Can I install a new battery without knowing the engineer code?

[sixwheeledbeast]

Shouldn't have been fitted like that, maybe if it had it's own way in the consumer but not on the lights.

The state of that consumer unit who knows what fun the electrics are.

[DiyAlarmTinkerer]

Haha, yeah the consumer unit is in a pretty **** state. The house is 100 years old, there are several generations of electrics running through these walls.

 

Nevertheless, what are my options here regarding the alarm?

The only thing I want to acheive is to ensure that the alarm does not ring out indefinately if there is ever a powercut and piss off the neighbours (The manual, if I'm reading it correctly, says it only sounds for 20 minutes by default, but I don't know whether this has been changed or whether I'm even reading the manual correctly).

[james.wilson]

regardless, the panel should have a spur.

[JimD]

I can't see your video (it's marked 'private') but I also inherited a ADE Optima Compact with the house I bought and I've changed the battery several times without using anything but the user code (at least the code I was given by the previous occupant to set and unset the alarm, which I assume is the 'user code'). Disclaimer - I'm not a professional alarm person.

 

All I did was take the cover off (the alarm sounds immediately because of the tamper switch - but you can silence it with the user code), disconnect the old battery and connect the new battery. Then replace the cover and press the 'Reset' button to get rid of the Tamper indication. Mine worked normally after doing that.

[DiyAlarmTinkerer]

1 minute ago, JimD said:

I can't see your video (it's marked 'private') but I also inherited a ADE Optima Compact with the house I bought and I've changed the battery several times without using anything but the user code (at least the code I was given by the previous occupant to set and unset the alarm, which I assume is the 'user code'). Disclaimer - I'm not a professional alarm person.

 

All I did was take the cover off (the alarm sounds immediately because of the tamper switch - but you can silence it with the user code), disconnect the old battery and connect the new battery. Then replace the cover and press the 'Reset' button to get rid of the Tamper indication. Mine worked normally after doing that.

Thanks @JimD. I moved the video to private for privacy after we established that it doesn't have the fused spur that everybody here is focusing on.

 

It's good to know that I can silence it with the user code - the manual doesn't go into much detail about what the user code can/cannot do - I was very concerned about it getting into tamper mode and me not being able to disable it again.

 

I think my plan of action, in order, is going to be:

1. Replace the battery so that the alarm doesn't sound after a short power cut (Now that I know I can silence the tamper alarm when it goes off)
2. Attempt the default engineer code so that I can adjust the bell timeout to something relatively short (mostly so I have the peace of mind that if it ever did sound that it wouldn't sound forever and keep the neightbours up until I returned home)
3. Get an electrician/alarm-person in to fix up the general alarm setup (There is also a panic button near the door that I want removed)

[sixwheeledbeast]

Not worth a battery, open up power down.

Putting a new battery in a panel that's not charging would "fix" it for a week or so.

 

[MrHappy]

36 minutes ago, DiyAlarmTinkerer said:

Thanks @JimD. I moved the video to private for privacy after we established that it doesn't have the fused spur that everybody here is focusing on.

 

 

A fused spur is requirement of the BS standard

 

It provides means of isolation before removing the lid & some controls don't have fuse inside for the mains input

 

 

36 minutes ago, DiyAlarmTinkerer said:

Get an electrician/alarm-person in to fix up the general alarm setup (There is also a panic button near the door that I want removed)

 

 

Don't get the same electrician which did the consumers unit....

 

The current alarm panel is not approved to EN 50131, a proper alarm co, will want to replace the controls

[DiyAlarmTinkerer]

7 hours ago, sixwheeledbeast said:

Not worth a battery, open up power down.

 

 

How do I power it down? I'd be happy to go with this option.

 

7 hours ago, sixwheeledbeast said:

Putting a new battery in a panel that's not charging would "fix" it for a week or so.

 

 

Ah, I see. They're meant to trickle-charge 24/7 usually and never go flat? So there is either a problem with the charging circuit or the battery is a dud and no longer holds a charge? For the sake of £10, is it worth attempting a new battery in case of the latter?

 

6 hours ago, MrHappy said:

Don't get the same electrician which did the consumers unit....

 

Haha. Given the consumer unit was installed several decades before I puchased the property, I very much doubt I'd be able to find that electrician even if I tried.

[MrHappy]

3 hours ago, DiyAlarmTinkerer said:

How do I power it down? I'd be happy to go with this option.

 

 

Remove the fuse from the fused spur underneath the controls.....

 

3 hours ago, DiyAlarmTinkerer said:

Ah, I see. They're meant to trickle-charge 24/7 usually and never go flat? So there is either a problem with the charging circuit or the battery is a dud and no longer holds a charge? For the sake of £10, is it worth attempting a new battery in case of the latter?

 

 

On the circuit board there's 4 diodes, which create a bridge rectifier, the prolonger current & heat from charging a duff battery knackers 'em 

 

3 hours ago, DiyAlarmTinkerer said:

Haha. Given the consumer unit was installed several decades before I puchased the property, I very much doubt I'd be able to find that electrician even if I tried.

 

 

Normally a consumer unit has little sticker with the companies name,

When you purchase a property you should get the electrical certificates or get a periodic test undertaken at the seller expensive before exchanging

Depending on date of works & assuming your in England or Wales you electical work may recording on the Councils planning portal

 

 

[DiyAlarmTinkerer]

10 hours ago, MrHappy said:

Remove the fuse from the fused spur underneath the controls.....

 

I'm not sure if I'm missing something or if you're just taking the piss.

 

10 hours ago, MrHappy said:

On the circuit board there's 4 diodes, which create a bridge rectifier, the prolonger current & heat from charging a duff battery knackers 'em

 

That sucks. Is it simple enough to test the state of the rectifier with a multimeter?