Is it ok to join alarm cable

[rob3000]

We are having some building work done and thought it would be a good time to put an alarm system in.  Before the floors went down I ran in a 8-core cable to the keypad but it wasn’t quite long enough to go where it needed to go at the other end.  To cut a long story short before I could get some more cable the floors went down  meaning I can’t now run in a new cable.  I don’t want to risk using the cable as a draw wire just in case it gets stuck and I lose it completely.

so, my question is can I use maintenance free connections such as wagons to join a new length of cable to the cable that’s already there?
 

 

[Andy™]

can be joined. you can also get proper alarm junction boxes for it that inc a tamper on the lid

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

rob3000, yes you can use wagos, if you do, use the lever type ones, NOT the push in, as the lever ones will give you a better connection. Electrically you are supposed to then put the connectors into a box, but as its not mains voltage............

You can get 8 way alarm junction boxes, but they are fiddly, and if you opt for one, DON'T use the tamper connections. The reason being the keypad will not have a dedicated tamper connection, so which ever wire you connect to the tamper will cause you problems in the future as keypads now send data not just a voltage, besides, the cable is in your house, so no one is really going to tamper with it.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

We are having some building work done and thought it would be a good time to put an alarm system in.  Before the floors went down I ran in a 8-core cable to the keypad but it wasn’t quite long enough to go where it needed to go at the other end.  To cut a long story short before I could get some more cable the floors went down  meaning I can’t now run in a new cable.  I don’t want to risk using the cable as a draw wire just in case it gets stuck and I lose it completely.

so, my question is can I use maintenance free connections such as wagons to join a new length of cable to the cable that’s already there?
 

No requirement for maintenance free IMHO..  

Yes alarm cables can be joined and connected...   with any method you think is robust enough..

Any standard screw terminal connector should do the job,  (As it is often a screw terminal connector when you get back to the alarm panel anyway!).

Best to protect your joint in any box enclosure that is big enough...

And personally I would put a cable tie or two around the cables to prevent the joint from being pulled apart. 

Guinness    

 

[Sidney]

I'd use closed end wire splices and a small junction box. Plenty of crimp style ones on eBay and Amazon that are cheap enough and suitable for your application.

 

[Bruspark]

Alarm cable is small and fine stranded and gets damaged /mangled rather easily in screw terminals that are just a screw (i.e. don't they have a 'plate' to trap the wire rather than just the screw) 
So, Unless you know someone who can solder and shrink wrap the joints, my suggestion is to use 2 way lever type wago's (222-412) which are ok for even the smallest flexible wires. 

Strip carefully to avoid losing strands in the process..

Tie Wrap the outer cables tightly together before joining wires 'side by side' for maximum resistance to someone tugging the cable at a later date

Put the joints in a box of some sort if only to keep water and inquisitive mice out