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I turned off a breaker for about an hour. I then heard a low beeping noise, not the full-blown alarm siren. I turned the breaker back on, but the beeping persisted.

We called the alarm company. They told us the police were never notified and that we can just reset the system by holding a key down on the number pad for 3 seconds.

The beeping started up again last night and again this morning. Each time we have been pressing the reset button to stop it. I was wondering if the security system might have a backup battery, and, if so, if the system is saying the battery needs to be replaced?

Peter Mortensen
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YesterdaysTools
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4 Answers4

31

Most alarm systems have a backup battery.

It would appear likely that yours is indicating failure and need of replacement. I would expect a competent alarm monitoring service to advise you of that (or any other reason for a recurring trouble code), so you may want to shop around for a different service.

Ecnerwal
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9

This is typical. The alarm system is normally powered by your home AC power. It may be hardwired, though typically for small alarms use a plug in adapter with low voltage wires routed through the wall to the main alarm unit. There is also a battery backup, possibly rechargeable, but even rechargeable batteries can wear out.

When you turned off the power, the battery discharged enough to indicate the need for replacement. When you turned power back on, that allowed the alarm to work again but did not remove the low/replacement battery condition.

Battery replacement is usually pretty easy - a few screws and then two wires. The batteries can vary from a traditional 6V "lantern battery" to a modern rechargeable battery pack. While the alarm company should be able to tell you exactly what type of battery you have/need, often the easiest way to figure it out is to simply find the battery, remove it and take it to a battery store, or order a replacement online based on the battery specifications.

Many alarm companies will notify you automatically in case of a low battery situation. This is important because if the low battery happens while you are away you may not realize that there is a problem until the battery goes dead and the alarm no longer works. They may also have tried to notify you on an old number - e.g., many people no longer answer their landline except for friends/family - so periodic updating of the alarm company notification information is worthwhile too.

manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
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7

You need to find your user's manual for your alarm system, and see what it has to say. If you don't have one, then talk to your alarm company.

Yes, it's likely it's complaining about the battery. They need to be replaced every 3 to 5 years. The alarm can sense if it's not getting up to full charge anymore.

Another thing that alarms can complain about are smoke detectors. They will test and check your smoke detectors on the order of once a day. If that detects a failure, they will complain about that. Your user manual should tell you what the different indicators are.

DaveM
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2

It's worth also mentioning that the siren may also have its own backup battery, so if the problem persists after swapping the backup, this might be the solution.

Lefty
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