Home Improvement

How to Reset a House Alarm (and Turn off That Beeping Sound)

Fantastic Team
Published: Nov 11/2020
Last update: Dec 15/2023
9min read
Views: 77,800

Your burglar alarm begins to blink – or worse, emit a deafening beeping noise – yet, thankfully, there aren’t any intruders. But then what’s the problem?

When your house alarm won’t turn off, you’ll need to figure out the issue first before resetting it.

So, if you:

want to make sure that your property and family are protected at all times;
need to change the security code or forgotten the old one;
are thinking about trying out your DIY skills and fixing your alarm yourself;

Then, this post will help you identify the cause and learn how to turn off and reset your house alarm system.

How to know if your house alarm needs a reset?

The peace of mind and security a burglar alarm can give homeowners is worth its weight in gold. But only when it’s functioning properly. House alarms are prone to malfunctioning and occasionally need a reset.

Here are some of the possible underlying reasons:

Power cut, brownout or blackout.
Backup battery failure.
New home – the previous owners or tenants failed to hand over the password.
Wrong code.
The system isn’t detecting a phone line.
The day and time has been set wrong or needs resetting after a power cut.
Zone fault.

How to reset a house alarm on your own

So, what can you do if your burglar alarm begins blaring, or the control panel is beeping and you don’t know the code?

Well, before doing anything, you want to be absolutely sure that it’s a false alarm. If you’re confident of that, the next step is to check your Home Alarm System Guide and Instruction Manual. If you don’t have the manual, you can reset your house alarm by performing a power reset. This is done by powering down and then powering up the system.

How to reset a house alarm after a power cut

Power cuts and blackouts can happen for a variety of reasons, such as maintenance work or bad weather.

If your burglar alarm rings during a power cut, it’s almost always because the backup battery is dead. When the main electricity supply is removed, the backup battery can’t keep the system running, so the alarm starts ringing to let you know there’s a problem and you need to replace it.

Follow these steps to replace the backup battery and reset your house alarm:

Locate the “System” or “System Status” button. On your home alarm keypad, find the “System” or “System Status” button. Press it quickly, twice. This will silence the alarm.
Open the control panel. – When the mains electricity is back on, open the control panel. You may need to use the security code or key which was given to you by your security company. This is sometimes taped to the top of it. If you don’t have the key, you can try to open it with a screwdriver. Don’t know the security code to open the panel? In this case, you’ll need to contact a professional to help you.
Remove the backup battery. – Once you’ve opened the panel, you’ll find a small, black, square-shaped box connected to a circuit board. This is the backup battery. Disconnect and remove it.
Switch the circuit breaker off and on. – In your mains fuse box, locate the circuit breaker for your home alarm system. Switch it off and leave it off for five minutes. Then switch it back on.
Replace the backup battery. – Insert the brand new backup battery. It’s recommended that you do this every 12 to 15 months or any time you see a low-battery warning on the display panel.
Input your user code. – Finally, key in your user code and then press the “Off” button. Repeat this process once again. Your alarm system should now be reset.

How to reset a house alarm after tamper

If your panel shows that there is a sensor tamper, you might be thinking:

What does tamper mean?

The tamper on your alarm prevents intruders from disabling it. It’ll be activated if the back cover is opened and if they manage to do so, they’ll be able to remove the battery and shut down the system.

Before you start tinkering, grab your alarm system manual, as not all home alarm tampers are the same. You might have a single tamper circuit in your control panel or a dedicated tamper circuit for each zone.

How can you fix it?

Here’s how you can reset the alarm via the control panel:

Remove the cover.
Remove the battery.
Press and hold the tamper button.
Insert the battery while holding the tamper button. The LED light will flash. Hold the button until it stops flashing.
Replace the cover.

And if you have multiple circuits:

Check which zone the alert is for.
Push on the top of the sensor to open it. You might need a small, thin tool to help you.
See if the tamper switch is in the correct position.
If not, simply pop it back into its place and put the cover on.
You may need to enter your code at the control panel once or twice to fully reset the alarm system.

Need an experienced home security expert? Learn how a Fantastic professional can secure your home.

Learn More

How to reset a house alarm without a code or you’ve lost it

Resetting a burglar alarm isn’t always possible, easy, or even a good idea. You could cause more problems and damage it, so it’s advisable to call a professional technician to assist you.

However, if you are dead set on turning off your house alarm without a code, let’s look at the basic steps involved:

Go to your alarm system’s main access panel.
Remove the power plug to the alarm console from the socket.
Unlock and open the main panel with the console access key, or a small tool, such as a screw.
Disconnect one of the wires from the system’s main battery.

Always keep in mind that you can’t guarantee that you will be able to turn off your house alarm without the code. So, you should keep your home security code up to date and call your security company if you forget it.

The house alarm won’t turn off? Here are the brand-specific guidelines

Whether your burglar alarm won’t turn off because of a power cut, a backup battery low on power, or a system fault, it’s important to reset your system ASAP.

As previously mentioned, the best course of action is to check your user manual. However, we’ve put together a few basic steps for some of the most popular house alarms so that you can reset it and get your home security back on track.

Brand	Signs	How to reset your house alarm (basic DIY steps)
Veritas	Green UNSET button keeps flashing The chime will sound every 1 minute	Enter 4-digit user code + Press Reset. Your keypad should beep. Set-up WALK TEST mode or cancel the tamper fault when you enter [USER CODE] + [OMIT] + [9] + [PROG] For batteries older than 15 years, the only way to silence the alarm sounding is to open the front cover up and cut the power to the siren.
Visonic	Green AC power indicator isn’t active means the system is operating on backup battery power	Press the DISARM button on the keypad and then type your access code (1111 by default).
Yale	Beeping alarm every 30 seconds	Turn on the Arm Disarm mode by continuously pressing the Command button. After pressing the blank button under Disarm, enter your security code and confirm by pressing Command. If Yes/No is displayed, press Yes to disarm all areas authorized for your security code.
ADT	Power indicator is not lit after a power cut Keypad on the control console beeps	Press the Disarm button to clear the fault or mute the beeping. Reset user code: Enter the master code and enter *5, then enter the 2-digit number for that. Now type a new user code.
Texecom Premier	Beeping sound Display shows SYSTEM ALERTS	Enter your 4-digit code to silence the alarm. Enter your 4-digit code once again and press the “Reset” button to clear the system fault.
Honeywell ADEMCO Vista 20	Keypad beeps AC Loss (No Acc) / CALL FOR SERVICE	Press * key and read the status of the system. Enter # 1, then your code. Check circuit breakers and fuses and reset or replace as necessary. To change the installer code: Fully power down and then power up the panel Press the * and # buttons simultaneously Enter 20 then type in a new user code Press 99
ACCENTA	Keypad beeps	The alarm resets after the power cut automatically. Or, enter a valid code + press “Reset”. If you don’t know the code, revert to factory settings (0123 or 9999).

Prevent frequent house alarm resets with the Fantastic Services security experts

Having a burglar alarm installed is one of the first steps you can take to feel safer in your home and give peace of mind to you and your family. But only if it’s working properly.

The professional burglar alarm installation specialists that Fantastic Services work with recommend that homeowners should test and maintain their home alarm systems regularly. This is so that any faults or weak points are detected and fixed before they need it most.

If you find that you’re having to reset your house alarm frequently and it’s more than 15 years old, it might be time to install a new one to ensure that you are fully protected, 24/7. There are many makes and models on the market to choose from, as well as CCTV monitoring, sensors, wired or wireless, ring or silent alarm options.

The skilled professionals we work alongside will be happy to help you decide on what security system is going to work best for you and install it.

Need help with your burglar alarm?

Get assistance from a burglar alarm specialist right away.

Takeaways

Always refer to your Home Alarm System Guide and Instruction Manual before attempting to turn off or reset it.
Choose a code which you can remember easily and keep it up to date.
Maintain and test your burglar alarm often to keep it in tip-top condition. And remember, you can always rely on the professional burglar alarm technicians who work with Fantastic Services to assist you when you need it most.

Did you find this post helpful? Did you manage to find how to reset your specific alarm? Share your experience in the comment section below!

Image source: Shutterstock / Africa Studio