How to install a home burglar alarm: A detailed guide

How to install a home burglar alarm: A detailed guide

Have you ever considered how to install a home burglar alarm? If you are often asked this question, you may find our advice and guides for electrical systems useful. It is not a unique answer, as it varies depending on the home. However, in this guide we will provide suggestions on how many sensors to install, where to place them and which type to choose, as well as installation diagrams.

✔️ The control panel: The heart of the home alarm

To start understanding how to install a home burglar alarm, I would start from the control unit. This is the central unit of your security system, and its choice should be based on your specific needs.

✔️ Bticino: A versatile solution

Taking Bticino as an example, we can choose a control unit with an integrated IP card to connect the home alarm to the internet, or a simpler solution. I would lean towards the first option, considering the importance of management via App nowadays. The available Bticino alarm control panels vary from a solution with 16 inputs up to one with 128. It is possible to expand the control panel using expansion cards, which can be connected via Bus.

✔️ Important considerations

One aspect to take into consideration is that usually only one detector is connected per input. However, in theory two or three sensors could also be connected in series. This leads to a potential drawback: if one of these sensors goes into alarm or fails, it becomes difficult to determine which detector is faulty.

Install a home burglar alarm: partitions

By partition we mean a set of detectors and magnetic contacts united by a single group. Depending on the choice of control panel, the partitions can be 8, 12 or 20. It is also possible to activate and deactivate one or more partitions using connectors, allowing you to customize the activation scenarios according to your needs.

For clarity, you can consult a series of video tutorials from Bticino , which illustrate in detail the installation and programming of both the sensors and the zones and partitions using the computer.

Positioning of detectors

The most common location for detectors would be logical: doors and windows. However, it must be remembered that there is a wide range of magnetic contacts and detectors that can be chosen depending on personal needs.

Leaving aside the magnetic contacts for doors and windows, we would focus on the choice of the infrared detector. However, infrared detectors are a bit outdated and rarely used. Instead, dual technology detectors – namely volumetric and microwave – are gaining popularity due to their ability to produce fewer false alarms than traditional infrared detectors.

✔️ Pet Immunity Sensors: essential for homes with pets

It is important to mention the importance of Pet Immunity sensors in a home burglar alarm. These sensors are essential for those who have small to medium-sized pets, as they prevent the alarm from being triggered in the event that they detect your pet's presence.

Bticino Alarm Type System Diagram: Star Wiring and Expansion Systems

In the Bticino system, the magnetic contacts and sensors have star wiring. Speaking explicitly about expansion and signaling systems, these need to be wired via the bus to the control panel. Keypads, sirens and transponder readers fall into this category.

Burglar Alarm System Connection Diagram: How to Install It

Knowing how to install a home burglar alarm is never easy without an adequate connection diagram. The connection requires particular attention in the positioning of terminals A and B, which must be fixed on the BUS and on the relative power supply. We recommend using a twisted two-pair cable for connecting the bus.

✔️ Burglar Alarm System Zones and Detectors

The installation includes specific inputs for Zone 1, the delayed zone normally reserved for the entrance to the house, inputs i2-i6 for the perimeter contacts and zones M1-M4 for the volumetric detectors. It is important to keep in mind that, regardless of the control panel's power supply, each power terminal going to a sensor delivers a maximum of 1A. If the absorption of the system sensors exceeds 1 A, it will be necessary to draw power from two or three different terminals (+, +P and +P1), which are available on the control unit itself.

Bus Connection: Cables and Maximum Distances

For the Bus connections, i.e. those between the control unit and the signaling and control peripherals, we recommend using a 4-wire cable: two for the power supply (terminals + and -) and two for the Bus (terminals A and B). It is essential to know that the maximum length between a device and the control panel is 500m. The advice given above should simplify the installation and wiring of the Bus.

Installation Guide for a Wireless Home Burglar Alarm

Have you ever been curious about how to install a wireless home alarm? Well, I must tell you that home alarm systems are not as complex as they seem, particularly if you choose to integrate a radio module into the control panel. This measure will transform your alarm system into a practical and functional wireless home burglar alarm.

✔️ Advantages in Creating a Wireless Alarm System

An installation of this type offers significant advantages. The first of all is the simplicity of creation. In fact, by eliminating the need to make physical connections, the process becomes easier and more intuitive. Furthermore, the absence of cables allows total freedom in installing the detectors. These can be placed anywhere in the house, even hidden from view so as not to compromise the aesthetics of the rooms.

Bticino Radio Module and Ti-Alarm Software: Utilities and Operation

The Radio Bticino module plays a fundamental role in this system. It allows the addition of various detectors and signaling and control devices. The management and programming of the radio modules takes place in an intuitive and simple way through the Ti-Alarm software. The latter also proves to be fundamental for managing and dividing the activity of the alarm centre.