(If this is OT please feel free to direct me to the required NG -
thanks).

I turned my mains power off yesterday at my consumer unit and was
suprised to hear my burglar alarm ringing from the outside. Its never
done this before. I though that if the mains went off (powercut etc)
then the battery in the system would power the alarm. When I restored
the power the alarm stopped sounding.

The battery cant be flat I presume as otherwise the alarm wouldnt
sound at all with the mains off. I took the battery out of the alarm
control box thingy and tested it with a multimeter. It showed approx.
12 volts so it cant be flat.

Any ideas?

CM.

"Charles Middleton" wrote in message
om...
(If this is OT please feel free to direct me to the required NG -
thanks).

I turned my mains power off yesterday at my consumer unit and was
suprised to hear my burglar alarm ringing from the outside. Its never
done this before. I though that if the mains went off (powercut etc)
then the battery in the system would power the alarm. When I restored
the power the alarm stopped sounding.

The battery cant be flat I presume as otherwise the alarm wouldnt
sound at all with the mains off. I took the battery out of the alarm
control box thingy and tested it with a multimeter. It showed approx.
12 volts so it cant be flat.

Any ideas?

CM.

The alarm is taking the power out as being a problem and is sounding, any
good alarm also has a separate battery for the alarm sounder itself, so the
battery in the alarm unit indoors is beside the point!

Look at the literature for the alarm, you will probably find that the power
off alarm is intentional, I had to disconnect mine when I installed the
system as I considered it might be a nuisance.

MrCheerful

On 1 Mar 2004 05:04:43 -0800, in uk.d-i-y
(Charles Middleton) strung together this:

(If this is OT please feel free to direct me to the required NG -
thanks).

I turned my mains power off yesterday at my consumer unit and was
suprised to hear my burglar alarm ringing from the outside. Its never
done this before. I though that if the mains went off (powercut etc)
then the battery in the system would power the alarm. When I restored
the power the alarm stopped sounding.

The battery cant be flat I presume as otherwise the alarm wouldnt
sound at all with the mains off. I took the battery out of the alarm
control box thingy and tested it with a multimeter. It showed approx.
12 volts so it cant be flat.

But it is though. You need a new battery. The external sounder has its
own batteries so will continue sounding even with no mains or battery
at the control panel.
...

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd.

Subject: Alarm Problem (Possibly OT),
From: (Lurch)

But it is though. You need a new battery. The external sounder has its
own batteries so will continue sounding even with no mains or battery
at the control panel.

Not all alarm systems have a battery in the bell box, some are powered by the
accumalator in the alarm panel housing itself.

John.

On 01 Mar 2004 14:17:05 GMT, in uk.d-i-y (JhnWil875)
strung together this:

Subject: Alarm Problem (Possibly OT),
From: (Lurch)

But it is though. You need a new battery. The external sounder has its
own batteries so will continue sounding even with no mains or battery
at the control panel.

Not all alarm systems have a battery in the bell box, some are powered by the
accumalator in the alarm panel housing itself.

The what in the panel?
Some systems will be setup to draw power for the external sounder
from either the control panel or the battery in the bell box itself.
Maybe I should have said *most* likely problem is the battery in the
control panel. If it never did it before then it's not a control panel
feature, it's a knackered battery.
Your response may be spot on for some one elses panel, but not this
one.
...

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd.

On 1 Mar 2004 05:04:43 -0800, Charles Middleton wrote:

I though that if the mains went off (powercut etc) then the battery
in the system would power the alarm. When I restored the power the
alarm stopped sounding.

Seems to indicate that the battery in the panel is knackered. Any
decent system will have a battery in the sounder as well as in the
panel. The sounder is "held off" by volts from the panel. If those
volts disappear (cable cut, duff panel battery during power outage
WHY) then the sounder will decide something is amiss and make it's
displeasure known, running from it's own battery.

I took the battery out of the alarm control box thingy and tested it
with a multimeter. It showed approx. 12 volts so it cant be flat.

You need to see what it is under load, a 6W side light from a car will
draw about 1/2 an amp and do as a suitable load. Or, if your
neightbours don't mind the noise, measure the voltage with the battery
installed in the panel and the mains to the panel switched off.

TBH 12v off load for a fully charged SLA seems on the low side to me,
I'd expect over 13v.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Charles Middleton" wrote in message
om...
(If this is OT please feel free to direct me to the required NG -
thanks).

I turned my mains power off yesterday at my consumer unit and was
suprised to hear my burglar alarm ringing from the outside. Its never
done this before. I though that if the mains went off (powercut etc)
then the battery in the system would power the alarm. When I restored
the power the alarm stopped sounding.

I was going to suggest a flat battery in the panel, however.....

The battery cant be flat I presume as otherwise the alarm wouldnt
sound at all with the mains off. I took the battery out of the alarm
control box thingy and tested it with a multimeter. It showed approx.
12 volts so it cant be flat.

It still could be knackered - try turning the mains off again, and look to
see if the panels lights go off
It could also be a fuse for the battery has popped, so the battery is not
getting charged or used in the event of a power cut
If you take out the battery, then measure the leads that connected to the
battery, what do you get?

What make/model is the panel?

Sparks...

"Sparks" wrote in message
.. .

"Charles Middleton" wrote in message
om...
(If this is OT please feel free to direct me to the required NG -
thanks).

I turned my mains power off yesterday at my consumer unit and was
suprised to hear my burglar alarm ringing from the outside. Its never
done this before. I though that if the mains went off (powercut etc)
then the battery in the system would power the alarm. When I restored
the power the alarm stopped sounding.

I was going to suggest a flat battery in the panel, however.....

The battery cant be flat I presume as otherwise the alarm wouldnt
sound at all with the mains off. I took the battery out of the alarm
control box thingy and tested it with a multimeter. It showed approx.
12 volts so it cant be flat.

It still could be knackered - try turning the mains off again, and look to
see if the panels lights go off
It could also be a fuse for the battery has popped, so the battery is not
getting charged or used in the event of a power cut
If you take out the battery, then measure the leads that connected to the
battery, what do you get?

What make/model is the panel?

Sparks...



Surely this IS the symptom of a dud panel battery, and the Exterior bell box battery
powers the external sounder as it thinks its supply cable has been cut !

Nick

I turned my mains power off yesterday at my consumer unit and was
suprised to hear my burglar alarm ringing from the outside. Its never
done this before. I though that if the mains went off (powercut etc)
then the battery in the system would power the alarm. When I restored
the power the alarm stopped sounding.

I was going to suggest a flat battery in the panel, however.....

The battery cant be flat I presume as otherwise the alarm wouldnt
sound at all with the mains off. I took the battery out of the alarm
control box thingy and tested it with a multimeter. It showed approx.
12 volts so it cant be flat.

It still could be knackered - try turning the mains off again, and look to
see if the panels lights go off
It could also be a fuse for the battery has popped, so the battery is not
getting charged or used in the event of a power cut
If you take out the battery, then measure the leads that connected to the
battery, what do you get?

What make/model is the panel?

Surely this IS the symptom of a dud panel battery, and the Exterior bell box battery
powers the external sounder as it thinks its supply cable has been cut !

That too. It could be either. If the battery fuse has blown then the
SAB thinks the cable has been cut because it's receiving no power.
...

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd.

"Sparks" wrote in message
.. .


It still could be knackered - try turning the mains off again, and look to
see if the panels lights go off
It could also be a fuse for the battery has popped, so the battery is not
getting charged or used in the event of a power cut
If you take out the battery, then measure the leads that connected to the
battery, what do you get?

What make/model is the panel?

Hi, I meant to have a look at this this weekend but got distracted on other
jobs. Ill have a look when I'm back at the house the following weekend.

Cheers,

CM.