disable alarm on Verizon Fios battery backup unit?

gregneri · Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 2

I have Verizon FIOS internet and TV, not phone service. On the inside of the house is a battery backup that enables you to have 8 hours of phone service when the power goes out. Problem is, battery only lasts a year or so then an alarm start beeping to make you replace it (at $40 a pop). But I don't need a new battery since I don't have a landline for phone service. So I disconnected the battery, no problem. Unit works without it.

But that alarm keeps beeping every few hours. It has an alarm silence button, but you'd have to push it every 2 days to keep it silent forever!

So the question here it: does anyone know how to disable the alarm on this unit?

Boz · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 19:51 pm Post subject:

Have you asked Verizon?
_________________

......

........

gregneri · Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 2

Not yet, but they tend to not give advice on how to jimmy up their machines... I mean, that's why they put the alarm there, so you'd have to buy a new battery whether you wanted it or not...

curious john · Joined: 16 Jun 2003 Posts: 1252

Is it some really weird voltage or something? Or could you rig up a combination of cheap standard batteries or transformer or something to make the thing think it has its desired backup battery? Probably some kind of voltage detection that when it falls below certain voltage for certain period of time, it sets off the alarm. As long as it detects high enough voltage, it should be happy. Also probably could hunt down the alarm noise maker itself and disable it.

I hate stuff designed to try and outguess me as to what I want. One of those big reasons I dont use M$ products unless absolutely necessary. But alas this is the future, seeing where they are pushing appliances that are supposed to order food for you or call repairman automatically. Suppose they all have bells and whistles that complain if you dont hook them up to an internet connection?

jakesiner · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1

Hey gregneri,

Let me know if you figure out how to silence the alarm on the battery back up. It is driving me nuts, and I refuse to pay $56 every other year to replace the battery. Thanks.

digger · ๑۞๑ Joined: 29 Mar 2001 Posts: 2655

The battery shouldn't wear out so fast unless you have really unreliable electrical service. Perhaps the device itself is defective in some way that is causing excessive wear and tear on the battery.

gregneri wrote:

Not yet, but they tend to not give advice on how to jimmy up their machines... I mean, that's why they put the alarm there, so you'd have to buy a new battery whether you wanted it or not...

I hate phone companies as much as anyone, but I think the real reason has something to do with regulation about how you have to have access to 911 in an emergency, and they just couldn't be bothered to make it possible non-phone customers to opt out.