Electrical blogs

Smoke Detectors

Smoke alarm installation across High Wycombe, Marlow, Beaconsfield and surrounding

Smoke Detectors, Carbon monoxide detectors and heat detectors in your property should all be interlinked.

The amount and locations of your detectors will depend on the size and nature of the property. For example if you have a three or four storey property and the smoke alarm is triggered on the ground floor, it is quite possible that you wouldn't hear it. This is why we must interlink them so if one sounds, they all sound. It makes perfect sense.

Heat Detector installers in High Wycombe and surrounding towns

This can be achieved in one of two ways or a mixture of both. Installation permitting we would normally take initial power to the closest detector to the consumer unit. Then we would daisy chain from one to the next, to the next and so on.

However, in many cases the property is decorated and lived in, so retrofitting cables right from top to bottom of the property if simply not financially viable.

In these cases we can install radio linked smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and heat detectors. This solution greatly lowers the need to get into the structure of the building thus reducing costs and disturbance.

Radio linked devices can be battery powered with a life of up to ten years. It's simply a matter of screwing them to the ceiling and syncing them.

We prefer to install mains powered detectors and can nomally find a useable power source nearby.

Our preferred barnd of wire protection devices is Aico ™

They have proven to be very reliable and very robust. There are other cheaper brands on the market that cost less. Considering the reason we install fire protection devices in the home quality should always come before cost.

We install smoke dealrms and heat alarms in High Wycombe, Marlow, Beaconsfield and all surrounding towns and villages

CCTV Security

Cameras for Security or surveillance?

These are two completely different applications. Surveillance cameras will only record what's happening as it happens, whereas security cameras can send you mobile alerts on movement or when an event occurs, like a break-in.

Interior cameras or exterior cameras?

This depends a lot on the property you want to protect. If you have plenty of outdoor space including concealed entrances (examples would be, a back door that’s not visible from the street), you might want to monitor them, but if you live in an apartment block with a shared entrance, indoor cameras might be all you need to protect your own property.
Static or Moveable (PTZ) cameras?

Static cameras are fixed to monitor a specific spot, while PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras can moved around and focused on different areas. However, it does depend on the areas you need to monitor but remeber, PTZ cameras are often a lot more expensive to buy.
Discrete or obviouse?

You’ve probably seen many different types of cameras when you’re out and about. Obvious cameras are clearly visible and provide a visible deterent as well as a record function, whereas discrete cameras are often hidden away or less visible (like the kind you might see in a shop or hotel lobby).

Wired or wireless cameras?

Installing wired cameras obviously involves a bit more work and materials, but are far more reliable because they don't rely on wifi to relay images which can be quite bandwidth heavy. Wireless cameras can be installed almost anywhere, but may experience signal interruptions. They do however, need a local power source.
Which type, IP or analogue cameras?

This is how you would access the camera's footage. IP cameras transmit the footage over your home network (LAN) which enables you to access the footage on all manner of mobile or digital devices devices, whether you’re at home or not.

So this option could suit you if you work late at night or are often away from home. However, they are more expensive than their analogue counterparts.

Analogue systems will record to a local digital video recorder (DVR), so you’ll need to go to the DVR if you want to view the footage. This would probably suit you more if you keep to regular working patterns.

Installer of CCTV and security cameras in High Wycombe, Beaconfield, Marlow and surrounding towns and villages

Hardwired Ethernet

Why bother with hardwired ethernet when everything is wireless these days? Surely that's old technology....

Wrong, WiFi is fantastic and has really made life easier for the connected home owner. It really is an amazing technology.

As the wireless signal travels around your home, it is sensitive to different types of bottlenecks and interference as compared to a hard wired ethernet network.

Physical obstructions: The number of walls the WiFi signal can pass through is determines by density of the materials used in a building’s construction. Concrete and steel walls are difficult for a signal to pass through. These structures will weaken or at times completely prevent wireless signals, this is where hard wired ethernet comes in.

Interference: WiFi network operates at 2.4GHz and 5GHz band, other wireless devices using the same frequencies could cause interferences, resulting poorer WiFi receptions. Microwaves, cordless phones, baby monitors, wireless game controllers and Bluetooth devices all operate on the same wave spectrum of 2.4GHz as WiFi routers. Avoid cluttering source of interference around the router.

Shared bandwidth: The bandwidth of wireless network is shared among all the wireless users, so the more users you have, the slower the network becomes. Downloading torrents, for example, might cause other users to experience a slowdown in network speed. It is a good practice to protect your WiFi network with a strong WiFi password, to prevent unauthorized user from “stealing” the bandwidth.

Distance: If you're sitting near a wireless router or access point, you will experience a faster network speed. But if another person is sitting far from the wireless router or access point, the network speed of both computers will drop drastically.

Speed of connected device: The achievable download and upload speed of the device connected to the WiFi network is also dependent on the device itself. A mobile phone with better processor and more advanced antennas and radios design will promise higher download and upload speed.

Location: Where an Access Point or wireless router is placed also makes the difference. Place the devices in higher ground to reduce the impact of physical objects.

Home Ethernet Cabling High Wycombe, Marlow, Beaconsfield and surrounding areas

So to summarise: WiFi is great but if you have a busy household and especially if you have teenagers living with you. It might be a good idea to hardwire the ethernet connection to things like the TVs and your home office. This will improve the signal for any remaining WiFi enabled devices around the home.

For domestic ethernet network cable installation in High Wycombe and surrounding areas call 07720 565 722

Security Lighting

We all know that burglars and thieves like to work out of sight. That's why they hate security lighting.

We find that security lighting installed in the correct locations are an excellent low cost deterent for anyone snooping around that shouldn't be.

High level security floodlights with PIR (passive infra red) activationare perfect for bathing your garden in light when and intruder is detected. It's also great for when you need to pop down the garden at night to fetch something.

Decorative Security Lighting Beaconsfield

Effective security lighting serves as a powerful deterrent against potential intruders and trespassers. Well-lit surroundings not only make it harder for unauthorized individuals to approach your property unnoticed but also create a sense of vigilance within the community. Moreover, strategically placed security lighting enhances visibility, reducing the risk of accidents and enhancing overall safety.

With the use of Photocells, PIRs and digital timers we can make sure that even the most vulnerable parts of your property become an unattractive option for the opportunist snooping about.

Be sure to have any security lighting installed by competent technically qualified electricans like Wycombe Electrical Ltd

For all security lighting requirements in High Wycombe and Beaconsfiled call us on 07720 565 722