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New home, old alarm


GregT

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Would really appreciate some help. I am fairly decent DIY’er. We have moved home and the new property has an alarm installed but it hasn’t been used for a few years. I removed the front panel and the battery is disconnected and internal fuse removed.

i have absolutely no manuals nor any help from the previous owner who had always let out the property. But I see the key pad is a Menvier unit. I can’t see any branding inside the main box. 

 

i thought I should just replace the fuse and see if it works. But I have no idea what code I will need to punch in, to programme etc. Any clues? Will it need a code if it’s been completely disconnected  for a few years?

 

Many thanks

Greg 

 

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We cant give out defaulting codes or instructions for security reasons. You also have the issue of not having any of the current codes.

I see a couple of options, get an installer to recommission and service it with the hope it's in serviceable condition not disconnected due to some intermittent fault.

Alternatively fit a new system that hopefully you can work out how to do from the instructions onto the existing wiring. It's really down to how much you value your security and your time.

 

 

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47 minutes ago, GregT said:

Would really appreciate some help. I am fairly decent DIY’er. We have moved home and the new property has an alarm installed but it hasn’t been used for a few years. I removed the front panel and the battery is disconnected and internal fuse removed.

i have absolutely no manuals nor any help from the previous owner who had always let out the property. But I see the key pad is a Menvier unit. I can’t see any branding inside the main box. 

 

i thought I should just replace the fuse and see if it works. But I have no idea what code I will need to punch in, to programme etc. Any clues? Will it need a code if it’s been completely disconnected  for a few years?

 

Many thanks

Greg 

 

 

As above we can't send out defaulting information, but if you want send us a picture of the keypad and main panel and as it's certain to be ancient anyway we can recommend a replacement.

So, I've decided to take my work back underground.... to stop it falling into the wrong hands

 

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Looks like a slightly newer model TS700 (not the one with trafo embedded slightly awkwardly into the PCB...)

 

Battery doesn't say 'MADE IN UK' so at least it's been changed once in a lifetime ;)

 

OP it's very old, would recommend an upgrade. Now, depends how handy you are.

 

It's wired with 4 wires per detector plus power, so most panels will need you to open each detector and make a couple of wiring changes + adding resistors.

Or, fit an i-On40 for which you can buy a 4 wire adaptor (I'm unsure if other co's make these).

 

However.... as you say it's been disconnected. Are all the PIRs (motion detectors) the same? What other zones are there?

Bellbox outside and sounder inside too? Do you have pets? Any above average valuables?

So, I've decided to take my work back underground.... to stop it falling into the wrong hands

 

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Thanks for all the postings. Do appreciate it. 
All the motion detectors look the same. There is an alarm box outside and I assume the attached photo is an inside sounder?

 

the previous owner was an overseas landlord who didn’t care about her tenants, by all accounts. I am guessing it was disconnected to prevent day to day problems, but I could be wrong. 
I say this as there are all sorts of other things here that have been disconnected for no apparent reason (eg water softener that works fine).

06A8EAD6-CD76-4BA9-BA19-E07F5207951A.jpeg

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Yes that's almost certainly speaker (driven by the panel its = to a sounder, most panels (but not all) support a speaker).

 

So the most important bit about an alarm, even though it seems to have once been a decent model put in by a large firm, is; would it meet your needs.

Design of a system is the bit where ideally no matter how good a DIYer you are, you need a pro to look at things.

 

So, do you have any special requirements, e.g. large / expensive items? Do you have pets? Who will be using the alarm (just you, children, parents, etc...)

What do you expect to happen when the alarm goes off (e.g. loud noise, call to yourself / keyholder, police response?)

 

Best thing to do is answer the above and sketch out the house (just paper & pencil are fine) with sensors e.g PIR and door in their current positions

So, I've decided to take my work back underground.... to stop it falling into the wrong hands

 

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Thanks

And I have now found a note that it is indeed the TS700 and also have (won’t mention publicly), the engineers and master users code. I would like to see if it works if I can. 
Do I just switch it on, and punch the code in. Realise it’s more complicated that just that, but in principle is that the way forward to test it? Having moved home, the bank balance is a bit low at present to invest in a new one. 

We don’t have any real valuables, but be good to have it working as a deterrent regardless. So just a simple alarm ringing for neighbours to hear and act as a deterrent, with nothing more sophisticated like phone calls, police alert etc. 
We do have a dog, who is not allowed upstairs (stair gate stops her even if tempted). But probably would only use it when we are away, so no dog here then. 
according to what I can see, irs been set up with 10 different areas. Seems over complicated to me. Simple on and off would probably do! Or maybe just upstairs and downstairs if we wanted to use it with dog at home. 

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Yes that sounds like zones. I would leave powering it up until you have a new 7AH battery, or it won't be worth the effort (without a working battery it will probably beep constantly).

I would assume that the battery you have is goosed, they need replacing every 5 years absolute max anyway.

 

For simplicity I would go to your nearest Toolstation and get a Yucell - https://www.toolstation.com/sealed-lead-acid-battery/p79562

 

I prefer Yuasa myself (other probably have favourites too) but in quantities of 1 P+P usually makes it a bit silly. You might be able to get a YUASA at a sensible price

from a branch of Rexel or sometimes, oddly, Amazon on Prime delivery.

 

When you've done that let us know by posting back here :)

So, I've decided to take my work back underground.... to stop it falling into the wrong hands

 

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Hi

I haven't bought the battery just yet but was just thinking things through.A basic question I am sure, but will the main external bell also have a battery in it? If so, I guess I need to get up there and see what battery it is to replace that too. 

The backup batter in the main panel is marked as having been installed in 2005!

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8 minutes ago, GregT said:

I haven't bought the battery just yet

 

get a dog instead, you'll make new friends whilst wondering around with a plastic bag of dog shit in your pocket....

 

8 minutes ago, GregT said:

A basic question I am sure, but will the main external bell also have a battery in it? If so, I guess I need to get up there and see what battery it is to replace that too. 

 

ni-cad, just buy a complete sounder (or a dog)

Mr? Veritas God

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1 hour ago, GregT said:

Hi

I haven't bought the battery just yet but was just thinking things through.A basic question I am sure, but will the main external bell also have a battery in it? If so, I guess I need to get up there and see what battery it is to replace that too. 

The backup batter in the main panel is marked as having been installed in 2005!

Is bell high up?

 

 

What do you do for a living ?

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Mr Happy - A dog might be an easier option you're right! 

Al-yeti - Not too high, I think I can access from the window

 

Do I need to replace the  external sounder battery, assuming

(a) it does use a battery

(b) I am happy to dispense with a tamper control for the external sounder

 

Thanks

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1 minute ago, Logan said:

Take a picture of the external sounder because some sounders such as elmdene have non replaceable batterys

 

Tamper is reccomended on external sounders because if a person who wants to break into your house trys to disable the bell box you want the system to detect it

problem is logon people like ring etc they have no tampers, as above its not deemed important thats why diy stuff doesn't have it

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