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Original poster

Is there any way of silencing a smoke detector

12 replies

Ratfinkstinkypink · 28/08/2023 21:57

That doesn't involve violence? I got home from holiday to discover the battery in the smoke detector is in its way out and the bloody thing is beeping every 30 seconds. I can't get the cover off to replace the battery no matter how hard I try. The unit is hard wired so I don't want to force the cover open but it is doing my head in.

OP posts:
Symposium · 28/08/2023 22:28

Have you tried using a screwdriver to open it? Mine has a bit on the side that needs pushed in and you slide it off.

beachcomber70 · 28/08/2023 22:31

I get this and it's very annoying especially when it starts in the middle of the night. I turn mine off at the fuse box [I don't mean the main consumer unit's main switch, the large red one] . Smoke alarm should have a separate switch, which should be labelled.

NameChange96 · 28/08/2023 22:34

Google the make to see if it’s possible. If the battery needs replacing, it must open!

LIZS · 28/08/2023 22:37

We had this last week. Ours triggered the linked alarms and had an integrated lithium battery so you could not even just swap it. Does it unscrew from the base? if you can open and lever the wire fixing plug away, the dying battery continues to beep, so it needs removing completely from the house!

LIZS · 28/08/2023 22:38

beachcomber70 · 28/08/2023 22:31

I get this and it's very annoying especially when it starts in the middle of the night. I turn mine off at the fuse box [I don't mean the main consumer unit's main switch, the large red one] . Smoke alarm should have a separate switch, which should be labelled.

Even if you turn off the fuse the back up battery will still cheep and trigger any others it is linked to.

TheSmallAssassin · 28/08/2023 22:38

There are a few videos on YouTube showing how to open them up - mine's like a previous poster's and needs you to poke a screwdriver into a slot that then allows you to twist the cover off.

LBOCS2 · 28/08/2023 22:40

Check to see if it slides off the base - in the past I had alarms which twist and pull off, but the ones we have now you press a lever down and slide it off. I did that, took the battery out and left it unhooked overnight then replaced the battery.

Original poster
Ratfinkstinkypink · 28/08/2023 22:41

NameChange96 · 28/08/2023 22:34

Google the make to see if it’s possible. If the battery needs replacing, it must open!

It does open, I found the video on YouTube showing how to do it but I can't get it to open no matter how hard I try. DH was the last person to change the battery but I can't ask him as he's no longer here. I turned it off at the fuse but it continued to beep at me so I switched it back on again.

OP posts:
LIZS · 28/08/2023 22:43

Does it have a tab you pull the battery out with? So you don't open it as such.

Original poster
Ratfinkstinkypink · 29/08/2023 08:55

LIZS · 28/08/2023 22:43

Does it have a tab you pull the battery out with? So you don't open it as such.

No tab sadly, I have given up and emailed the landlady's handyman. I just hope he can help.

OP posts:
Poivresel · 29/08/2023 08:59

My dm got so frustrated that she threw her smoke alarm out of the bedroom window.
It landed in a tall tree and her ndn was trying to work out what sort of bird made that sound!
it lasted a while and dh eventually extricated it from the tree and disposed of it.
Yes, my dm is very eccentric.

Original poster
Ratfinkstinkypink · 29/08/2023 14:05

Poivresel · 29/08/2023 08:59

My dm got so frustrated that she threw her smoke alarm out of the bedroom window.
It landed in a tall tree and her ndn was trying to work out what sort of bird made that sound!
it lasted a while and dh eventually extricated it from the tree and disposed of it.
Yes, my dm is very eccentric.

To be fair, I can understand why!

Well, the handyman came complete with the instruction leaflet and, after 30 minutes of twisting, turning, pulling, pushing and poking, couldn't do it so he called the electrician who fitted it and he couldn't do it either so he called the manufacturer helpline who said "Oh yeah, that's the new quick release version. We hadn't updated the instructions when that batch went out..." Fuckers.

Anyway, it is done now.

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