Home alarm system SLA sealed lead acid battery replacement interval

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#1210349 8-Jan-2015 08:56

Can you open the box and find an off switch?

robcreid

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#1210357 8-Jan-2015 09:25

timmmay: Can you open the box and find an off switch?

I've opened it up, no obvious off switch and nothing in the manual that I can see for code sequences to switch it off.

timmmay

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#1210359 8-Jan-2015 09:32

Post a photo of the inside, with a make and model. Or just hit it with a hammer. There must be a way of switching it off.

gbwelly

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#1210425 8-Jan-2015 10:56

robcreid:
timmmay: Can you open the box and find an off switch?

I've opened it up, no obvious off switch and nothing in the manual that I can see for code sequences to switch it off.

The last two I've disabled, I've turned off the mains, opened the box and removed the battery, then pulled the fuse. I unscrew from the wall and unplug the control panel, replace it with a blank plate. Tape the fuse to the inside of the case, put the control panel inside the case too and close the door. Then if someone wants to reconstitue it in the future they can.

NZSpides

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#1210511 8-Jan-2015 13:14

I would follow gbwelly's advice.

The only issue you may have is if the outside siren has a battery. If you turn off the alarm panel, the outside siren may start squawking.

If you have a large metal outside siren, odds are you have a battery in it.
Just open up the enclosure and disconnect the battery.

!!WARNING!! if you are up a ladder when doing this, be fully prepared for the siren to start screaming at you - you don't want to get startled and fall off!
I'm not joking, if you're not wearing earmuffs and you're not expecting it, you will involuntary jump/lurch enough to fall.

Many alarms don't have "off switches, you'll most likely encounter a mounted fuse inside the alarm enclosure.
Just pull that, and disconnect the battery and if you don't have an external siren with battery, you're done. :-)

As for the Bosch manual - just google "Bosch alarm user manual" and you'll find a manual you can use.
If its like 90% of the ones installed in NZ for the last 15 years, the manuals should all pretty much be the same.

Niel

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#1210745 8-Jan-2015 18:42

At work we buy those 7Ah batteries for about $4 each, but we do buy a few thousand a year (for our solar electric fence energizers).

2 year replacement interval is because it is a safety alert device and you do get random failures. Not critical in NZ, but certainly in a country like South Africa where your life depends on being alerted of danger. Also, NZ has short power outages so you don't need a week of backup power. My alarm battery is now about 12 years old, but not concerned at all (and I'm from South Africa).

It is normal for periodic automatic battery testing, but will only flag a fault when it is nearly dead. Cheap alarms however will not do a test.

A battery can be flagged as low at one temperature but not at another, because the terminal voltage is temperature dependent. I have that issue with 9V alkaline batteries in my fire alarms.

You can never have enough Volvos!

timmmay

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#1210766 8-Jan-2015 19:22

I was hoping you'd contribute Niel, I feel more comfortable leaving the battery another couple of years now.

The alarm apparently does a battery test every 4 hours and when the system is armed. I don't know what pass vs fail means though - fail might be "still kinda working" or "completely stuffed".

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jeffnz

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#1210787 8-Jan-2015 20:14

Niel: At work we buy those 7Ah batteries for about $4 each, but we do buy a few thousand a year (for our solar electric fence energizers).

2 year replacement interval is because it is a safety alert device and you do get random failures. Not critical in NZ, but certainly in a country like South Africa where your life depends on being alerted of danger. Also, NZ has short power outages so you don't need a week of backup power. My alarm battery is now about 12 years old, but not concerned at all (and I'm from South Africa).

It is normal for periodic automatic battery testing, but will only flag a fault when it is nearly dead. Cheap alarms however will not do a test.

A battery can be flagged as low at one temperature but not at another, because the terminal voltage is temperature dependent. I have that issue with 9V alkaline batteries in my fire alarms.

interesting you buy for $4, the company I work for imports about 4000 per month and pays more than that.

Most of the ones supplied are made in China even known brands like Panasonic as the original ones from Japan are so expensive but generally no better than the Chinese ones.

All batteries are effected by extreme high and low temperatures but high temperatures can dry the glass matting that has the absorbed acid in it so can and will denigrate the life cycle.

Its an old ploy that they change the batteries as generally they are fine but it keeps companies like ourselves in business.

Tim if you are concerned mail me and I can get one for you.

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robcreid

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#1210789 8-Jan-2015 20:21

I had another look at our box, realised that the power input on it is labeled 16 volt not 240, traced the power wires out of the box and under some pink bats and found a transformer which is then hardwired into the back of a nearby power outlet.
I can disconnect the 16v input but i'll still be left with the always on transformer so I think I'll just let a sparky sort it our next time we get one in.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Niel

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#1210810 8-Jan-2015 21:01

jeffnz:
interesting you buy for $4, the company I work for imports about 4000 per month and pays more than that.

I'll try and remember to check the price tomorrow. It might be US$, but still. And I would not consider it to be quality (although that is just an impression). Our company works hard to get low prices. You should see what we pay for solar panels.

You can never have enough Volvos!

timmmay

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#1210811 8-Jan-2015 21:01

jeffnz:
Niel: At work we buy those 7Ah batteries for about $4 each, but we do buy a few thousand a year (for our solar electric fence energizers).

2 year replacement interval is because it is a safety alert device and you do get random failures. Not critical in NZ, but certainly in a country like South Africa where your life depends on being alerted of danger. Also, NZ has short power outages so you don't need a week of backup power. My alarm battery is now about 12 years old, but not concerned at all (and I'm from South Africa).

It is normal for periodic automatic battery testing, but will only flag a fault when it is nearly dead. Cheap alarms however will not do a test.

A battery can be flagged as low at one temperature but not at another, because the terminal voltage is temperature dependent. I have that issue with 9V alkaline batteries in my fire alarms.

interesting you buy for $4, the company I work for imports about 4000 per month and pays more than that.

Most of the ones supplied are made in China even known brands like Panasonic as the original ones from Japan are so expensive but generally no better than the Chinese ones.

All batteries are effected by extreme high and low temperatures but high temperatures can dry the glass matting that has the absorbed acid in it so can and will denigrate the life cycle.

Its an old ploy that they change the batteries as generally they are fine but it keeps companies like ourselves in business.

Tim if you are concerned mail me and I can get one for you.

May take you up on that, but probably not for a year or two thanks Jeff :) Sounds like it'll be fine for a while longer.

robcreid: I had another look at our box, realised that the power input on it is labeled 16 volt not 240, traced the power wires out of the box and under some pink bats and found a transformer which is then hardwired into the back of a nearby power outlet.
I can disconnect the 16v input but i'll still be left with the always on transformer so I think I'll just let a sparky sort it our next time we get one in.

Thanks for the advice guys.

I'd disconnect the input, at least then it's not using power.

Niel

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#1210921 9-Jan-2015 08:10

Niel:
jeffnz:
interesting you buy for $4, the company I work for imports about 4000 per month and pays more than that.

I'll try and remember to check the price tomorrow. It might be US$, but still. And I would not consider it to be quality (although that is just an impression). Our company works hard to get low prices. You should see what we pay for solar panels.

Ah, it was a different battery. 6V 4Ah is about $4.50 and 12V 7Ah is about $12 (excluding GST).

You can never have enough Volvos!

timmmay

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#1210923 9-Jan-2015 08:16

That's still a LOT better than the retail price of $30 - $40.

dolsen

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#1210953 9-Jan-2015 09:15

robcreid: I had another look at our box, realised that the power input on it is labeled 16 volt not 240, traced the power wires out of the box and under some pink bats and found a transformer which is then hardwired into the back of a nearby power outlet.
I can disconnect the 16v input but i'll still be left with the always on transformer so I think I'll just let a sparky sort it our next time we get one in.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Are you able to post a picture? As you say it's hard wired into the back of a power outlet, I'm assuming it's a bare transformer (Marque Magnetics?) and not a plug pack. Having one of these, directly under a pink back with no additional protection sounds like it would not meet standards for protection of the primary side of the transformer. Inside a grounded metal box, ok - Sitting exposed underneath a pink back, not ok.

Having said that, it could be a different type of transformer, within a casing so, apart from any heat issues, it might be ok.

I would expect it to be a cased transformer, however, I have seen some funny things with alarms (and I'm neither an electrician nor an alarm tech - just from the very small sample of houses I've owned).

Jase2985

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#1210958 9-Jan-2015 09:23

Niel: Ah, it was a different battery. 6V 4Ah is about $4.50 and 12V 7Ah is about $12 (excluding GST).

that sounds about right

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