Permanently removing a burglar alarm

We have a house alarm that we never, ever use. It was put in by the previous owners and in the 7 years we have been in it has not been used or serviced

Every now and again it randomly beeps, activates or plays up. We just whack in the the pin and press random buttons until it shuts up.

I want it out but worry that if I attack it with tools I will either be electrocuted or set if off and not be able to shut it up. I’m also tight though so don’t really want to pay someone to come out and do it.

It this a DIYable job and, if so, where do I start?

Unless I could clearly see what circuit its been wired into, and I was confident I could isolate that circuit I wouldn’t touch it. It doesn’t sound as if your sure. Probably best to call in an electrician.

My in-laws have a monitored alarm that they no longer use but it’s still installed as the alarm company want to charge hundreds to take it out.
I don’t know what will happen if they decide to take it out themselves – it’ll probably go off.

Are you a burglar?

I’m not answering your question , just in case.

Are you a burglar?

No I’m not. Does that give you the confidence to answer my question?

I have no idea what it is wired into or how it works.

I have just had a quote for a ‘take-over’ on a system we have no code for – my understanding is they cut the power and reset the system. That was £89+vat.

So if you just want them to cut the power and not reinstate it should be cheaper than that.

Most local firms will have a surveyor come out to look, it would appear our installation is non standard…so I’d rather ask them than a electrician.

I’ve asked for a quote from the company that write to me every year offering an annual service, I therefore think they installed it. Hopefully this will make things simpler and avoid any no standard type issues

It this a DIYable job and, if so, where do I start?

The power unit should be connected to a spur and also have a battery installed. If you switch off the spur and disconnect the battery in the power unit the alarm should be disabled – unless it has some other battery backup. Our power supply is in a metal box with a door which is shut with a screw, as soon as you open that the alarm goes off – just so you know.

If you don’t want it to go off …. takeout/de power the horn(s).

Turn off all electrics to the house and get busy with your pilers/snips

Horn(s) because there is probably one in the outside box (you know the yellow coloured thing up high on a front wall) and one within the mother board (in the understairs cupboard or loft or maybe garage??)

Good Luck…. (i’ve done it twice btw)

Edit … as above, there will be a battery back up, if there’s still juice left in the batteries the horns will go off…. Don’t worry about it… just stick some socks in your ears 🙂

No I’m not. Does that give you the confidence to answer my question?

Nope. You burglar types are unreliable and trustworthy. You might be fibbing. I’m not prepared to take the risk. 😀

I promise I’m not a burglar. Pinky promise

That’s what the last guy said.

Right before he said, “Can you give us a lift out to the van with this?”

I loved that telly. Won’t get fooled again.

I’ve asked for a quote from the company that write to me every year offering an annual service, I therefore think they installed it.

I’d just ask an electrician for a quote, will probably be cheaper. It is a very simple job to disconnect it safely.

ive had to do this twice, done it 2 different ways.

1) if its something you can buy in the shops eg a yale system then you can probably download the installation manual which will tell you the master reset proceedure so you can then just disconnect wires without tamper alarm going off for ages (it will go off when you open the cover to do the reset proceedure)

2) if you cant get manual online, and i’m guessing you know the user code (to turn it on and off) as you said you’d had to silence it before then – mains power, off ear plugs in, up ladder to outside siren, open that, tamper alarm will go off, get someone to silence that with the code, disconnect siren battery in the outside box, then back inside the house, open up control box inside (might be seperate to the keypad if its just a small keypad near a door), disconnect battery insde control panel, remove any fuses on the board or disconnect any mains wires and make safe.

Just heard back from the service company, £34+vat to power it down.

That’s what the last guy said.

Right before he said, “Can you give us a lift out to the van with this?”

I loved that telly. Won’t get fooled again.

I don’t have a van, a stripey shirt or a sack with swag written on it.

Happy now?

Just heard back from the service company, £34+vat to power it down.

Sounds pretty reasonable. I bet it takes him less than 5 mins!

Happy now?

Not since I lost my telly. 🙁

Sounds pretty reasonable. I bet it takes him less than 5 mins!

Switch off spur
Open power supply unit box
Remove spade connectors from battery

I’d just ask an electrician for a quote[/I]

Frank – if you want a number for a sparky in Melrose, PM me

I’d just ask an electrician for a quote, will probably be cheaper

Doubt it.

, £34+vat to power it down.

Great price.

It will have anti tamper devices which will go off, unless you can put it into maintenance mode (you’ll need the codes for that).

Switching the electricity off won’t work either as it will contain rechargeable back up batteries. The control unit and the siren outside will probably have batteries in, so you’ll need to disconnect them both.

You could just go round all your neighbours and tell them you’re removing an alarm at the weekend and apologise in advance for the noise. Get some ear defenders.

£34 to get someone out to downpower it is extremely reasonable.
If it was a case of just turning the power off it wouldn’t be a very secure system.
There is a procedure.
Also, you can’t just downpower a system and reset codes, it may look like that from the customers persective but there is a lot of knowledge and experience in knowing how to default panels/systems.
‘He was only here 10 minutes ‘!!!

Thats a really good price, i have an old one in a rental and any visiting tradesmen wont touch it, they say just leave it. So i do.

It will have anti tamper devices which will go off, unless you can put it into maintenance mode (you’ll need the codes for that).

If it was me I’d just drill through the alarm box bell wearing ear defenders, and then disconnect the power….

Lump hammer and ear plugs surely. If you can hear it you can find it and hit it.

ha.. beaten to it 😀 juice off and one big wack with lump hammer.

Expanding foam in the siren box. Then just cut power and get on with removing.

Engineer visit booked for Thursday pm. Meanwhile, the siren box has started beeping every 30secs and the control panel seems to have stopped working.

My gut feeling is that it is going to go mental at about 3am tonight with no way of stopping it. Long ladder, hammer and ear plugs on standby just in case!

Or get someone that knows what they are doing Simon G and do it properly.
Or smash it with a hammer, THEN call me out at 3am without a maintenance contract and start shouting at me down the phone because you thought it was that easy to disconnect an alarm and you didn’t want to pay for it to be done correctly.

find the sounder, place in bucket of water, remove all the other bits in silence.

Engineer visit booked for Thursday pm. Meanwhile, the siren box has started beeping every 30secs and the control panel seems to have stopped working.

It knows you are trying to kill it… It has feelings you know…

disconnect the sound device, it’ll still beep, just won’t make a noise