How to install a burglar alarm

Video by Wickes. This walk-through is based on the video "How to install a Yale easy fit alarm with Wickes" from the official Wickes YouTube channel, demonstrating installation of a Yale Easy Fit home alarm system. It is a useful overview of the full process, and the section on pairing the sensors to the control panel is particularly worth following carefully before you mount anything to the wall.

1. Plan your zones before you buy

Walk around the house and think about it from the outside in. Every likely entry point needs coverage - front door, back door, any ground-floor windows that open, and any side gates or outbuildings if your system supports external sensors. Make a rough sketch. Count the number of PIR detectors and door/window contacts you will need, then buy accordingly.

For most standard three-bedroom houses, a control panel, two to three PIR motion detectors, door contacts on the main entry doors, and a siren box on the front of the house will give good coverage. That said, if you have an open-plan ground floor, one PIR in a corner covering the main living space is often enough. The goal is to detect movement before an intruder reaches the stairs - not to put a sensor in every room.

2. Choose positions for the control panel and keypad

The main control panel should go inside, out of sight from any window - typically in a hallway cupboard, under the stairs, or in a utility room. It needs to be somewhere accessible for the entry delay walk-in path, because you will pass through or near it to enter the code when you come home. Most wireless systems have a separate keypad that you mount near the front door.

Think about the entry delay route when you site the keypad. You want to be able to get from the front door to the keypad in the time allowed before the alarm trips - usually 30 to 60 seconds. If the front door opens directly into a large hall and the keypad is on the far wall, that might be fine. If there are two doors to pass through, plan accordingly. You can usually adjust the delay time in the system settings.

3. Fit the external siren box

The external siren is a visible deterrent as well as an audible one, so site it high on the front of the house where it can be seen from the street. Most systems include a dummy siren as well - worth fitting on a side or rear elevation too. The siren box is typically mains-powered via a cable run through the wall or down a chase, with a battery backup inside the unit itself.

Drill through the wall at a slight downward angle to the outside so water cannot track back in. Feed the cable, then fix the back plate to the wall with the fixings provided. Most external siren boxes on easy-fit systems are tamper-protected - they will trigger the alarm if anyone tries to remove them, which is worth checking is active once the system is live.

4. Mount the PIR detectors and door contacts

PIR detectors work best in corners at a height of roughly 2 to 2.4 metres, angled to cover the main movement area of a room. Most have a detection angle of around 90 to 110 degrees, so a corner position gives you coverage across the whole space. Keep them away from heating vents, radiators, and south-facing windows - heat sources and direct sunlight can cause false triggers.

Door and window contacts come in two parts: one goes on the frame, the other on the door or window itself, aligned so they sit close together when closed. The gap between the two parts when the door opens triggers the alarm zone. Most are self-adhesive for initial placement - test the position and pairing before you commit to screwing them in permanently. Getting a door contact upside down or too far apart is an easy mistake and will cost you time to redo.

5. Pair all devices to the control panel

This step varies between manufacturers, so read the specific instructions for your system. In general, you put the panel into learn or pairing mode, then trigger each device in turn - opening a contact, walking in front of a PIR, or pressing a tamper button. The panel registers each one and assigns it a zone number. Label each zone clearly as you go so you know which zone corresponds to which part of the house.

Once everything is paired, walk the detection zones properly. Set the panel to test mode and move through each area to confirm every PIR triggers. Open and close each door and window contact. If a zone does not respond, check the battery in the device and check the signal strength indicator if your panel has one. Walls with a lot of steel reinforcement - rare in most East Kent domestic housing but worth knowing about - can block wireless signals, in which case you may need to reposition a device closer to the panel.

6. Set your codes and run a full test

Change the default installer and user codes immediately - default codes are widely known and some systems ship with the same code across thousands of units. Use something memorable but not obvious: not 1234, not your house number, not your year of birth. Most systems allow you to set separate codes for different users, which is useful if you have family members or tradespeople who need access.

Do a full live test before you rely on the system: arm it, trigger every zone in turn, and confirm the siren activates and resets cleanly. Check the low-battery warning functions by temporarily removing and replacing a sensor battery. Register the alarm with your local Neighbourhood Watch or police portal if your area supports it - a monitored or registered alarm is a stronger deterrent than an unregistered one. Most insurers also want evidence that a working alarm is installed, so keep the installation paperwork.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if you want the siren cable chased into the wall rather than surface-run on trunking, if you need sensors fitted at height on a two-storey stairwell, or if the system needs to be integrated with an existing smart home setup. It is also worth getting a professional to run the job if the property is rented out and you need to meet a specific security requirement for your insurer or landlord policy.