How to Change the Battery in Your Fire Alarm
It’s vital to know how to change a fire alarm battery if you want your house to be safe. If your fire alarm chirps or emits short “beeps,” it most likely needs a new battery. Determining which type of alarm you have is the first step in learning how to replace a fire detector battery. Battery-powered fire alarms run solely on batteries. Whereas Hard-wired fire alarms function on electricity as well as a backup battery in the event of an outage. When a hard-wired fire alarm beeps, you must replace its battery. This Home article offers instructions for replacing a fire alarm’s battery and turning off a fire alarm, including which skills you’ll need to do so.
Step-by-Step Instructions
If you hear a low-battery alarm beep or chirp, do not ignore it and do not take the battery out without replacing it. Fire detectors with working batteries are critical to your family’s and home’s safety. Tragically, reports of catastrophic fires frequently detail how fire alarms were present in the house but had been disabled.
Most fire detectors have a friction-fitting cover that swings down or comes off. Some fire detectors have a base attached to the ceiling or wall that the entire body of the fire detector clips onto. To unclamp these, you typically twist them counter clockwise.
1. Remove the Cover
The first step to changing your fire alarm battery is to remove the cover. With a little twisting motion, pry open or unclip the cover of the detector from its base. The sensing chamber, loud horn, and battery are all housed within.
2. Replace the Battery
Remove the old battery from its holder. Most detectors use a 9-volt battery; replace it with a new lithium 9-volt battery. Make sure the male and female terminals are properly oriented and connect firmly to the base.
3. Close the Cover
Replace the body or close the cover. Clip the cover shut or twist the body of the alarm back onto its base.
4. Test the Alarm
To test the battery, press the test button on the detector’s surface. When the button is pressed, the detector should chirp or beep.
Tips for Your Fire Alarm
The fire alarm battery should be changed twice a year, according to fire safety experts. Set a reminder on your phone or computer for when it’s time to replace your fire alarm batteries. Even if the backup battery in a hard-wired unit does not beep, you should replace it every year. For ease, you should mark the date that you change the battery inside the fire alarm casing.
Replace your fire alarm or fire detector every ten years. The expiration date for fire alarms is indicated on the back of the device.
Following these measures will make your house more secure in the unfortunate event of a fire. Fire alarm maintenance and checking that the batteries are working ensures that your property and your family remain safe.
