House alarms and power failures

[dan1981]

Morning all,

I say morning but to me it feels like mid afternoon -i've been awake since 4am this morning, when the power went off in certain bits of Sheffield, and I was woken by our house alarm going off.

And I couldn't turn it off. The power came back on about 30 min ago and at that point that alarm started working fine again!

Anyways...... Is this the internal battery on the panel that has failed? I've had the front off and its meant to be a self charging no maintenance battery thingy inside but it obviosuly wasn't working at 4am this morning.

The alarm is an Omnicron 6000 and the instruction booklet seems to be of a similar age to a first edition of the bible. Its also not very helpful.

So does tyhis sound like a faulty back up battery / dead battery? If so are they fairly easy to find? IE can i get one from B&Q?

Cheers

Dan

Edited by dan1981 on Monday 6th October 09:30

[Z4monster]

If you can't remember when the battery was replaced then replace it and let it charge up. Then giv e it another power off to check it charges ok. Usually it will be OK. If not then it sounds like a new panel(especially if the current one is out of the Ark!)

You can get them at most DIY or builders merchants. Make sure it matches the one your removing in terms of Voltage and amps.

[_Batty_]

defo dead battery.
not sure if you can pick one up anywhere.
have a quick look on google

[dan1981]

Cheers guys, I've only been in the house a year so I have no idea how long since the battery has been changed.

I'll try getting the model number from the battery and see how easy they are to pick up.

[spikeyhead]

The batteries last about five years. Maplins are the only place I know that sell suitable batteries on the high street.

I'd recommend Yaesu as a replacement battery type. May be easier getting one form an alarm supplier so you get the right size.

[benzo]

Hi Dan. Im a bit confused. If the power was cut & the alarm went off, then does that not suggest that the battery was working?

[Stamp]

benzo said:

Hi Dan. Im a bit confused. If the power was cut & the alarm went off, then does that not suggest that the battery was working?

Not really.
It depends on the system. Most bells have batteries in so if the cable is cut to the bell, it still goes off. The panel battery is there to make sure the system stays "as was" and not to simply set it off.

[dan1981]

Stamp said:

benzo said:

Hi Dan. Im a bit confused. If the power was cut & the alarm went off, then does that not suggest that the battery was working?

Not really.
It depends on the system. Most bells have batteries in so if the cable is cut to the bell, it still goes off. The panel battery is there to make sure the system stays "as was" and not to simply set it off.

Yeah i think thats about right - there i think is a battery in the alarm box itself, that means the alarm goes off if it thinks the panel has been tampered with - IE power cut to it, in the case of a normal power cut the battery should keep the panel alive and prevent the alarm goign off

[Meeja]

A decent well maintained alarm system will have a back-up battery in the control panel, and a back-up battery in each of the external sounder units.

The battery in the sounder unit means that the sounder will still make a din if the cable to it is cut, and the battery in the panel should maintain the system in the event of a power failure.

Some systems will not allow you to "set" your system in the event of a power failure (but these are usually systems that have remote monitoring)

The correct battery in the control panel should be able to maintain a system for at least 24 hours.

Back-up batteries also have a limited life..... I replace mine at least every two years - they are not particularly expensive.

http://www.alertelectrical.com/Burglar-Intruder-Al...

One problem with some DIY systems is that people add loads of PIR detectors (which obviously need power to operate) and the control panels are generally quite small, and do not have room for a decent aH battery.

As has been suggested, make sure that the battery you fit matches the spec of the one you are removing - for most small domestic systems, a 2.1aH should suffice

And make a note in your diary to replace it again in a couple of years time.....

[dan1981]

The battery is a YUASA one, on it it says

NP 1.2 - 12 12V 1.2ah.

Looks like the first one on this link?

http://www.alertelectrical.com/Burglar-Intruder-Al...

[Westy Pre-Lit]

If i was you i'd stick a 3ah for a longer hold off period if it will fit. We only ever use 3ah or 7ah on our panels.

You should also be able to get them from good modelling shops (i.e. ones that sell remote control planes/helicopters).

Edited by Westy Pre-Lit on Monday 6th October 14:59

[Meeja]

Westy Pre-Lit said:

If i was you i'd stick a 3ah for a longer hold off period if it will fit. We only ever use 3ah or 7ah on our panels.

You should also be able to get them from good modelling shops (i.e. ones that sell remote control planes/helicopters).

Edited by Westy Pre-Lit on Monday 6th October 14:59

What he said.

Although I suspect a 3aH won't fit..... great if it does, but definately go for something bigger than a 1.2aH

ETA: The guys at Alert are pretty good - if you measure the max space you have available in your panel, they will probably get a tape out and measure all the batteries to find the biggest one that will fit!

Also, just for clarification - as your alarm went off (external sounder I presume) when the power failed proves that the backup battery in the sounder is fine. (The external sounders work using a 12v feed, and if the 12v disappears - it could be a power failure or a cut cable) then the box switches to battery feed, and the sounder will continue to make a noise until the battery is exhausted.... which can take some time!

Edited by Meeja on Monday 6th October 18:22