How to Remove ADT Alarm System from Wall (Step-by-Step)

The main reason why many people are reluctant to remove their ADT alarm system on their own is the fear that the alarm would sound and they won’t be able to stop it.

If you’re looking for a simple solution to complete this task while ensuring this doesn’t happen, you’ve come to the right place. Stay with us, and we’ll demonstrate how easy it is to remove the base, keypad, door, smoke alarms, and other components of an ADT alarm system.

Equipment You Need

The first step in removing ADT devices from your home is ensuring you have the right tools. And fortunately, disabling an ADT alarm system doesn’t require hard-to-find gear!

Here’s what you need:

• Phillips Head screwdriver
• Flathead screwdriver
• Blow dryer (for sensors)
• Acetone (for sensors)

Removing ADT Base Unit From Wall

The ADT base unit is the brains of the security system. It maintains everything for you — siren, control panel, battery, gateway, and cellular network.

You can find the base unit in the closet, attic, or garage in your house. The location may differ from one home to another.

As soon as you find your base unit, you need to turn off the plug-in transformer, which is its main power source. Typically, the transformer has a standard outlet plugged into a power source close to the base.

After you find it, take the small flathead screwdriver and remove the screw holding the transformer. Next, unplug the device and unscrew the transformer’s leads.

Let’s move on to the base unit. The ethernet and power cord are the two cables at the very top. Unplug them from the device. You’ll also see a screw at the top, which you must remove using the head screwdriver.

Gently lift the unit off the mount. Take the small flathead screwdriver and remove the back cover from the wall. Turn the base unit on its back and unplug the battery from its cords. The device may start beeping while you’re doing this, but it will stop once you’ve unplugged the battery wires.

Next, you need to loosen the battery screw and remove the battery. Finally, tighten the battery screw and add the cover by reinstalling the top screw. All done!

Removing ADT Keypad Unit From Wall

The ADT keypad is the device from which you operate your security control system. The keypad gives you access to many features, including the ability to arm an alarm, silence a sporadic beeping noise, check the battery level, and many more.

The keypad is typically located in the main entry points, usually the front door or side door of your home. Its main power source is also a plug-in transformer.

Begin by removing the screw holding the transformer in place, just like with the base unit. Then, unplug it and remove the leads.

Next, move on to the keypad. You must find the screw that anchors the device to the wall. It’s typically near the bottom. However, it could be at a different spot in each unit.

Remove the device from its mounting and unhook the power cord. Screw the wall mount out and take it off.

Disconnect the battery from the wires. To remove it, remove the screw and slide the battery holder back.

Lastly, you should tighten the battery screw before putting the lid back on.

All done! You’ve successfully removed another ADT device.

Removing ADT Sensors

The ADT sensors are the devices you mount on your doors, windows, and in the top corner spaces in your home.

If you decide to only remove these ADT sensors, you need to bypass them from the system to remove them without setting off an alert.

However, if you remove and turn off the ADT control panel because you want to uninstall the whole ADT security system with all of its components, you may skip this step.

Here’s how to bypass an ADT sensor:

1. On your system panel, click the “Bypass” button
2. Type in the security code
3. Find the sensor you wish to ignore by scrolling through the list and pressing “ok”

Tip: The steps for bypassing ADT sensors may vary from one ADT system panel to another. If our instruction wasn’t helpful, consult your manual and look under the “bypass” section for the solution.

It’s now time to proceed with physically removing the alarm sensors. These sensors are either mounted with a screw or glued up with adhesive.

If you have a mounted model with screws, you need to unscrew its parts and remove the wires attached to the sensors.

For the mounted models with adhesive, take a blow dryer and warm the glue on the sensors’ mounting surface. The bond will heat up and soften, becoming easier to remove.

Gently apply acetone over the area to remove any remaining sticky parts. Once the sensor unit is off the wall, you need to unscrew its wires, and you are all done.

Removing ADT Smoke Alarms

ADT smoke alarms protect you from a potential fire hazard. However, when they malfunction, they beep , and they do so because their lifespan is over, meaning it’s time to get a new one.

You don’t need to bypass this device. Instead, go to the circuit and switch the circuit breaker to turn off its power. If you have a wireless smoke detector, you don’t need to shut down its power from the circuit.

To remove it, shift the smoke detector counterclockwise. Once the entire case comes down, remove the electrical wire connected to the device.

If you want to replace the same smoke detector model with a new one, you may not need to remove the mounting plate on the ceiling. This will save you some time when you install the brand-new model.

If you also want to remove the mounting plate, take a screwdriver and remove the screws attaching the plate to the ceiling. All done!

Conclusion

Congrats! You have mastered the art of unmounting all ADT equipment, including base units, keypads, motion detectors, and smoke detectors.

The necessary tools couldn’t be any simpler. With a few screws here a few screws there, and your work is done!

All in all, the base unit requires unplugging the transformer, unscrewing the device along with the mounting plate, and removing its battery. The procedure for the keypad is more or less the same.

The motion sensors need to be bypassed and then unscrewed or removed from the wall, door, or window using a blow dryer. As for the smoke detector, remember to shut down its power before detaching it from the ceiling.

Finally, remember that regardless of why you need to remove your ADT equipment, you’ll probably need to return the old equipment to ADT.