Frank Fourchalk  Bio

Email Article

Email Us

Print friendly

Home and Business Alarm Systems

Wireless vs Hardwire

One of my most asked questions is, “Which is better, a wireless or hardwired alarm system?” Most home and business owners can’t differentiate one from the other. So if you are considering installing an alarm system but are not quite sure which way to go let me explain some of the differences between the two.

First keep in mind the security alarm industry is composed of two distinct sides, the hardwire family and the wireless clan. This Hatfield and McCoy rival has been going on for many years with both serving up a great dish of “Why you should”.

These two types of alarm systems really do carry distinct differences.  Hardwired systems are wired directly through the walls, making sure to conceal all wires. With this type of system the motion detectors, window and door contacts are wired directly to the central control panel almost eliminating the possibility of false alarms.

In a wireless system the transmitters are small devices about two by one inch and operate from a disposable battery inside. The purpose of these transmitters is to communicate the status of the door or window to the central control panel. These devices are not as esthetically pleasing because they are exposed near the protected window and door area.

The cost of these two systems are pretty much the same with the hardwire having a slight disadvantage because of the length of installation time. This is offset slightly by the cost of transmitter battery replacements in a wireless system. Once the transmitter shows low battery status, you will have to shell out a few dollars on a replacement.

I don’t think any security professional will argue that a few years ago, the false alarm rate on wireless security systems was high. This was mainly due to technical deficiencies like weak signal strength and frequency interference.

However in to-days market wireless systems are much improved offering a full range of technology from motion detectors (PIR’s), glass break detection, smoke detection and of course audio sirens with a relatively low rate of false alarms.

Make sure if you decide to purchase a wireless alarm system you can update your control panel in the future. You would not want to end up with an obsolete alarm system because it is brand specific. With a hard wired system you don’t have this concern because you will most likely be able to use your existing door contacts, motion detectors and window contacts with your control panel upgrade. 

It’s often common for a hardwire installer to hybridize the two families. This would be particularly common in an area that can’t be accessed easily without running unsightly wire surface runs. Rather than look at visually disturbing wires running along the surface of your home or business, it would be advisable to install a wireless contact or motion detector.

Both hard wired and wireless alarm systems can be monitored by accredited monitoring companies. However hard wired systems will always take the top award for reliability. This is due to the fact that they have a direct connect design compared to a frequency based design like their competitors.