Wired or Wireless Alarm: Which Is Right for You?

Wired and wireless intruder alarms are both reliable when professionally installed. Wired systems suit new builds, renovations and larger commercial premises, while wireless systems are quicker to fit with no cable runs, which suits finished homes and rented properties. In Paisley and Glasgow, a new alarm typically costs £500 to £2,000 depending on size and equipment.

A common question from homeowners in Paisley is whether an alarm should be wired or wireless. Some folk have heard that wireless is the modern way to go. Others have been told by a mate that anything without cables is easy to defeat. The honest answer is that both are good, reliable systems when they are designed and fitted properly. What matters is which one suits your building, how it is laid out and how you live or work in it. Here is how we talk customers through it at S.A.W Security Solutions.

How Wired and Wireless Alarms Work

Both types of intruder alarm are built from the same basic parts: a control panel, a keypad to set and unset the system, detectors on doors, windows and rooms, and an external sounder on the wall. The difference is how those parts talk to each other.

• Wired alarms: Every detector, keypad and sounder is connected back to the control panel by cable. Power and signal travel down the same run, so the detectors have no batteries of their own to look after.
• Wireless alarms: The detectors and keypads run on batteries and talk to the panel by radio. There are no cables to route through the house, so installation is quicker and much less disruptive.
• Hybrid systems: Plenty of panels accept both. That lets us cable the parts of a building that are easy to reach and add wireless detectors where running a cable would mean lifting floors or chasing walls.

When a Wired Alarm Makes Sense

A wired system is often the right call when the building is open for work anyway. If you are mid-renovation, having an extension built or fitting out a new build, the cables can go in before the plaster and the flooring, and you will never see them.

• New builds and renovations: Cable runs are simple when walls and floors are open, which keeps the labour sensible.
• Larger and commercial premises: Shops, offices and units with a lot of detectors, or long distances between them, are often better served by a wired panel.
• No detector batteries: Because the detectors are powered from the panel, there are no batteries to replace in each device. The panel itself still has a backup battery for power cuts.
• Upgrading an old wired system: If your property already has alarm cabling in good condition, we can often reuse it with a new panel and detectors.

When a Wireless Alarm Makes Sense

Most of the homes we work in around Renfrewshire are finished, decorated and lived in. Nobody wants carpets lifted or fresh paintwork spoiled by chasing in an alarm cable. That is where wireless alarm systems really earn their place.

• Finished homes: Detectors are fixed in place with no cable runs, so there is very little mess and the job is usually done far quicker.
• Rented properties and flats: Where you cannot or do not want to drill through walls and floors, wireless keeps the impact to a minimum.
• Easy to extend: Adding a detector to a garage, a new conservatory or an outbuilding is straightforward later on.
• Can move with you: Because nothing is buried in the walls, a wireless system can often be taken down and refitted if you move.

A good-quality wireless panel also keeps an eye on its own detectors. If one stops reporting in or its battery is getting low, the panel will flag it so the problem gets sorted before it matters.

What Each Option Costs

Price depends far more on the size of the property and the number of detectors than on whether the system is wired or wireless. As a guide, here is what our customers in Paisley and Glasgow typically pay:

• Intruder alarm installation: £500 to £2,000, depending on the size of the property and the equipment needed. See our alarm installation page for more.
• Wireless alarm systems: £500 to £1,500 for most homes and smaller premises.

A wired system can work out cheaper on equipment but take longer to fit in a finished home, while wireless kit costs a bit more per detector but saves on labour. Every quote is given in writing after we have seen the property, and nothing extra is done without your agreement. All our installation work comes with a 12-month workmanship guarantee.

Reliability, Batteries and Servicing

Whichever system you choose, it is only as good as the way it is looked after. An alarm that goes off falsely every few weeks soon ends up left unset, and that helps nobody.

• Wireless batteries: Detector batteries last a number of years depending on the equipment and how busy the area is. The panel warns you when one is running low, and swapping it is part of a routine service.
• Wired backup: A wired panel carries its own backup battery so the system keeps working through a power cut. That battery wears out over time too and needs checking.
• Regular servicing: A yearly service checks every detector, the sounder, the batteries and the panel. Have a look at our service plans if you would rather not have to remember.
• Help when it goes wrong: If your alarm is going off in the middle of the night, we offer 24/7 call outs across Paisley, Renfrewshire and Glasgow.

Already have an alarm that was fitted by another company? We can often take it over, service it and keep it running rather than ripping it out. Our security system takeover page explains how that works.

Frequently Asked Questions