Burglar Alarm Battery Fault

shesells

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Arrived home in the middle of a power cut last night and noticed our alarm box wasn't flashing red like it normally does underneath. Opened the door to silence. When the power eventually came on the fault light lit and the display says battery fault.

Anyone know if we can fix this ourselves and how to go about it. Don't really want to pay €100 to get an engineer out.
 
I changed the battery easily enough on an aritech alarm. Just open the main alarm box in the house (it may set off the alarm doing that, just type in your code at the alarm control panel to turn it off) and take out the battery.

Then just replace it with a new one. Its easy really.
 
The main big internal box? Think it's in a wardrobe in our bedroom. Will have a go. Thanks!
 
If this was following a powercut I would say you would just need to clear the alarm fault on the alarm panel.

I know mine goes off after awhile on my alarm if the power was cut but on my parents alarm you need to clear the fault on the alarm panel.

Doubt its the battery needing to be replaced.
 
We didn't get a manual with our alarm so have no idea how to clear faults, reset codes etc.

Also I think the fact that the light under the box had gone off and the alarm was totally dead when I got in might mean that a battery is gone? Question is whether it's in the alarm or the siren?

Checked the alarm box this morning, there are two...behind a door. One is about the size of a lever arch file and the other is about the size of the keypad. I take it the battery is in the bigger one?

We have a long weekend away coming up soon and I really want this sorted as we haven't had a break for a very long time and I won't be able to relax if there's a problem with the alarm.
 
Try clearing the fault on the alarm first. It usually just a matter of going through the menus on the control panel.

Yes, the battery will be in the bigger one.
 
If as you say the alarm was totally "dead" when you got in, most likely reason is the battery.
Any decent battery should keep a system going for 24/36 hours at least, whether in standby or armed mode.

As stated above very easy to change.

BTW how old is the existing battery?
 
Alarm was installed in 2004. Last serviced December 2009, don't think he changed the battery though.

Yeah it was totally dead, not a peep when I opened the door and no light on the siren box. It's frightening that all anyone would have to do is open the control panel, see the word battery fault and trip the trip switch, zero alarm security.
 
Alarm was installed in 2004. Last serviced December 2009, don't think he changed the battery though.

Yeah it was totally dead, not a peep when I opened the door and no light on the siren box. It's frightening that all anyone would have to do is open the control panel, see the word battery fault and trip the trip switch, zero alarm security.

A 7 year old battery is well past its best.
Also get the battery in the S.A.B (outside sounder) changed as this should have sounded (maybe it did and then died) once the main panel died as it would no longer receives a signal (B.H.O.) from the panel if it is completely dead.
 
To do that is it just a case of turning off the trip switch and unscrewing the cover?

To change the battery in the panel?

Yes thats about it, battery normally connected via spade connectors, just keep an eye on polarity, ie. positive and negative, do not re-connect incorrectly.
 
I've recently bought an alarm battery online from
It came from the UK but was good value, though I added a second item (aa batteries) to my order to bring the price over €20 for the free delivery. Items came in 2 deliveries in the end.
 
i also bought from farnell.com and the first one died about 2 weeks after the 12 month warranty and they wouldn't entertain my emails that i would have thought they'd last longer than a year (and 2 weeks!)
i did buy a 2nd one from them as i needed it urgently and they are very fast for delivery so hopefully this will last longer than the first!
 
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