help me stop this alarm!

lelole

Hi,

Not officially for this forum but very (very) loosely about renting - the empty house next door but one to us (with To Let sign up) has had the burglar alarm going for a few hours now.

How on earth do I go about getting it stopped before it goes on all night? Or we won't be getting any sleep at all :mad:

Thanks!
lelole

cashndash

ring the police incase they have been burgled. Environmental house do have powers to enter, but you probably won't get them until the morning.

lelole

Aah did think of the police, but assumed as the house is empty they'd think it was nothing they could do... Will call'em now...
Ta!:beer:
lelole

lelole

Nope, apparently they don't attend burglar alarms anymore as they don't have the resources... Lets hope they haven't been burgled...

No sleep for us then...

clutton_2

is there a phone number on the box on the outside of the house

you could also check who owns the house (£4 on landregistry.gov.uk) and ring up the owner and ask him to come and switch it off

i understand that many alarms have an automatic cut off point after a certain time

p00hsticks

Try looking under 'Environmental Health' on your local council website - possible there may be recorded message to give advice on what to do out of hours.

Our local council maintains a (voluntary) register of keyholders for alarmed properties and can also forcibly switch off an alarm if necessary.

Apparently alarms can be set up to cut off after twenty minutes.....

Here is the relevant page from my local council (Stoke) - hopefully yours will have something similar.

http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/content/hcp/pollution/noise-folder/neighbourhood-noise-house-alarms.en

googler

I thought legislation and standards REQUIRED that all alarms cut off after twenty minutes......

Police won't attend an alarm without remote monitoring unless you report some suspicious activity near the premises. It's probably not worth inventing an imaginery burglar in case they cotton on and charge you for wasting police time.

You could visit your local all-night DIY store (or a pharmacy) and get some earplugs!

At a pinch, cotton wool will substitute for earplugs. Just don't be too surprised if you sleep in next day...

lelole

Hi, thanks for that info - it's good to know there is something you can do, and I will definately remember for the future, but won't need it tonight because...

the alarm has finally stopped - so presumably somehow whoever is responsible for it has been found!!:T

Thank you

lelole

p00hsticks

I suggest it would be worth contacting the council tomorrow anyhow just to find out what you could do it if it happens again, particularly if it's outside normal office hours.

ariba10

If you can get up to the Alarm box a can of expanding foam will do it a world of good.

BillTrac

ariba10 wrote: »

If you can get up to the Alarm box a can of expanding foam will do it a world of good.

I guess you have never been the poor engineer who gets called out to clear up after a foaming? I have! and it isn't pleasant.

OP, if you ring 999 they are obliged to respond. Intruder alarms ring for approx 15/20 minutes after any bell delay. If it rings longer than this then usually it is either a bell tamper or a mains fail. Either way call the Environmental Agency. They can the call the police if it goes on too long. All alarm systems 'should' be registered with the police so they know who to contact