Each year, about 3,000 people in the United States die from house fires. Many of these fires occur at night, while people are asleep, unknowingly inhaling the toxic gases and smoke. Three out of five home fire deaths are caused by fires in homes without fire alarms, or non-functioning devices. Lethal house fires in homes with smoke detectors are almost always caused by an insufficient number of detectors, or by dead device batteries. The risk of death from house fires is significantly reduced when you know how to change the batteries of your devices.
Steps
Step 1. Check the manufacturer's instructions for replacing the batteries in your smoke detector
- The location of the battery door and the recommended battery type are slightly different depending on the detector brand.
- Keep the manufacturer's information leaflet in a safe place, which you can refer to if necessary.
Step 2. Make sure you have the right battery type, usually a 9 volt rectangular battery
Some manufacturers advise against the use of generic batteries or rechargeable batteries. Using unsuitable batteries could lead to device malfunction
Step 3. Disconnect the smoke detector power from the main panel
Step 4. Open the compartment to remove the old battery
Pull the wrapper down. Some wraps may wobble a bit. This will allow you to expose the battery housing. Press the positive pole of the battery (the end with the knob) towards the negative pole and pull it slightly downwards until the battery pops out.
If you have an old-fashioned smoke detector with the classic 9V electric alarm connector, pull the battery out of the detector and disconnect the battery from the connector. Removing the battery may take some decision
Step 5. Connect the new batteries to the connector and close the case
Step 6. Turn on the detector to check that it works
There is normally a button to test the battery
Step 7. If that doesn't work, double check the battery connector
This must fit well into its home.
- If the smoke detector still doesn't work, try replacing the batteries with new ones.
- Contact the manufacturer if the smoke detector does not respond positively to the test test, even after you have tried different types of batteries.
Step 8. Change the batteries once a year if you have no way of seeing when a battery is dead
Many people replace batteries every season, when they change them to their watches, in the fall or spring
Step 9. If you hear a chirp from your detector, change the batteries immediately
- This sound indicates that the device is running on low power.
- Some devices have a LED light that signals when the battery is low.
Advice
- In addition to keeping the detector's batteries charged, a fire escape plan will increase the odds of survival
- Smoke detectors must have the European Union approval mark.
- Smoke detectors should be tested monthly to make sure they work.
Warnings
- From time to time, smoke detectors come into operation due to steam from the bathroom or kitchen. Never turn off the smoke detector, as you may forget to turn it back on. If false alarms happen often, move the smoke detector out of the kitchen and bathroom.
- Electrical detectors can typically run for up to 10 years. After this period they must be replaced.
