How and when to change the smoke detector battery

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Posted: October 19, 2020 - Homebuyer's Blog

Having a fresh battery in your smoke detector is important to the safety of your home and family. With this in mind, Hartz Homes is providing the following information on how and when to change these batteries.

Your smoke detector is always working

Smoke detectors supply power both for occasional services such as alarms, chirps, and blinking lights and for constant services. A smoke detector is running all the time. With an ionization smoke detector, the battery supplies electricity to positive and negative electrodes. Ions charged by the battery are constantly moving between the two plates. With photoelectric smoke alarms, an LED light is cast onto a photoelectric sensor.

If your smoke detector does not have a fresh battery, it cannot supply power for these constant services.

When to replace the battery

You should always replace your smoke detector battery immediately after it emits a warning beep or chirp indicating that the battery is low.

In addition, most smoke detector manufacturers recommend that you replace the battery at least one time per year. To give yourself an even wider margin of safety, you can replace the battery two times per year, with the changes evenly spaced out.

If you live in an area that uses daylight savings time, this can be used as a reminder for replacing the battery. Within one year, replace the battery once when switching to daylight savings time, then replace it a second time when switching back to standard time.

How to replace the battery

Smoke detectors’ battery replacement operations vary, but there are some common features:

  1. You will need to access the smoke detector with a ladder or chair as most are ceiling-mounted (though a few may be mounted high on a wall).
  2. Most smoke detectors must be removed from the ceiling to replace the battery, though some do have a front-loading door. Twist the detector counter-clockwise. The smoke detector should release, with the mounting plate remaining on the ceiling. Some smoke detectors will have a tamper-resistant feature to prevent children from removing the device. Disengage with the locking pin.
  3. Replace the battery as directed by the smoke detector instructions.
  4. Place the smoke detector back in the mounting bracket and slightly twist clockwise. The smoke detector should engage.
  5. Test the smoke detector with the testing button usually located on the face of the unit.

What about smoke detectors that are hardwired with a backup battery?

This type of smoke detector receives household current, with an onboard battery used as a backup in the event of power failure.

  1. At your home’s electrical service panel, turn off the household powerto the circuit supplying the smoke detector by switching off the proper circuit breaker.
  2. Use a ladder or chair to access the smoke detector.
  3. Remove the smoke detector from the mounting base by turning the smoke detector counter-clockwise. If the smoke detector does not disengage, it may because of a tamper-resistant mounting bracket. Disengage by pushing the locking pin into the unit.
  4. Do not immediately try to pull off the smoke detector as it is connected with a wiring harness. Tilt the smoke detector to the side and locate the wire connector leading into the unit. Unplug the wire from the smoke detector or mounting base, as applicable
  5. Replace the smoke detector’s battery at the door usually located either on the side or the back of the unit.
  6. Reconnect the wiring harness to the unit or base, fit the unit onto the base and turn the unit clockwise engage it on the base.
  7. Turn on the circuit breaker to restore household power to the detector’s circuit.
  8. Test the smoke detector with the test button.

Please check out these new home communities from Hartz Homes:
Armitage Pointe of Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Bella Vista Townhomes of Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Blue Bell Ridge of Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new construction)
Lago Vista of Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Leigh Creek of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Marquis Pointe of Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Nantucket Lakes of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Park West of Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Playa Vista of Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Shannon Estates of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Sky Harbor of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Whisper Creek of Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)

Hartz Homes has new home communities in:
Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Aurora, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
New Lenox (Chicago area new home construction)
Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)