Planned power cut longer than alarms battery life

[BitStuck]

Morning everyone. Although I often seach DIYNOT for advise I've never posted before so please excuse any stupid things I may say. I am also not an alarm expert, just a user.

The main power lines to our village are being replaced this week and we have been notified that the power will be down for a considerable time. I'm concerned that this will be longer than our alarm's back-up battery life, and will cause issues with the alarm being set off and going into tamper mode.

I spoke to our alarm company today for some helpful advise and they have been absolutely useless. All they could say was they can send an engineer out. They can send an engineer out to disable the alarm, and then back out again to re-set it. Obviously this will be at a cost which we are not willing to pay as this power outage is out of our control, but also it would mean the additional cost of having 2 days off work for them to visit.

Can anyone offer any sensible advice?

My main concern is if the back-up battery dies and then the sounders go off at a ridiculous time of night, and also if it does think its been tampered with then I guess we will then have to get an engineer out to re-set it anyway. If the battery dies, it thinks its been tampered and then the power comes back on - what happens then. Will the sounders keep going until an engineer comes out?

 

[Alarm]

First of all that is a standard and correct response from the alarm company.
You are correct that the system will go into "Alert" when the power is cut, your code will silence this.
If and when the battery dies the external sounders will activate, however if it is a recent system 15 mins is the legal time allowed. If older then 20 mins.
You will not be able to stop this yourself with a code, you could get up a ladder and try and silence but most likely everyones will be ringing at this time and the one that goes on all night will be the non maintained one

How long is the power going to be off?
Most systems well designed will last many hours in a power cut.
Are you saying your going to be without power that long? I seriously doubt it.
If as you say the battery dies it should recharge and no the bells will not sound until an engineer arrives, your code will suffice.
You may need a anti-code reset after, if your on a central station connection, follow the standard procedure for this and all will be fine.

I think your worrying about nothing unless of course your going to be without power for days at a time.

PS the battery will recharge after the event, any issues will be shown on the keypad.

Did the alarm company not explain all of the above?

 

[Mrdjc]

Would it not be possible to temporarily add another battery to increase capacity?

 

[Alarm]

Possibly if it is a larger panel and could support a higher amperage battery. (For charging and space).
Still a service visit needed and the cost of the battery.

 

[BitStuck]

First of all that is a standard and correct response from the alarm company.
You are correct that the system will go into "Alert" when the power is cut, your code will silence this.
If and when the battery dies the external sounders will activate, however if it is a recent system 15 mins is the legal time allowed. If older then 20 mins.
You will not be able to stop this yourself with a code, you could get up a ladder and try and silence but most likely everyones will be ringing at this time and the one that goes on all night will be the non maintained one

How long is the power going to be off?
Most systems well designed will last many hours in a power cut.
Are you saying your going to be without power that long? I seriously doubt it.
If as you say the battery dies it should recharge and no the bells will not sound until an engineer arrives, your code will suffice.
You may need a anti-code reset after, if your on a central station connection, follow the standard procedure for this and all will be fine.

I think your worrying about nothing unless of course your going to be without power for days at a time.

PS the battery will recharge after the event, any issues will be shown on the keypad.

Did the alarm company not explain all of the above?

Thank you, that is more useful information than provided by the alarm company. They wouldn't tell me anything at all -, not explaining batteries or bells as you have so kindly explained - all questions were answered with. "We'd have to send an engineer to visit to discuss".

 

[Diyisfun]

I expect the alarm company only employs people for the 'norm' questions, I suspect that 'Alarm' is an engineer.

 

[bernardgreen]

If you are going to connect an extra battery to cope with a prolonged power outage then some care is needed.

Connecting a rechargeable battery in parallel with the existing one may cause more problems than it solves. The charger in the panel may not be able to cope with the extra charging current and one battery with a higher charge may discharge a heavy current into the other battery.

As it is only a one off situation use a non rechargable 12 volt battery but connect it using a diode to prevent the charger in the panel trying to charge it. It will not discharge into the existing battery as that will have voltage slightly higher than that of the non rechargable battery. Two 6 volt lantern batteries connected in series may be the best option.

During the power cut if the panel's rechargable battery's voltage drops to about 11 volts then the diode will start to conduct and the non rechargable battery will be powering the panel.

Suitable diode is 1N4002 from Maplins stock no QL74R with the cathode ( the end with the band ) connected to the +V battery in the panel and the anode connected to the +v of the non rechargable 12 volt battery. Negatives of the two batteries connected together.

 

[Alarm]

I expect the alarm company only employs people for the 'norm' questions, I suspect that 'Alarm' is an engineer.

Give that man a pineapple

 

[mattylad]

I wonder how this will affect the charger in the panel given that the power will be off?

 

[tomathy]

How does your alarm connect to the mains? Is it hardwired or with a 13a plug?

If it's a plug, and it were me, I'd hire a generator rather than pay for an alarm "engineer" to come out twice. Added bonus being that you don't need to empty the freezer / fridge / live in the dark.

 

[Alarm]

A plug?

Well if it is he might as well not set it as it does not conform. And I assume it does because there seems to be a maintenance contract in place.

Matty, if the charger is off-its off. Why would a power cut cause it any bother?

 

[big-all]

are you worried more than you need be
have you had several breakins recently in your area recently or are you just concerned ???

 

[Alarm]

As I said I cannot see the power being off more than a day at most ( how else they going to eat wash ect), so no problem if it is serviced and up to date.

 

[BigRobCanUFixIt]

make sure to have a massive feast the weekend before the power outage to empty the freezer. Or you could put charcoal between chicken wire around a small shed then pour water on the charcoal to make a chilled area to keep the contents of your fridge. Ensure tinned food and pot noodles are stocked up. and a gas cylinder for the camping gaz stove. Oh and a padlock to keep it all safe

 

[big-all]

turn you freezer on to super freeze for 24 hrs
when the power goes off take what you need from the freezer for the following 12 hours place this in the fridge if you don't have much stuff to pull out freeze 2x 2 or 3 litres plastic bottles full off water for the 24 hours then place these in the fridge
cover the freezer with a duvet to aid insulation it will be safe like this for around 24 hours if un opened
clear the quilt from the back 2 inches as soon as the power comes on to allow free circulation

only open the fridge when absolutely nessesery but never more often than 4 hrs

use a cool box fill this with the food for the next 4 hours if some is frozen this will keep it cool enough for the 4 hours cover the cool box with a duvet and sit on a towel

if nessiserry take stuff out off the freezer for a further 12 hours
you will have no risk from the food and doubt very much that anything in the freezer will get warmer than around -10 in the 24hrs a similar scenario to bringing frozen shopping home on a very hot day