How to Remove a Smoke Detector Battery

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises testing your smoke detector at least once a month and changing the battery once a year. Removing the old battery and installing a new one is a simple and straightforward process, whether you are doing so on a stand-alone smoke detector or one that is hard-wired.

Things You'll Need

• Battery

Instructions

1. Rotate the body of the detector gently to remove it from wherever it is located. Some models may require that you squeeze plastic flaps instead. Most detectors have a bracket attached to the wall or ceiling, and a round case that hooks onto the bracket. The sensor for the detector may be attached to either part, although in most battery-operated smoke detectors the sensor and battery will be in the round case. At least one detector model has the battery compartment on the front of the detector (the side you see when it is fully assembled and attached to the bracket); if yours is like this, leave the detector where it is.

2. Open the battery compartment door, if your model has one. The battery compartments on some detectors are simple hollows that don’t hide the battery; others have covers similar to those on portable radios.

3. Pull out the battery gently. Some models have a wired cap that fits over the positive and negative terminals of the battery; pull this off. It may take a bit of effort, so make sure you don’t damage the battery or wiring when trying to take it off.

4. Match the positive and negative terminals of the new battery to the comparable connections on the wired cap or inside the battery compartment.

5. Snap the wired cap onto the terminals and insert the new battery in the compartment. Close the compartment door and test the detector. Reattach the detector to the bracket.

Tips & Warnings

• Some older smoke detectors have a cover that is attached to the main unit with a hinge. Simply pop off the cover to gain access to the battery.

• Some smoke detectors are hard-wired into the electrical system and have a battery backup in case of a power failure. You must shut off the power to this type of detector before changing the battery.

• Don’t remove smoke detector batteries except to replace them. If the detector begins to beep once a minute or so, the battery needs to be replaced. If it goes off in response to smoke or steam from cooking, press the button on the detector to stop the beeping and open a window. The U.S. Fire Administration warns that you might forget to reinstall the battery if you take it out without replacing it immediately.

References

• Sentry Detectors: Firex
• Kidde: Smoke and Fire Alarm User's Guide
• Bob Vila: Maintaining Smoke Detectors
• Kidde: Battery Operated Smoke Alarm

Resources

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Test All Smoke Alarms
• U.S. Fire Administration: Smoke Alarms