Home Security: Breaker Box

[clublights]

Mine is in the garage, 21 year old house, or thereabouts.

Burglars turn off the power to disable landline phones, (doesn't work, only turns off the ringer, but hey, they're not the brightest bulb in the box), burglar alarms, and generally discumbobulate the residents.

Or so I'm told.

uhhh landline phones are powered off the phone line itself. This does not include cordless or other phones that have an AC plug in normally a wall wart of some sort. When the phone is not in use, this is a constant DC signal (about 50-60 volts). When the phone rings, the signal is a 20 hertz AC signal (about 90 volts). When in use it is a modulated DC signal (between 6 and 12 volts). The phones lines even have power during a blackout in most cases.

[clodhopper]

uhhh landline phones are powered off the phone line itself. This does not include cordless or other phones that have an AC plug in normally a wall wart of some sort. When the phone is not in use, this is a constant DC signal (about 50-60 volts). When the phone rings, the signal is a 20 hertz AC signal (about 90 volts). When in use it is a modulated DC signal (between 6 and 12 volts). The phones lines even have power during a blackout in most cases.

Yep, but most people don't use an unpowered phone anymore. Usually some sort of remote or built in answering machine requiring wall power. BUT, on the other side of things, more and more people are dropping the land line completely and just using a cell. Problem eliminated. Even home security systems are starting to use cellular.


The breaker on the outside is required by building code. Allows the fire responders to kill power prior to dumping water on a fire and trooping around in puddles....and it also allows the power company to kill power if the payment is behind. Usually it is just a main cutoff outside and the rest of the breakers are in the garage.

[clublights]

Yep, but most people don't use an unpowered phone anymore. Usually some sort of remote or built in answering machine requiring wall power. BUT, on the other side of things, more and more people are dropping the land line completely and just using a cell. Problem eliminated. Even home security systems are starting to use cellular.

True however the phone would likely not work more then just not ringing if it required ac power of any sort.