Mains wiring old intruder alarm.

[fatsamurai]

Hi there.

I have just moved into a new house. There is a burglar alarm installed but it has not been wired into the mains.

The panel is in the understairs cupboard, just above the consumer unit. It looks like it was previously wired into a 3amp FCU, then into the fusebox. The FCU is still there, but it isn't wired into the CU.

How easy would it be to reinstall this device into the consumer unit, and what would be the correct way to do it?

 

[davelx]

Is there spare fuseway? Ideally fit 5A/6A protective device in that and wire in 1.5mm to the FCU with 3A fuse. Should be non-RCD protected. This would be notifiable.

Picture of CU would help.

You can spur off an existing 30A/32A ring final circuit directly from the CU with 2.5mm cable, if the CU has large enough terminals to accept 3x2.5 conductors. This would (arguably) be non-notifiable.

 

[macmini]

I'd firstly be wondering why it was disconnected?

 

[fatsamurai]

Thanks for those. Just the type of answers I was looking for.

I'm not sure why the device was disconnected. I hooked up the internal battery, which was disconnected, and the whole unit came to life. There are no signs of damage to the unit itself.

What do you mean by notifiable and non-notifiable? I'll get those pictures of the CU up. Cover on, or cover off?

 

[Steve]

Thanks for those. Just the type of answers I was looking for.

I'm not sure why the device was disconnected. I hooked up the internal battery, which was disconnected, and the whole unit came to life. There are no signs of damage to the unit itself.

What do you mean by notifiable and non-notifiable? I'll get those pictures of the CU up. Cover on, or cover off?

cover off. also the innards of the alarm, so we can tell you what brand it is and whether its worth reconnecting

 

[davelx]

What do you mean by notifiable and non-notifiable? I'll get those pictures of the CU up. Cover on, or cover off?

Electrical work is now covered by building regulations. Some jobs, including adding a new circuit, have either to be notified to Building Control in advance, and inspected & tested by them in order to issue a completion certificate, or have to be done by an electrician who is a member of a scheme that enables him to self certify the work and notify LABC on completion.

Other job, such as adding a spur to an existing circuit not in a kitchen or bathroom, need not be notified.

None of this has any bearing on how the wiring is actually done - that is the IEE regs and they have not changed since 2004.

For full details, look in the Wiki unter Part P.