Replacing smoke detector alarm battery help

[Greg Bernhardt]

I know I've done this before but for some reason I am stuck. I have a smoke alarm where the battery compartment is being blocked by the permanent power. I can't disconnect or a monitoring alarm will trip (i think?). There is a great deal of tension here and any more force I feel will break the connector. So how do I open the battery area here?

 

[Doug Huffman]

Can you see an indication of the brand and model number - to look on-line for instructions?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Turns out I did have to disconnect. However, I replaced the battery and my wall mic is still beeping. hmm

 

[Astronuc]

I know I've done this before but for some reason I am stuck. I have a smoke alarm where the battery compartment is being blocked by the permanent power. I can't disconnect or a monitoring alarm will trip (i think?). There is a great deal of tension here and any more force I feel will break the connector. So how do I open the battery area here?

View attachment 77113

Squeeze the sides (clips) of the plug and remove it from the back of the detector. Replace the battery. Reinstall the plug - it should just push in. Reinstall the smoke detector in the ceiling.

 

[Bystander]

replaced the battery and my wall mic is still beeping. hmm

How many other smoke detectors on same circuit?

 

[TurtleMeister]

If it continues to beep or chirp every 1 minute after replacing the batteries, then you may have a defective unit that needs to be replaced.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

At this time I'm going to try removing the two alarms from power, removing the battery and holding the test button for 15 seconds and killing the circuit breakers for the rooms

 

[Evo]

What a bad design. Mine have a little slide open door on the outside, no need to open the detector.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I killed every circuit breaker in my apt and the wall mic is still beeping

 

[Astronuc]

At this time I'm going to try removing the two alarms from power, removing the battery and holding the test button for 15 seconds and killing the circuit breakers for the rooms

They may need cleaning in addition to new batteries. We've had the same alarm go off because of dust or fiber accumulation. Using a vacuum cleaner to draw out the foreign material worked.

 

[Bystander]

I killed every circuit breaker in my apt and the wall mic is still beeping

You've changed both batteries?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

You've changed both batteries?

In the detectors yes, but at the moment they are offline. I can't seem to be able to reset this mic.

 

[Bystander]

Kitchen, BR. Bet there's another hiding in a closet, entryway, somewhere.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

The mic appears to be powered outside my unit and there is no reset switch

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Kitchen, BR. Bet there's another hiding in a closet, entryway, somewhere.

another what?

 

[Bystander]

Smoke detector.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Smoke detector.

nah, I'm in a small 1 bed apt and have been for 8 years :)

 

[Bystander]

Water heater hiding in a closet off the bathroom?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Water heater hiding in a closet off the bathroom?

There was one breaker I didn't kill and that was for the washer and heater because there was a danger sticker and it needed some key to turn off.

 

[Bystander]

This is the intermittent "beep/chirp" for low battery, not the "wake the dead/get out now" end of the world alarm noise? Check the area around the washer and heater for a hidden unit --- I've had a couple that the battery lasted for nearly a decade before the chirping started and took me literally forever to find.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

This is the intermittent "beep/chirp" for low battery

right. no other alarms that I can find

 

[Bystander]

Murphy's Law: something that requires the landlord or super is always going to happen after hours. Get the aeroduster and try A-nuc's cleaning trick. I'm out of ideas where to find a third alarm, and if that doesn't work, hope the landlord still has enough specs on the building to fix things.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

After more thinking I don't think it has anything to do with my detectors. The wall mic is connected to the fire panel downstairs. I think either the mic is broken or something with the panel is setting it off.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Some alarms apparently have a 10-year power cell. After that goes, that whole unit needs to be replaced.

 

[Bystander]

whole unit needs to be replaced.

For a "nominal" fee.

 

[russ_watters]

The mic appears to be powered outside my unit and there is no reset switch
View attachment 77114

What's a "mic"?
[edit]
The model number is readable in your pic: http://www.thesignalsource.com/documents/GX93.pdf
It's a remote horn (speaker) for a building-wide evacuation from the master building alarm panel. It doesn't have a battery backup.

 

[dlgoff]

After more thinking I don't think it has anything to do with my detectors.

Now you've done it.

Glad you figured it's involves more than your apartment. e.g.

images compliment of http://attendancesystems.in/fire-alarm-systems.html

 

[Bystander]

What's a "mic"?

I'm glad Russ asked. I've just been assuming it's what dlgoff has just informed us it is --- the anunciator to inform residents that someone else is trying to burn down the building.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I'm wondering now if my alarms are just old and need to be replaced. I haven't replaced them since moving in 8 years ago.

 

[russ_watters]

If you missed my edit, I found the data sheet for the annunciator -- it doesn't have a battery backup or a "chirp" mode. If it is making noise and it isn't blasting you out of the house, something is wrong with it or the building alarm system.

Since it is just a speaker, it shouldn't ever need to be replaced. There isn't anything in it that can wear out.

 

[Bystander]

I haven't replaced them

That's not the landlord's responsibility? I'd tell you to check the local fire & building codes, but that's being a little "pushy" toward the landlord without knowing what/how the lease reads.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

If it is making noise and it isn't blasting you out of the house, something is wrong with it or the building alarm system.

Time to make a phone call tomorrow.

 

[dlgoff]

What's a "mic"?
[edit]
The model number is readable in your pic: http://www.thesignalsource.com/documents/GX93.pdf
It's a remote horn (speaker) for a building-wide evacuation from the master building alarm panel. It doesn't have a battery backup.

What's a "mic"?

Could be a speaker used as a mic.


Could be a mic used as a speaker.

 

[jedishrfu]

One other note is to be careful when throwing out 9V batteries, some house fires have been traced to these culprits.

Safety experts recommend placing electrical tape on the terminals to prevent a short. One expert even suggested adding the electrical tape to the battery case before installing it so you'll remember to tape over the terminal posts when removing it.

Another potential area is the family junk drawer where unused batteries, keys, tools... are often tossed. 9V batteries have been known to combust when a key, pen clip or paper clip shorts the terminals or even two batteries touching terminal to terminal.

 

[edward]

One other note is to be careful when throwing out 9V batteries, some house fires have been traced to these culprits.

Safety experts recommend placing electrical tape on the terminals to prevent a short. One expert even suggested adding the electrical tape to the battery case before installing it so you'll remember to tape over the terminal posts when removing it.

Another potential area is the family junk drawer where unused batteries, keys, tools... are often tossed. 9V batteries have been known to combust when a key, pen clip or paper clip shorts the terminals or even two batteries touching terminal to terminal.

Do not put a 9 Volt battery in your pants pocket with your keys. I don't know why but I had to do it twice before it was burned into my brain.