Wireless & Smart Burglar Alarms
A wireless house alarm means no cables through your walls and a tidy fit. Control it from your phone, with the first 12 months of app subscription included.
A wireless burglar alarm uses detectors that talk to the control panel by radio, so there are no cables to run through your home. Bunker fits wireless smart alarms across Glasgow and Central Scotland, with app control so you can set, unset and get alerts on your phone. Indicative alarm packages start from £380 fitted. Get an instant alarm quote and we'll confirm the price for your home before any work starts.
How a wireless alarm works
A wireless alarm has three main parts:
- A control panel with a keypad and tag reader, where you set and unset the alarm.
- Detectors such as magnetic door contacts, motion sensors (PIRs) and pet-immune motion sensors.
- Sirens: an external siren on the outside of the house, plus a decoy siren.
The detectors and the control panel talk to each other on the alarm's own encrypted radio signal. They don't need your home Wi-Fi to do that.
Wired vs wireless at a glance
| Wireless alarm | Wired alarm | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | No cables to run, so a quicker, tidier fit | A cable from the panel to every detector |
| Disruption | Little mess in a finished home | Floors or walls may need to be opened for cables |
| Adding detectors later | Straightforward | Needs a new cable run |
| Power to detectors | Batteries, replaced from time to time | Powered from the control panel |
| Best suited to | Most homes, especially finished and decorated ones | New builds, major renovations, or where cabling is already in place |
For most homes we recommend wireless. If you have an older wired system, we'll tell you whether it's worth keeping.
Smart alarm features: control from your phone
Every Bunker alarm package comes with app control. With the app you can:
- Set and unset your alarm from anywhere, for example if you can't remember setting it before you left
- Get an alert on your phone if the alarm is triggered
- Share access with other people in your household
You can keep using the keypad, tags and key fobs at the door as normal.
The first 12 months' app subscription is included in every package. Ask us about app subscription after the first year.
App alerts are self-monitoring: they come to you and anyone you've given access. If you'd like an Alarm Receiving Centre to watch for alarms 24/7 and contact your keyholders, professional monitoring is available as an option. Read how alarm monitoring works.
Who a wireless alarm suits
- Finished and decorated homes, where you don't want cables run through walls and floors.
- Busy households who want to set the alarm from a phone, or check it's set after leaving.
- Homes with pets. Pet-immune motion sensors are available. Tell us about your pets when you ask for a quote.
- Homes with a garage or shed. A dual-tech sensor for garages and sheds can be added for £100 (indicative).
- Anyone replacing an old alarm that keeps showing faults or can't connect to an app. See alarm takeovers and upgrades.
Professionally fitted vs a DIY smart alarm kit
You can buy smart alarm kits to fit yourself. A professionally fitted alarm is different in a few practical ways:
- We position each detector to suit your home's layout, and test every one before we leave.
- We set up the app on your phone and show you how to use it.
- All equipment comes with a 12-month warranty.
- If something goes wrong, you have a local company to call, including our 24/7 emergency alarm call-out line.
Prices
Our alarm packages are from £380 for a small home, £490 for a medium home and £635 for a large home, fitted and indicative. See every add-on price in our burglar alarm cost guide, or read more about burglar alarm installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are wireless burglar alarms reliable?
Yes, when they are properly fitted. The detectors and control panel use the alarm's own encrypted radio signal rather than your home Wi-Fi. The main thing to look after is batteries, because wireless detectors run on batteries that need replacing from time to time. We test every detector when we fit the alarm.
Does a wireless alarm need Wi-Fi?
No. The detectors and control panel talk to each other on the alarm's own encrypted signal, so the alarm works without your Wi-Fi. App control needs an internet connection, and we set that up when we fit the alarm.
Can I control a wireless alarm from my phone?
Yes. Every Bunker alarm package includes app control, so you can set and unset the alarm and get alerts on your phone. The first 12 months of app subscription are included. Ask us about app subscription after the first year.
Can I add more detectors to a wireless alarm later?
Yes, and that is one of the advantages of wireless. Indicative prices are £85 for a door contact or a PIR room sensor, £100 for a dual-tech sensor for a garage or shed, £120 for a wireless keypad and £50 for a wireless key fob.
Want a wireless alarm you can set from your phone?
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