Just moved into a new place and we’re planning to paint, but there’s this old ADT motion sensor from the previous owner. Is there an easy way to get rid of it, or do I need to call ADT?
@Chloe
Are you able to see the wire behind it? If it’s just a couple of wires, it probably connects to your control box. You might be able to swap it out for a newer sensor, or at least power it down safely.
@jordansmith
I’m curious, what are people using as modern replacements? I’m about to set up a Konnected panel to avoid the hassle of batteries…
Just take it off the wall. Usually, it’s either screwed in or stuck with tape. Once it’s off, cut the wire. It’s either battery-powered or low voltage, so it’s not a huge deal. After that, just patch the holes and paint over them.
@Norah
What should I do with the wire after I cut it? I’m not super experienced with this stuff.
Chloe said:
@Norah
What should I do with the wire after I cut it? I’m not super experienced with this stuff.
You can just tuck it back into the wall. If you want to be cautious, cap the ends with wire nuts first. The wire likely runs to your control panel, so disconnecting it there would make everything safe.
@talksecuricor
The alarm panel keeps beeping now. Any ideas? I put some electrical tape on the wire and pushed it back into the wall. Is that good enough?
Chloe said:
@talksecuricor
The alarm panel keeps beeping now. Any ideas? I put some electrical tape on the wire and pushed it back into the wall. Is that good enough?
If you don’t want the alarm system at all, just unplug the transformer that powers it, open the panel, and disconnect the battery. That way you can safely remove all the sensors without worrying about it beeping.
Chloe said:
@talksecuricor
The alarm panel keeps beeping now. Any ideas? I put some electrical tape on the wire and pushed it back into the wall. Is that good enough?
The beeping might not be related to the sensor. It could be the system’s battery backup or a loss of power. If the transformer is unplugged, the beeping will stop once the battery dies.
The beeping you’re hearing is likely a trouble condition. It could be caused by low battery, power loss, or a disconnected line. But this would usually have nothing to do with the motion sensor itself. If the circuit is open, the system won’t arm, but older systems generally won’t beep just because a sensor was tampered with.
@leecole3
Why would you recommend not removing it?
Chloe said:
@leecole3
Why would you recommend not removing it?
If you still use the security system, motion sensors are quite reliable. Removing them could weaken your setup. Plus, some insurance providers offer discounts for having a functioning alarm system. If the sensor is defective, replacing it might be a better option.
@leecole3
Makes sense. We moved in and it was already there, but ADT told us it was outdated. We haven’t decided if we’ll upgrade with them yet. For now, I just wanted it out of the way since we’re painting.
DataDrifterX2 said:
@Chloe
You might want to consider a system like Konnected, which lets you reuse old sensors with modern smart home setups. That way, you wouldn’t need to get a whole new system.
Thanks, I sent you a chat request for more details.
How is it attached to the wall? Are you trying to just get rid of it, or do you want to keep it for potential reuse?
Alexander said:
How is it attached to the wall? Are you trying to just get rid of it, or do you want to keep it for potential reuse?
Maybe they’re worried about setting off a tamper alarm?
@Benjamin
Even if there was a tamper alarm, unless you have an active monitoring service, nobody’s going to respond.
We just moved in and are trying to paint the place. Is there an easy way to get rid of this old motion sensor, or should I call ADT?