act on this. I wouldn't expect them to do so immediately on a cut to the power e.g. on installing a second external light today, I'll switch off at the mains. How would you advise protecting the external meter cabinet. Its a standard type ie fairly flimsy. If I have an expensive high quality alarm system installed, I don't want to find it can be overcome so easily. Maybe the answer is to combine it with CCTV recording as an additional disincentive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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