Things you need to know if you're replacing the alarm battery
Why does a hardwired alarm have a battery? The backup battery ensures that the alarm system will remain armed and continue to protect your home during a power out or if a burglar cuts the power to your property.
A hardwired alarm system rechargeable backup battery should last from 2 to 5 years but if the alarm was installed or last serviced before you moved in you may need to change it sooner.
Tips for house alarm battery replacement
Check your alarm manual for instructions on how to change the battery in your specific security alarm system as each setup can differ slightly.
Often the system will alert the user to a failing battery or will show a fault code indicating a power issue (refer to the manual for code explanations). Sometimes the unit will emit a super annoying beep when the battery needs replacing, it's not fun but helps encourage you to get the job done.
Notify your alarm monitoring company before you do anything to let them know you're working on the system otherwise they will treat it as a normal activation and carry out the standard alarm activation procedures.
Some alarm monitoring and installation companies require all work on the system to be carried out by their technicians, make sure you check your service agreement if you have one before attempting to change the battery yourself.
Important Tip - The alarm will go off when you open the alarm control panel box. Sirens, lights, the whole show. This is because the control box has a tamper sensor to prevent potential thieves from cutting off or deactivating the alarm from here.
Because of this make sure you carry out the battery replacement at a socially acceptable time for the alarm to sound (avoid early in the morning on weekends or late at night to keep the neighbours happy).
If possible have someone at the keypad when you are opening the control panel box to deactivate the alarm or enter the correct code to set in 'work' mode as soon as possible to reduce the time the siren sounds.
Get ready - have the new battery ready to go before you open the control panel to save having to notify the monitoring company and annoying the neighbours twice.
If you're not sure, call in the professionals. Your security alarm specialist can take care of the alarm battery replacement and give your system a routine maintenance check in one visit to ensure everything is working correctly and your system is providing the best protection for your home.
Please note - this article references the main rechargeable backup battery for the alarm system. If you have wireless battery-powered components such as sensors, motion detectors, cameras etc they may need the battery changed more often. Consult your wireless alarm manual for instructions on how to do this.
More information on alarm battery replacement can be found: