Smoke alarm keeps beeping - help!
Smoke alarm keeps beeping - help!
Author
Discussion

SD1992

Original Poster:

7,278 posts

182 months

Wednesday 26th October 2011
quotequote all
No, there is not a fire hehe

One of the smoke alarms in our flat has decided that it is going to beep on its own accord once a minute or so. I think the battery is low, but they are also wired into the mains.

Question - how I get the cover off the damn thing? There is no obvious bit to pull to get at the battery, and when I tug on the plastic casing it feels like I am going to rip the thing out the ceiling.

Can anyone offer any advice please? smile

Here is the offending object...


TheEnd

15,370 posts

212 months

Wednesday 26th October 2011
quotequote all
The cover will pull down on a hinge somewhere, and you'd probably find an old 9V battery inside.

RedWhiteMonkey

8,774 posts

206 months

Wednesday 26th October 2011
quotequote all
Can't say whether that is hardwired or battery powered from the picture but battery powered smoke alarms normally twist off from their bracket that is screwed into the ceiling.

Andy_GSA

518 posts

206 months

Wednesday 26th October 2011
quotequote all
That looks very similar to our mains powered alarm. Ours use a PP3 battery. At first glance they are impossible to get into but if you look at the base (where it attaches to the ceiling) you may find a small plastic notch. Push this in with a screwdriver whilst twisting the top of the unit, the unit then comes off the base.

It may of course be that the unit is completely different and the above advice is useless!

caiss4

1,945 posts

221 months

Wednesday 26th October 2011
quotequote all
Yep, sounds like a low battery warning.

On the side of the unit, just where the slash vents end, there is a tab you need to depress with a small blade screwdriver. The whole unit then slides off in the same direction and you can replace the battery; PP3 I think. The battery is alkaline so it isn't 'charged' by the mains connection. Typical life is a 2/3 years.

Beaten to it, PP3 sounds more likely!

MonkeyHanger

9,266 posts

266 months

Wednesday 26th October 2011
quotequote all
Everything you ever wanted to know about Aico smoke alarms but were afraid to ask.....


http://www.aico.co.uk/how-do-i-maintain-alarms.htm...

Blue Oval84

5,375 posts

185 months

Wednesday 26th October 2011
quotequote all
MonkeyHanger said:
Everything you ever wanted to know about Aico smoke alarms but were afraid to ask.....


http://www.aico.co.uk/how-do-i-maintain-alarms.htm...
Perfect link that!

I have the same smoke alarms and one of mine did that when the backup battery flattened a year or so ago.

SD1992

Original Poster:

7,278 posts

182 months

Wednesday 26th October 2011
quotequote all
PH comes to the rescue yet again, thank you all very much!

The place is quiet for the first time in days hehe