What do you have for home security and what do you pay?

[tvguy]

You can simply re program your alarm to be monitored by someone else

This is who we use:
https://www.alarmgrid.com/monitoring

They can guide you through re programing

An 11 year old system? Probably not. Most companies here offer free installation of a new system if you sign a 3 year contract. My system was only 5 years old when I had to replace it, it communicated using 3G cellular, which was shutdown this year. The upgraded me to a 4G system with all new sensors for free with a 3 year contract.

 

[LYSE]

An 11 year old system? Probably not. Most companies here offer free installation of a new system if you sign a 3 year contract. My system was only 5 years old when I had to replace it, it communicated using 3G cellular, which was shutdown this year. The upgraded me to a 4G system with all new sensors for free with a 3 year contract.

You probably could, you just might be limited in terms of monitoring methods...either way you can DIY upgrade anything that's needed and alarm grid will provide support as needed.

 

[jo-jo]

An 11 year old system? Probably not. Most companies here offer free installation of a new system if you sign a 3 year contract. My system was only 5 years old when I had to replace it, it communicated using 3G cellular, which was shutdown this year. The upgraded me to a 4G system with all new sensors for free with a 3 year contract.

The sensors are older than that. Yeah, we're idiots. Just seemed the last few years the price jumped few dollars, few dollars, few dollars. Now everything annoys me.

 

[tvguy]

You probably could, you just might be limited in terms of monitoring methods...either way you can DIY upgrade anything that's needed and alarm grid will provide support as needed.

Yeah. I previously DIYed my system, paid for the components out of pocket. I was an idiot since I was going to have monitoring and with monitoring all those components and installation are free and under warranty for the term of the monitoring contract. Never again will I DIY it.

 

[LYSE]

Yeah. I previously DIYed my system, paid for the components out of pocket. I was an idiot since I was going to have monitoring and with monitoring all those components and installation are free and under warranty for the term of the monitoring contract. Never again will I DIY it.

If you go back and find my super old post in this thread you'll see me talking about getting ADT to pay for everything then negotiating at the end of contract..often you are right and can squeeze out a good deal, the deal I got through them was very good and even cheaper than stand alone monitoring from alarm grid that I have now...sadly I moved from that house and sold the alarm with the house..in my new area I ended up full diy ..but the system is at least exactly what I wanted (and a better deal than local installers)

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have a 4 story home including full basement. Windows on the basement and first floor have Sensors if windows opened, breakage sensors too. And motion detectors which I rarely use because we have cats. All doors. The system lets me bypass a specific window etc if we have left it open. Alarm goes directly to alarm station and we get an immediate call and police get called within one minute if we don’t call them off. Smoke sensors in all floors in most rooms directly wired to go to fire station. You can’t call off a fire alarm. We live a block from our fire station so they have come a few times with oven smoke, etc And police and fire charge $100 for a false alarm.
We have four control pads, in the kitchen, by front door, in basement and upstairs in our bedroom.

We paid about $2000 to upgrade our system two years ago. I can’t remember which system it is. $300 a year for the security company to come and fix if needed, trst ststem and change batteries. And $600 a year for monitoring. And I have an app on my phone that lets me know if the alarm is breached or turned offf and on. It even tells me if the cats are moving around the house when the motion detectors go
off.

Because the basement has its own entrance snd my daughter used to live down there the system can be partitioned off so the basement could have its own system separate from the rest of the house.

We live in an urban area. It makes the house feel pretty safe.

Our company is called Keyth security. I’m not sure if they are outside are local area. But they are very responsive.

 

[jo-jo]

. And $600 a year for monitoring.

We have one smoke detector, 3 door sensors, and a window breakage. We were paying $800. The more I write things out , the more I think, what were we thinking???

By the way, we have 4 other smoke detectors and 2 carbon dioxide detectors. But only one with the system.

 

[Communicore1991]

Well both. We had an issue with key pad and called in and had to go through press one for this , press two for that. We did have a smoking burnt pan (not flames) on stove, I had stepped outside and they called fire department. We were back in before the trucks got there, didn't even know they were called. I spend 20 mins trying to contact them to cancel alarm as police , two trucks plus people in cars pulled up. My DS called about 15 -20 mins later, saying he was called what was going on.

Not a defense of Brinks, more an explanation. When we had our new security system installed we were told that by law if one of the monitored smoke detectors goes off, they have to call the fire department. I have no legal experience or background so I don't know if that's a state thing or federal thing but I think of it as kind of like when a fire alarm goes off in an office building, even if they know what caused the alarm the fire department still has to come and declare everything is okay.

 

[jo-jo]

Not a defense of Brinks, more an explanation. When we had our new security system installed we were told that by law if one of the monitored smoke detectors goes off, they have to call the fire department. I have no legal experience or background so I don't know if that's a state thing or federal thing but I think of it as kind of like when a fire alarm goes off in an office building, even if they know what caused the alarm the fire department still has to come and declare everything is okay.

Well that was the third time, we have fire department (not with brinks).

The first two times were actually fires.
Once during the summer, while we were at church. Someone has set off fireworks and one landed in our yard in dry grass. Starting smoking. Our neighbor boy told his mom, there is smoke in our yard, Mom said we were probably have a BBQ. LOL...Came home from church just as they were finishing up. We had a burnt out circle about 18 ft across.

Second time , just at the tail end of a wicked storm, our house was hit by lightening. We were inside, heard the loudest boom, we all ducked at once. Our lights remain on. We walked outside and the neighbors are yelling your house was hit. Back corner of the house, started burning.

 

[_19disnA]

Our home has the ADT system and one issue with all of those that are wireless is the batteries in each of the individual sensors will eventually need to be replaced. At a prior home, the sensors were all wired into the main panel with something that looked like thin doorbell wire providing the power. Only the main panel had a battery backup.

While it seemed like I should replace ALL of the batteries in the different sensors when they start to wear out, ADT didn't advise that and there is very complicated series of buttons you have to push on the keypad when replacing a battery. If you have many sensors all around your house, the batteries will likely wear out at different times. ADT support tends to be all over the map. For some things you seem to get one of those off-shore call centers where the people can barely speak English and it is VERY difficult to understand them and their technical knowledge of the systems seems very limited. Other times I have gotten people on the phone who were very helpful, perhaps it depends on the which option you select based on why you are calling as to whom you end up speaking with.

Batteries seem to last about 5 years so would be interested to hear from those with different brands of wireless systems how you handle the need for battery replacement. What happens to your system if you are away on vacation with the system armed when one of the batteries goes bad?