If you run a Gent Xenex conventional panel — the 13270 series — the standby batteries are the one consumable you will replace on a schedule for the life of the system. This page tells you which Power-Sonic replacement battery matches each Xenex part number, based on what our product pages state, and covers the selection and safe-changeover points a competent person needs. It is a supply reference, not an installation manual: the panel commissioning and battery changeover procedure remain governed by the manufacturer's installation manual and the servicing regime in BS 5839-1.
Which Xenex panel takes which battery
Every 13270 panel is supplied less batteries — the standby cells are ordered separately. The table below maps each panel to the battery requirement printed on our own product page, and to the Power-Sonic flame-retardant SKU that our battery page names as the fit for that panel.
| Panel part no. | Panel | Battery requirement (as stated on our panel page) | Recommended replacement (our battery page) | Qty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13270-02LB | Xenex 2-zone conventional | "2 x 12 V, 2.1 Ah min"; battery supply "(sealed lead acid) 2-off 12V 2.1Ah - 3.4Ah" | 4015-502-YFR — Power Sonic 12V 2.1Ah Flame Retardant (page: "Used in Xenex 2&4 Zone panels…") | 2 |
| 13270-04LB | Xenex 4-zone conventional | "2 x 12 V, 2.1 Ah min" | 4015-502-YFR — Power Sonic 12V 2.1Ah Flame Retardant (page: "Used in Xenex 2&4 Zone panels…") | 2 |
| 13270-08LB | Xenex 8-zone conventional | "2 x 12 V, 3.4 Ah"; battery supply "2-off 12V 2.1Ah - 3.4Ah"; panel page cites spare battery code "4014-509-Y" | 4015-509-YFR — Power Sonic 12V 3.4Ah Flame Retardant (page: "Used in Xenex 8 zone…panels") | 2 |
Notes on the table, kept to what our pages actually say:
- All three panels take two 12 V batteries. [OWNER-VERIFY: series wiring / 24 V string is not stated on our pages — the 13270-02LB page's "24v power supply max current: 250 mA" line implies a 24 V system.] The 2- and 4-zone panels specify 2.1 Ah minimum; the 8-zone specifies 3.4 Ah.
- The 2-zone page states a battery range of 2.1 Ah to 3.4 Ah. Where longer standby is wanted on a 2- or 4-zone panel, a higher-capacity cell within the charger's rating can be fitted — confirm the maximum the specific panel charger supports against the manufacturer manual before uprating. [OWNER-VERIFY: upper battery limit for the 4-zone 13270-04LB — our panel page states "2.1 Ah min" only, no stated maximum.]
- The 8-zone panel page lists a spare battery code "4014-509-Y". Our stocked Power-Sonic 3.4 Ah SKU is 4015-509-YFR. Context (nexus-bridge seq 11, 2026-07-04): "4014-509-Y" is the OEM order code printed in the Gent Xenex datasheet (GEN144 03/2017, order-codes table — verbatim extraction, not a typo); it denotes the same physical 12 V 3.4 Ah battery class as our stocked SKU. [OWNER-VERIFY: formal equivalence 4014-509-Y ↔ 4015-509-YFR is on the Axion agenda — confirm before this mapping is published.]
- Terminal type is not stated on any of the panel or battery pages. [OWNER-VERIFY: faston/terminal type (e.g. F1 vs F2) for 4015-502-YFR and 4015-509-YFR — needed so buyers order a mechanically correct cell.]
Choosing a replacement battery (trade selection)
Three things decide a compliant standby battery for a conventional fire panel; only the first two are fixed by the panel itself:
- Voltage and configuration. Two 12 V cells forming the 24 V system implied by the panel page (see the note above). Do not substitute a single 24 V pack or mix cell types.
- Capacity (Ah) and standby time. The panel's Ah figure supports the standby-duration design practice in BS 5839-1 — our panel pages state 72-hour standby followed by 30 minutes of alarm load for the 13270 range. Fitting a battery below the stated minimum (2.1 Ah on 2/4-zone, 3.4 Ah on 8-zone) shortens that standby window and can cause a power-supply fault flag; fitting the rated capacity restores the designed standby. Capacity falls as a lead-acid cell ages, which is why it is a scheduled replacement rather than a fit-and-forget part.
- Battery type and fire suitability. Our panel pages call for sealed lead-acid cells. The Power-Sonic cells above are the flame-retardant (FR) type our battery page names for these panels — the fire-industry norm; our battery page names the product "Flame Retardant" and its SKU carries the -YFR suffix. [OWNER-VERIFY: battery chemistry (SLA/VRLA) and any VdS / EN 54-4 battery approval for 4015-502-YFR and 4015-509-YFR are not stated on our product pages — confirm before quoting an approval in copy.]
Practical rule for the buyer: match the panel part number → Ah figure on the panel page → the Power-Sonic FR SKU our battery page pairs with it. Replace both cells as a matched pair from the same batch; never pair a new cell with an aged one on the same string.
Replacing the batteries — key points (not a procedure)
This is a competent-person task carried out under BS 5839-1 servicing. The panel manufacturer's installation manual is the controlling document for the actual sequence; the notes below are the supply-and-safety points that sit around it.
- Isolate first. Follow the manufacturer manual to place the panel in the correct state and remove mains before disconnecting cells. Do not work on a live charging circuit.
- Replace as a matched pair. Fit two new cells of the rated capacity from the same batch; do not re-use one old cell.
- Observe polarity and the inter-cell link. The two 12 V cells are joined to make the 24 V system the panel page implies; reconnect the inter-cell link and panel leads exactly as removed.
- Confirm terminal fit before you order. Terminal type is not published on our pages — see the [OWNER-VERIFY] note above and check the cell you are removing.
- Date the cells and log the change against the service record so the next replacement interval is traceable.
- Recycle the old lead-acid cells through a licensed route.
- Do not treat this page as the changeover procedure — battery handling, disposal and re-commissioning follow the manufacturer manual and BS 5839-1.
Replacement interval is set by BS 5839-1 servicing and the battery manufacturer's design life, not by a figure we publish. [OWNER-VERIFY: recommended replacement interval / stated design life for these Power-Sonic FR cells — not on our pages; do not print a year figure without it.]
FAQ
Are the 13270 panels supplied with batteries? No. All three panel pages state the panel is supplied less batteries — the two 12 V cells are ordered separately (see table).
Which battery does a Gent Xenex 4-zone (13270-04LB) take? Two 12 V, 2.1 Ah minimum sealed lead-acid cells per our panel page — the 4015-502-YFR 12 V 2.1 Ah Power-Sonic FR, whose page lists "Used in Xenex 2&4 Zone panels".
And the 8-zone (13270-08LB)? Two 12 V, 3.4 Ah cells — the 4015-509-YFR 12 V 3.4 Ah Power-Sonic FR, whose page lists "Used in Xenex 8 zone…panels".
How long will the panel run on standby? Our pages quote 72 hours standby followed by 30 minutes of alarm load on correctly rated, healthy batteries. That figure degrades as cells age — the reason for scheduled replacement.
Can I fit a higher-capacity battery for longer standby? On the 2-zone the page states a 2.1–3.4 Ah range, so a larger cell within the charger rating is possible. Confirm the maximum the specific panel charger supports against the manufacturer manual first (see [OWNER-VERIFY] above).
What about the end-of-line resistor value, test mode or walk test? These are commissioning/engineering details we do not publish on the product pages — refer to the Gent Xenex installation/engineering manual. [OWNER-VERIFY: end-of-line resistor value and test-mode/walk-test procedure are not stated on our pages; only add an answer here if the owner supplies the value from the manual.]