Warning: new construction houses have dummy alarm panels that will waste your time

Ran into this 3 times in the last 2 weeks up near Westfield. Builder puts in a Honeywell panel to make it look like there's a system but it's not wired to anything. Homeowner buys the place, calls me to set it up, and I gotta tell them it's just for show. Any other installers dealing with this mess?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancythomas1mo ago

See it differently lol. That dummy panel probably stopped a few lookie-loos already.

wendyk561mo ago

Understand why you'd think that, but a dummy panel isn't gonna stop anyone who knows what they're doing. Most of those lookie-loos are just curious neighbors, not real thieves. A real burglar would probably see a non-wired panel from a mile away - no blinking lights, no keypad feedback, wires that go nowhere inside the wall. It gives the homeowner a false sense of security, which is way worse than having nothing at all. They might leave doors unlocked or not lock windows because they think they're covered. I'd rather see a builder do nothing than put in a prop that tricks people into feeling safe.