Intruder Alarm Sounding During Power Cut

No TV, no boiling the kettle, no house or street lights and a race against time to save the food in the freezer - a few common problems that occur when there is a power cut in your neighbourhood. To top it off, somewhere in your street there is an intruder alarm siren sounding during the power cut - you’ll notice this most during the middle of the night! - but how can it sound without electricity?

An intruder alarm system’s main source of supply comes from normal mains electricity, but the alarm control panel has a built in battery that will kick in and power the alarm system in the event of a power cut.
​
At least that’s what should happen if the system has been regularly serviced, a well maintained alarm system should not sound during a power cut. Apart from a warning light/beep/notification on the alarm control panel or keypad informing the user that the electricity is off, the alarm system should work as normal for a good number of hours on battery power.
​

---

​With security in mind I won't go into technical details how - but during a power cut, intruder alarm systems which also have a dead control panel battery will sound.

So a very high percentage of the time when you hear an intruder alarm system sounding during a power cut it usually means the alarm’s control panel battery needs replacing.  Control panel back up batteries should be replaced after a maximum period of 5 years 

With various codes and security measures built into alarm systems and with safety a high priority alarm control panel batteries should be replaced by trained security system engineers.  The good news is that a new battery and even throwing in an alarm system service can cost as little as £50.00.
​
A small price to pay for not only a good night’s siren-free sleep but also for security and protection of you, your loved ones and your property.