Include external battery for emergency power outages

[bobthedob]

Hi,

I have an old Castle Meridian panel with the standard 7Ahr standby battery in it.

We recently had a severe (24hr) powercut and the battery very nearly drained. Spent the night nervously waiting for the bells to go off!!

I would like to buy a nice 17Ahr battery to keep as a spare, and then clip that in manually when we get a major power cut.

I can not replace the internal 7Ahr with the bigger 17Ahr because the charging board in the panel wouldn't cope - correct?

As long as I sort out some manual switching from the internal battery to the external battery (eg; not run them together in parallel) then it should work in theory?

Alternatively, could I add an extra box with my 17Ahr battery and its own charger, and simply connect that in instead?

My alarm company want about £250 - £300 to do this, so I am looking at alternatives!!

Thanks

 

[Alarm]

Is it monitored?

 

[bobthedob]

Nope.

Just bells - and friendly/helpful neighbours

Is it monitored?

 

[Alarm]

Which model, as some meridians can take a 17ah ?

 

[bobthedob]

How do I tell what panel?

I am pretty sure the alarm company told me it wouldn't support a 17Ah.

Which model, as some meridians can take a 17ah ?

 

[Alarm]

Have a look here

http://www.castle-caretech.com/product-menu.html

See if you can find it.

Or look on the panel, should be a label/sticker.

 

[bobthedob]

Meridian Endstation
CT 3050

The label says

Have a look here

http://www.castle-caretech.com/product-menu.html

See if you can find it.

Or look on the panel, should be a label/sticker.

 

[Alarm]

Ahh it is a old one then.
They are probably fitting a "smart psu" that talks to the panel and about the right price.

 

[bobthedob]

Ahh it is a old one then.
They are probably fitting a "smart psu" that talks to the panel and about the right price.

That as may be I don't really want to spend that much, so I'll keep a charged 17Ah nearby and then if there is a power-cut I will connect the big 17Ah in parallel and then manually disconnect the little 7Ah. That will leave the panel running off the 17Ah.

I will need to manually switch back when the power returns. Or will it blow the charging circuit when the power returns?

Maybe I need to ask my electronics expert to design me a little circuit board to do this!!

Any other cheap solutions to the long power-cut scenario?

 

[Alarm]

You will need to bypass the charging circuit or it will not like it.
24 hours from a 7ah is good, its not a big system then.

How will you monitor the 17ah? and charge that?
You`ll also have to keep that charging circuit away from the panel. Two relays maybe 3, so more to go wrong.

After all the messing about it will be expensive to a degree and not monitored, which could end up blowing the panel anyway.

False economy springs to mins here.

 

[bobthedob]

Oh dear. I was hoping it wouldn't be that hard

You will need to bypass the charging circuit or it will not like it.
24 hours from a 7ah is good, its not a big system then.

I was exaggerating. It was less than that. I was trying to set the seen for a loooonnnngggg powercut. Not sure exactly how long it actually was.

How will you monitor the 17ah? and charge that?

I was going to buy the proper smart charger to keep the Yuasa fully charged. Then leave it plugged in next to the panel.

You`ll also have to keep that charging circuit away from the panel. Two relays maybe 3, so more to go wrong.

True, but when the power is off that is not a problem. It is when the power comes back that I have the problem - correct?

After all the messing about it will be expensive to a degree and not monitored, which could end up blowing the panel anyway.

False economy springs to mins here.

You could well be right but I am not really ready to be spending the thick end of £300 for a once a year or once every two years scenario!
Yes I am being cheap

 

[Alarm]

Did the battery actually run down?
Did the panel go into battery fault?

Is the old battery damaged in any way, hot, case deformed?

Ask the company for the expected standby time.

If nothing happened last time and it was no longer than usual for the duration why are you worried?

 

[bobthedob]

Did the battery actually run down?

No the bells didn't actually go off

Did the panel go into battery fault?

Yes

Is the old battery damaged in any way, hot, case deformed?

Nothing wrong with the battery, and was replaced last year

If nothing happened last time and it was no longer than usual for the duration why are you worried?

Don't want to go to bed in the dark just waiting for the bells to start going off. Didn't make for a restful night's sleep. What if the power cut had gone on another hour?

 

[Alarm]

How long was it off for?
What is the current draw of your alarm in standby?

Did you confuse a mains fail with a battery fault?

 

[bobthedob]

What is the current draw of your alarm in standby?

That's probably the key question isn't it? I will try that tomorrow.

I will open the panel (which will set off the tamper, but I can silence with my code?) and then put a meter on the battery to measure the current. Then I will turn of the mains to the panel and measure what happens.

That will give me the current draw won't it?