How To Change The Battery In Ademco Vista 15PSIA

The Ademco Vista 15PSIA is an alarm system manufactured by ADT to help secure homes and businesses from fire, burglary and emergencies. It has a backup battery (which looks like this) that allows the system to operate even during a power outage. This battery requires replacement every 3-5 years.

If the keypad displays “BAT” without a zone number, that means the power in the battery is drained. The warning is usually accompanied by a beeping sound that you can turn off by pressing [1 OFF]. You need to let it recharge by turning the AC power on. If the warning persists after 1-2 days, that battery requires replacement.

To change the battery the Ademco Vista 15PSIA, follow these steps:

Buy a new Ademco Vista 15PSIA battery.
Put the alarm system on test mode.
Find and open the control panel box to get to the backup battery. You can find it in a closet or in the attic or garage.
Disconnect the battery using pliers with insulated handles. Remove the black wire from the black negative terminal first. Then, disconnect the red wire from the red positive terminal. For wires that are hard to remove, wiggle it to loosen. BE CAREFUL not to short the battery as you remove it.
Take off the plastic terminal protector of the new battery. Connect the red wire to the red (positive) terminal before you connect the black wire to the black (negative) terminal.
Close the control panel box.
Check the system if the”BAT” is still displayed. Let the new battery recharge for 24 to 48 hours. If after this time the warning is still there, that may be an indication that the system is damaged. Call the alarm provider.
Recycle the old battery.