How Long Does the Battery Last on an L5200 Before Power Loss?

The Honeywell L5200 has a few different options for rechargeable battery packs, which can provide between 4 and up to 24 hours of backup power. Their average life expectancy is 4 years, but that can be affected depending on how many times the user drains and recharges the batteries.

The LYNXRCHKIT-SC is a 7.2VDC rechargeable battery pack designed for LYNX Touch security panels. It's included with most honeywell wireless alarm systems. the L3000, L5000, L5100, L5200, L5210, and the L7000. The battery begins to drain once the panel realizes AC power has been lost. Most power outages last a few minutes at a time, so the battery should never fully drain, as it's designed to provide up to 4 hours of backup power. If the battery is put through frequent power outages lasting longer than a few minutes, its life span can be negatively impacted. The performance of the battery will be directly affected if it's continually being drained and recharged. As stated above, the estimated life span of the LYNXRCHKIT-SC battery pack is 4 years, regardless of the type of Lynx panel used.

Higher capacity batteries like the LYNXRCHKIT-HC and the LYNXRCHKIT-SHA can be purchased separately by the user. Both of these batteries advertise at least 24 hours of battery backup. The LYNXRCHKIT-HC is a HC (high capacity) battery that lasts up to 4 hours in the Lynx Touch panel, while the LYNXRCHKIT-SHA is a SHA (super high capacity) battery that lasts 24 hours. The LYNXRCHKIT-HC isn't recommended for the Lynx Touch panels, and the user should considered it the same as the LYNXRCHKIT-SC. These batteries replace the standard capacity unit already installed inside the Lynx touch panel. The LYNXRCHKIT-HC and the LYNXRCHKIT-SHA differ in the amount of milliamps (mAh) they can store at one time. The HC has 6x2100mAh available, while the SHA has 6x3700mAh. This means that the HC has 6 batteries with 2100mAh, and the SHA has 6 batteries with 3700mAh.

The existence of any alarm communicators in the panel, such as an IP or cellular module, determines how long the batteries can provide power to the system. When alarm communicators are installed into the panel, the battery's power is drained in order to maintain communications with the AlarmNet server. Since the SHA has a higher amperage rating, it's able to power the system, and the modules, for a full 24 hours with a fully outfitted system. Comparatively, the HC is able to power the system for 4 hours, as it doesn't have enough amperage to provide power to an entire system. Once the battery reaches the end of its life cycle, the panel will indicate a "system low battery" trouble for about 2 weeks. The user should then replace the battery.

Alarm technicians can meter the voltage on the AC power input to determine if the panel is getting proper voltage from the transformer. If the panel's voltage is too low, it will draw from the battery backup, and an error message will appear on the panel's screen. If the transformer power is reading properly, and the panel has been charging for more than 24 hours, the backup battery should be replaced. See the specifications on the transformer for proper voltage output to the panel.

Battery Comparison

Battery	Life Expectancy
LYNXRCHKIT-SC	4 Hours
LYNXRCHKIT-HC	4 Hours (Not recommended for Lynx Touch)
LYNXRCHKIT-SHA	24 Hours