To quote the great Bob Dylan, Your old road is rapidly agin. Please get out of the new one if you cant lend a hand for the times they are a-changin. Im sure Dylan didnt have hardwired door-alarm systems in mind when he penned these classic lyrics 1964; but nonetheless, his words ring true The times are changing!
Hardwired door alarms have been the standard for our industry as far back as many of us can remember. You find them in thousands of self-storage facilities, and for good reason: They deliver the additional level of security tenants have grown to expect and demand when entrusting facilities with their valuables.
With such a viable solution, you may find yourself asking, Why does the number of conversions from hardwired to wireless door-alarm systems continue to rise? The answer is simple. In some cases, converting to a wireless system may be the bestif not onlyoption. Below are just a few reasons that support the conversion to wireless.
- Renting units sooner. Installers do not require access inside the storage units. With installation time thus dramatically reduced, wireless door alarms allow your facility to move in tenants up to two weeks earlier than hardwired systems.
- Expansion plans, adding new phases. Wireless door alarms are not only convenient for expansions, they allow you the flexibility to convert existing tenants too. In addition, they work in unison with existing hardwired door alarms. This gives you the best of both worlds.
- Installation costs. Labor costs continue to rise. Decreasing installation time by using a wireless solution can save you money.
- Ease of maintenance. In most cases, maintaining the system can be as easy as keeping a clear line of sight from transmitters to repeaters and simply changing the batteries in the transmitters. Some manufacturers offer a wireless product with a battery life up to 10 years. This will be one of the features that keep maintenance costs low.
- Only the best will do. We all want to show off the latest and greatest technology, dont we? Whether its a new car or 42-inch, high-definition plasma TV, we all take pride in sporting innovation. Why not make wireless door alarms your facilitys No. 1 spokesperson?
- Keeping up with competition and increasing revenue. According to the 2006 Self-Storage Almanac, facilities with security can bill tenants up to 30 percent more than those without. What would an additional 30 percent per unit per month mean to your bottom line?
Do It Right
OK, youve done your research and decided to join the growing number of facilities converting to wireless door alarms. Youve chosen a security company with experience in the industry, youve checked its credentials, and youre comfortable with your decision.
Youve contacted your salesperson and placed the order. Your equipment has arrived. Your transmitters, repeater antennas and other equipment are all inventoried and ready to be installed. You have a new aggressive marketing campaign to take advantage of your investment. Youre ready to start!
Now what? Do you grab your toolbox, start slapping up transmitters on each unit, point them at a repeater antenna and turn on your system? Not quite.
Before you begin, there are a few more things to consider. One of the most common mistakes an owner can make is trying to cut costs by installing the wireless system on his own or without the proper training recommended by the manufacturer. Or maybe he has a friend who has a friend who is an electrician and thinks he can do the install. Not a good idea.
The installation process is not for novices. The system can only work as well as the installation allows, and I cant stress that point enough. The manufacturer will generally make a recommendation for an appropriate installer for the project. Check the companys credentials. Experience, reputation and commitment to follow-up service should always be considered.
Before the Install
Converting to wireless door alarms requires a series of preliminary steps that are crucial for ease of installation as well as future uptime and reliability. Once you have chosen your representative, you should receive a questionnaire to be completed before you schedule the install. The form may vary in content from company to company, but it should be designed by the installer or manufacturer to gather facts about your site that will assist with the overall process. Among items that need to be addressed are:
- Interior and Exterior Walls: Are they metal, masonry or other materials? Do the interior walls/partitions extend to the ceiling?
- Roofs: What material are they?
- Buildings: How many are there, and are they climate-controlled?
- Doors: How many are there, and what type are they (roll-up, swing, etc.)?
- Site: What is the age and overall condition of the facility?
- Access Control: Who supplies this system?
- Electrical Panels: These need to be shown to the installer, preferably on the aforementioned drawings.
- Hallways: What are the approximate lengths of the hallways? Do they have exit doors or fire doors that are closed?
- Site Plans: Your installer will need a sketch or site plan of the facility that clearly shows building placement along with unit and fire-door locations.
Once the installer receives your completed questionnaire, he should make an appointment to walk the site, typically with a wireless test kit in hand. The kit will enable him to determine if the transmitter to be installed outside each unit door sends a clear signal to the repeater antenna for transmission to the system receiver. The installer will also look for other conditions that may cause problems and inhibit signal strength, such as construction materials and design flaws within the facility grounds or immediate vicinity.
Door alarm systems are here to stay. The product is growing in popularity and is now part of the competitive industry landscape. Simply put, their ease of installation, uptime and reliability make wireless systems attractive to owners and installers alike.
Regardless of what stage your facility is innew construction, expansion or seeking to keep up with competitorsits nice to know you have field-tested wireless door-alarm systems available for a competitive balance. The times they are a-changin Will you change with them?
Randy Johnston is the director of business development for Asheville, N.C.-based Digitech International, which has provided comprehensive, innovative security tools for the self-storage industry for more than 25 years. For more information, call 800.523.9504; email [email protected]; visit www.digitech-intl.com.