Saw a video yesterday that claimed 40% of alarm panels are installed wrong and I can't stop thinking about it

Was browsing some trade forum last night and stumbled on a link to a study from 2023 that said nearly 40% of residential alarm panels have wiring errors that could cause false alarms or complete failure. I've been doing this for 12 years and I'm honestly wondering how many of my early jobs might be part of that number. Has anyone else found a stat that made them second guess their own work?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane_fisher371mo ago

Does that number include finicky new wireless panels or just hardwired stuff?

grace_gonzalez461mo ago

If you're gonna count wireless panels as "unreliable" right off the bat you're missing the whole point of modern security. My buddy runs a 3 year old Ring setup with 8 sensors plus the base station and it's never dropped a single alarm falsely. Hardwired stuff is great but it's also a pain to install after the fact and a lot of renters can't even drill into walls. Newer wireless tech like the Qolsys IQ Panel 4 uses encrypted signals and has cellular backup so it's actually harder to jam than most old hardwired systems. Dollar for dollar I'd take that over running wires through an attic any day.