There are various models of the smoke detector designed with different battery compartments that uses specific battery types. You, therefore, need to know the type of brand you own to know how to put battery in your smoke detector properly. This article will show you how to put battery in smoke detector in the right way.
The type of smoke alarm that you have will determine how often you need to change your smoke alarm battery. Since smoke detectors are used to keep homes safe from fire. Once you get a chirping sound from your smoke detector, it simply implies that it is time to swap in a new battery. This post will guide users through the steps of how to put battery in smoke detector.
Smoke detectors charged by the 9V Alkaline Battery require you to change the battery every year. While the powered smoke alarm by a 10-year non-removable lithium battery does not require you to change the battery every year. Never try to remove these batteries.
The Hardwired Smoke Alarms are powered by an external power source different from the battery. These hardwired alarms also have a battery backup for times when there is a power outage. Most models have a rechargeable (non-removable) battery and often do not need a replacement. You can as well refer to the manufacturer’s manual to see if you need to change the battery or not.
It is very essential to maintain your smoke detector after installation to ensure they are always functional the way they should to protect yourself and your family against any form of a fire incident in your home. Adequate proper maintenance of these devices could specifically show to be lifesaving.
Smoke detectors save lives and protect properties but not if the battery is low, also a functional smoke detector usually gives an early warning sign (chirping sound), and of course, time to escape a fire.
How to Put Battery in Smoke Detector
Here is how to put battery in smoke detector without experiencing any hassle. Follow the steps carefully:
- To access the smoke detector’s battery compartment, you need to first detach the body of the alarm from its base.
However, since there are different models of the smoke detector, they are also various ways in which you can remove the smoke detector’s cover. There are 4 ways in which you can remove the smoke alarm, they are:
- Using a screwdriver, which will be inserted by the side while the alarm is pushed away.
- By pressing a button close to the ceiling and the alarm hinges down.
- By sliding off in the direction of the arrow as seen on the face of the alarm.
- By twisting off anti-clockwise to remove the smoke detector cover.
Do well to read the instructions in the manual as specific to your smoke detector which is distinct on the face or side of the alarm.
- Insert a brand new, fresh 9-volt battery in the battery compartment, taking note of the positive and negative terminals indicating which way to put battery in smoke detector properly.
- Some smoke detectors have a plastic tab on the side of the battery chamber which has to be folded while you insert the new battery.
- Ensure the battery terminals are free of corrosion. You can use a small piece of sandpaper (i.e emery paper) to clean the battery terminals if you discover they are becoming dull or corroded.
- Replace the body of the smoke detector with its base in a reverse manner.
- You can write the installation date of the battery before you insert it into the smoke detector so you can have a clear record of exactly when you put battery in smoke detector.
I have put Battery in Smoke Detector but it is still giving the chirping sound? What can I do?
This can be very frustrating when the chirping sound just wouldn’t stop! Simply exercise more little patience. At times, it takes a smoke alarm about 15-20 minutes to reset and accept a new battery when just installed, before starting its normal operation.
A smoke detector stops chirping within a minute or two after the battery has been replaced. Try the fixes below to stop the chirping sound after replacing your old battery with a new one:
- Ensure the battery has been inserted appropriately, taking note of the battery polarity (I.e., having the positive and negative terminals of the battery corresponding with the positive and negative tabs in the smoke detector).
- In case a battery has been placed back to front, the smoke detector won’t register a new battery that has already been installed.
- Check if there is any corrosion on the battery terminals. In case there is, make use of some fine sandpaper (emery paper) to give them a quick clean up.
- Is the 9-volt battery you just inserted brand new or it has been stored in a cupboard for some time now? Always try to install a fresh battery when necessary.
- Check out the shelf life/expiry date of the battery usually imprinted by the side of the battery.
- You can check the quality of the smoke detector’s battery as well. Most times, the cheap ‘no-name brand’ batteries have poor lasting ability compared to the popular quality brands, although it’s usually more expensive, which will usually perform better than their cheaper counterparts.
To put battery in smoke detector back to front is quite easy to do. Once you have followed the steps above and you can put battery in smoke detector successfully, you can kindly drop your comment in the section below. Thanks for reading thus far.