Is there a standard battery for alarm system contol panels?

[happysteve]

(Domestic) I don't touch alarms, out of my area of expertise.

However, while doing other electrical work, quite often I'll switch off the circuit (or board) and the alarm will go off, always due to the fact that the backup battery in the control panel is dead. Restore power, alarm stops.

My first option is to get the client to get their alarm serviced by an alarm engineer (if I'm there doing a quote/reckie for a job at a later date).

In a couple of situations - with the consent of the client - I have gone up a ladder with my ear defenders on and snipped the wires from the capacitor/battery in the alarm box to stop the racket, and "decommissioned" the alarm (permanently isolated the supply to the control panel).

Quite often, the client is unwilling to go ahead with either of these options.

Is there a standard sort of battery that would fit many/most alarm panels (particularly older ones, say 10-20 years old) that I could keep on the van? If nothing else I could plug it in temporarily while I did my work; or more likely, sell it to the client. Any pitfalls in replacing the battery? Obviously, turn off the power first; the panel has a tamper switch... but by that point the alarm is going off anyway!

Cheers!

 

[Flanders]

A lot of alarms have 12 volt 1.2 ah battery but not all .With some alarms if you activate the tamper you may need an engineers code to reset the alarm

 

[ashrow]

Most alarms will stop after 15 to 20 mins on power and battery failure. (most of the time it is the bell back up battery thats faulty/failed)
I would advise not to remove the cover and insert/connect another battery as if any tamper issue etc arise the client may say you were at fault. (some alarms will have a contract on so the system does not belong to the client ie ADT etc)
At the end of the day the failure on the client to have their alarmed serviced/maintained is not your fault.
If you choose to remove the cover,Any 12volt alarm battery will do regardless of AH as you are not using it to arm the system for long periods.

 

[happysteve]

Thanks for the above, that's good to know (particularly about the perils of removing the cover).

I think I'll stick with my current practices: either getting the client to get a professional in to fix if still in use, or de-fanging it and decommissioning if the client doesn't want it/doesn't know the code/hasn't used it for years.

 

[ashrow]

Thanks for the above, that's good to know (particularly about the perils of removing the cover).

I think I'll stick with my current practices: either getting the client to get a professional in to fix if still in use, or de-fanging it and decommissioning if the client doesn't want it/doesn't know the code/hasn't used it for years.

Always worth mentioning to the client that any future mains failure will result in alarm sounding..... even during night hours (upset neighbours etc). this may help towards the disconnecting or upgrading the system

 

[telectrix]

alarm panel batteries generally are 2Ah, 3Ah, or 7Ah depending on the extent of the system and also the available space inside the panel. recommended to replace after 5 -6 years anyway.

 

[MJPD29]

Keep a couple of different ones in the van they aren't that expensive anyway. However, a lot of the time after opening the panel to change the battery you will need the engineer code to perform an engineer reset to clear any faults that gabe been thrown up. These can generally be found easily enough unless the installer has changed it