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Original poster

Tips for uninstalling burgular alarm

13 replies

Blankiefan · 01/02/2018 21:21

We've been in our house for nearly 5 years. It's got a Visonic Powermax alarm with wireless PIRs. We've never used it but have diligently replaced the batteries in the various sensors whenever they demand it with their 5am "beep beep beep beep".

About 2 years ago I started talking about taking it out since we don't use it rather than keep feeding it batteries so it doesn't wake me, cos it's always me that wakes first us. DH wasn't sure, thought we could keep It, thought he could take it out himself, generally faffed around.

It's driving me bonkers now so I'm seriously threatening to get someone out to decommission it. DH reckons he can just start cutting wires / remove it (to be fair, he's an electronics engineer and fairly handy).

So- is it that simple? Any experiences / tips?

OP posts:
PetraDelphiki · 01/02/2018 21:22

Why not use it???

Original poster
Blankiefan · 01/02/2018 21:27

Can't be arsed using it really. Worried about it going off when not wanted. Feel quite secure. Safe area. Don't think it's a particular deterrent anyway. Mostly can't be arsed.

OP posts:
WaterBuffaloDancing · 01/02/2018 21:49

That is what my friend thought before her house was burgled whilst her and her children slept upstairs. They even took her car off the drive as the keys were downstairs. She also lives in a nice and safe area.

Alarms usually have an anti-tamper system so wire cutting could trigger the alarm. It is like when there is a brief power cut and house alarms start ringing, the battery needs replacing because it has stopped charging, the cut in power and lack of battery makes the alarm think someone has tampered with the power supply.

Get an alarm person in, get a new alarm installed and use it. You can have them serviced every year. We have lived in this house for 8 years and had the original alarm (now 18 years old) serviced twice. It has gone off unexpectedly once or twice and no more than that.

wowfudge · 01/02/2018 23:12

Burglar alarms are more of a deterrent than anything. On a street of houses, the ones most likely to be targeted by burglars are those without an alarm. Just use it. I'm often at home on my own at night and it gives me peace of mind that I can set the alarm. Have you told your insurers you have an alarm? Should you be burgled and it wasn't in use, it could affect any claim.

BubblesBuddy · 01/02/2018 23:31

It’s obviously not linked to a response centre so it’s possibly useless anyway. We use ours. It uses the phone line to a response centre. It’s not just a noisy box! They are quite expensive to maintain so if you don’t want it, just take the sensors off the wall and pull out the wires!

Original poster
Blankiefan · 02/02/2018 07:55

We have told our insurers that w don't have one as I knew that our morning it would invalidate a claim.

For those that have them, how often do you get them serviced?

OP posts:
wowfudge · 02/02/2018 09:22

Annual service - ours is mega loud. We've only accidentally set it off twice in two years.

PineappleScrunchie · 02/02/2018 09:27

It’s usually not worth paying to have the alarm monitored unless you are away for long periods. The intruders will be long gone before anyone actually responds.

DustandRubble · 02/02/2018 12:38

We had to disconnect a burglar alarm when we moved in as it was malfunctioning and the alarm company wanted stupid money to do it for us. My dad cut the wires, but you do end up with a loud alarm ringing. He had to cut all the wires with this going off and then dismantle the thing. I recommend ear defenders! Also if you have an external wired alarm box you might need to cut that too. It needs carefully looking at so you know what you have before you start randomly cutting stuff.

mak206000 · 02/02/2018 14:16

The main part of the alarm, perhaps in your loft, usually a white box will have a battery in it. Remove the battery then cut the power to it.

The external alarm box will also probably have a battery in it and will sound when it senses a tamper with the main unit or a wire to it cut etc. So it's battery will need to come out also. Just be aware if your up a ladder removing the cover it may just squealing in your face !

wowfudge · 02/02/2018 15:14

You can have the alarm call a telephone number. There's a box next to ours that takes a SIM card. Cheaper than paying for a monitored alarm, but still useful.

Lucisky · 02/02/2018 22:26

My oh removed the very old and unused (by us) alarm system from our house. It was harder than he thought as, despite its age it had loads of anti tamper devices. It took about two hours, much swearing and trips up ladders outside to silence the bloody thing. I couldn't stand the noise and went out. It's one of those jobs that looks easy but isn't!

PigletJohn · 03/02/2018 15:11

if you really want to disable it, remove the power supply to the siren/bell if it has one. If it is battery powered remove the battery. Most sirens have a backup battery inside the bell box that can sound for 20 minutes if they lose power.

the older the batteries the sooner they will go flat.

Let the siren die before you touch anything else, or it will hoot a tamper alarm and annoy the neighbours.

Your control panel will bleep if it detects a battery going down.

Once the siren/bell is dead you can do what you want. Remove all batteries and power supplies and the alarm will not go off.

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