Intruder alarm cable - can we break and rejoin?

[brettjbuckley]

Our intruder alarm does not have any slack on the cables leading to the PIRs - this will be a problem due to some rome rennovation work.

Is it acceptable to cut, lengthen and rejoin or should a new length be run (it's a fairly long run in awkward locations)?

 

[mapj1]

If the cable is correct and the joints are adequately protected for their environment, using suitable connection method, yes.

 

[Deryck Tintagel]

You can use an 8-way junction box available from alarm suppliers or Maplin.

Don't forget that there is 12V on the cable which could be shorted if the cable is simply cut. This will blow the low voltage supply fuse on the control panel. The only way to get around this with confidence is to open the panel and remove the AUX fuse but this will cause an internal alarm.

 

[breezer]

You can use an 8-way junction box available from alarm suppliers or Maplin..

you dont want to do that , may not be enough room!

solder and sleave them, much easier / neater

The only way to get around this with confidence is to open the panel and remove the AUX fuse

not true, you can dissconect either or both of the supply cables to the detectors from the Aux terminals

 

[plugwash]

or just disable the panel completely during the works (assuming you have the know-how to do this)

 

[Lectrician]

Thats a bugger to do - you have to remove the battery from the SAB.

Any joints, to comply, should be protected in a tamper proof enclosure.

 

[breezer]

Any joints, to comply, should be protected in a tamper proof enclosure.

the way round that one is to put the joint behind the detector.

also tamper proof junction boxes cause false alarms. (tampers) 99% of them have little "leaf connections" which over time do go high resistance so causing a false alarm.

since the poster is doing it himself it does not require tampered junction boxes, because it is only for his own benefit, not a high security installation

 

[Lectrician]

If the joint is 'in the vision' o a PIR, or you have to breech a PIR to gain access to the joint, then I believe it still complies

 

[breezer]

I think you are thinking of "protected area" that basically means that any thing to do with the alarm must be protected by....the alarm.

so for example, if you had a pir in a room you could not bring the cable for that pir up the wall of the room adjacent (so that you can them come in through the rear), unless that room too had a detector / contact

 

[Mug-o-Latte]

or just disable the panel completely during the works (assuming you have the know-how to do this)

So, having just decided to re-route an alarm cable before reading this post ... I opened the alarm 'box' in the attic and set off an internal alarm (fortunately not the outside alarm otherwise the SAS might have broken down the front door!), any ideas how I disable the panel or the alarm box, or is it just the case of removing the front of the alarm box and removing the 12v battery while wearing ear defenders?

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

No ones mentioned it, but before starting anything - make sure that you also have the service engineer code. I seem to remember that if you are messing about with the tamper circuit, the panel has to be reset using this code rather than just the user code. This twas about 8 years ago... So may have remembered wrong!

 

[alarm_guy]

or just disable the panel completely during the works (assuming you have the know-how to do this)

So, having just decided to re-route an alarm cable before reading this post ... I opened the alarm 'box' in the attic and set off an internal alarm (fortunately not the outside alarm otherwise the SAS might have broken down the front door!), any ideas how I disable the panel or the alarm box, or is it just the case of removing the front of the alarm box and removing the 12v battery while wearing ear defenders?

What exactly are you doing? Unless you're changing the alarm panel, bell box, or bell cable, you should'nt need to disconnect the bell box's internal battery. Entering your user code should silence the tamper alarm you got from removing the panel cover. As stated, entering the engineer's code will prevent any more tamper alarms while you're working on the system. What's the panel called?

 

[breezer]

. What's the panel called?

Fred?

i think you mean what make / model is it

 

[Mug-o-Latte]

The panel is a very old (1991) Scantronic 9800 Electronic Intruder Alarm. I obviously have the user code, but any idea what the engineers code would be to disable the system while I move some wires?

 

[breezer]

but any idea what the engineers code would be to disable the system

SORRY, but how would we know what the engineers code is for the panel in your house. who ever installed it will know (default code is 7890)