Texecom R8 battery guide

Texecom Veritas R8 alarm battery replacement

A closer look at picking and fitting the correct battery for a Texecom Veritas R8 - or a related Compact 8 or Veritas 8 - alarm panel.

2.1ah, 3.4ah & 7ah optionsFrom around £135-step DIY replacement

Book a battery change 0800 13 03 999

Which one do I need?

Veritas panels use one of three 12V batteries

Compact 8, Veritas 8 and R8 panels are all part of Texecom's older Veritas range, and all take a 12V battery - just in one of three amp-hour capacities. Which one is fitted mostly comes down to your specific panel model and how much space is inside the enclosure.

Compact 8

Best fit: 2.1ah

The smallest panel in the range, so the small battery is the best fit for the available space.

Veritas 8

Best fit: 3.4ah

3.4ah is the recommended battery for a standard Veritas 8 install.

R8 (with remote keypad)

Best fit: 3.4ah or 7ah

The remote keypad draws extra current, so whether 3.4ah or 7ah fits best depends on the space inside your enclosure.

Have a newer Texecom Premier panel instead of a Veritas or R8? See our Premier alarm system page, or read our Veritas user guide for day-to-day operation of your panel.

Not sure which battery your R8 has?

Send us your panel details or a photo of the battery compartment and we'll confirm the exact replacement for you.

Ask AMCO 0800 13 03 999

The three options

Veritas R8 battery options compared

The ah rating relates to the battery's physical size and roughly how long it can power the system during a mains outage - a bigger battery, a longer backup.

Capacity	Physical size	Indicative cost
2.1ah	Small (178 x 34 x 60mm)	~£13
3.4ah	Medium (134 x 60 x 67mm)	~£14
7ah	Large (151 x 94 x 65mm)	~£17

Most common R8 battery

12V 3.4ah

Battery type

134 x 60 x 67mm

Dimensions

~1.35kg

Weight

Every 4-5 years

Typical replacement interval

Before you buy

Important things to check first

Physical size matters

Some Veritas and R8 installations have tight wiring space inside the panel enclosure, so it's worth checking a battery will physically fit before you order it.

Avoid cheap or counterfeit batteries

Poor-quality sealed lead-acid batteries are a genuine fire risk inside an alarm panel. Always buy from a reputable supplier rather than the cheapest listing you can find.

Match the original specification

Stick to a 12V battery in the correct amp-hour rating for your panel - the ah rating relates to the battery's physical size and how long it can power the system during a mains outage.

Step-by-step

How to replace the R8 battery yourself

Once you've got the correct replacement battery, changing it is a five-step job.

1
Enter your R8 engineer code
Unset the system and enter your engineer code on the keypad before opening the panel.
2
Open the panel
Unscrew the two side screws holding the front cover in place and carefully lift it away.
3
Disconnect the old battery
Unclip the positive and negative terminal connectors from the old battery, taking care they don't touch each other.
4
Fit the new battery
Swap in the replacement battery and reconnect the positive and negative terminals the same way round.
5
Reassemble and confirm
Refit the panel cover, tighten the screws, and re-enter your engineer code to confirm the system is reading the new battery correctly.

Safety warning

Alarm panels mix low-voltage 12V battery wiring with 240V mains wiring in a relatively small enclosure. If you're at all unsure about what you're looking at inside the panel, please don't risk it.

It's safer - and often no more expensive in the long run - to book an AMCO engineer to change the battery for you.

Book an engineer instead

Would rather leave it to a professional?

AMCO offers a dedicated battery-change appointment service - we'll bring the correct battery and fit it safely for you.

Book a battery-change appointment 0800 13 03 999

Professional alternative

Or let a Texecom specialist handle it

As long-standing Texecom alarm installers, AMCO's engineers replace Veritas and R8 batteries every week. Book a dedicated appointment and we'll bring the correct battery, fit it, and confirm the panel is reading it correctly before we leave - or add it to an ongoing maintenance plan so it never gets missed.

Book your battery change 0800 13 03 999

Why customers choose AMCO

Correct battery identified before we arrive, no guesswork
Genuine batteries only - never cheap or counterfeit cells
SSAIB accredited installation & servicing
Family-run, with great online reviews

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

R8 panels use a 12V sealed lead-acid battery. The most common size fitted is a 3.4ah battery measuring roughly 134 x 60 x 67mm, though a 7ah battery is sometimes used instead where the panel has a remote keypad and there's room in the enclosure for the larger case.

All three are 12V batteries - the ah figure is the amp-hour rating, which relates to the battery's physical size and roughly how long it can keep the system running during a mains power cut. A 2.1ah battery is the smallest and cheapest, while a 7ah battery is the largest and gives the longest backup time.

It needs to be the correct amp-hour rating and physical size for your panel, and it should come from a reputable supplier. Cheap, unbranded, or counterfeit sealed lead-acid batteries are a known fire risk, so it's worth paying a little more for a genuine, well-reviewed battery.

Typically every 4-5 years, depending on how often the system experiences power cuts and how the battery has been maintained. If your keypad shows a battery fault, or it's been more than 4-5 years since the last change, it's a good time to replace it.

Many customers do change their own R8 battery once they know the correct replacement, since the steps themselves are straightforward. However, alarm panels mix 12V battery wiring with 240V mains wiring internally, so if you're at all unsure, it's safer to have an AMCO engineer do it for you.

Take a look at our general burglar alarm battery guide, which covers batteries for most common panel brands and models, including Texecom Premier, Honeywell, Gardtec, Pyronix, Scantronic, Risco and Menvier systems.

Free, no-obligation

Need your R8 battery replaced?

Not sure which of the three batteries fits your panel? Check our wider burglar alarm battery guide or get in touch and we'll confirm it for you.

Book your battery change enquiry@amco999.com

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