HOW TO CHANGE A SMOKE ALARM BATTERIES

Working smoke alarms provide the critical early warning needed to save lives, minimise property damage, reduce the risk of fire in your home and help protect the lives. Taking the time to make sure your smoke alarms are working properly by testing them every month and replacing the batteries at least once a year. These steps show you how quickly and easily you can change a battery by yourself.

Every year on April 1, April Fools’ Day DFES promotes the day as a reminder to regularly change smoke alarm batteries

Once a year, replace the 9V battery in your hard-wired smoke detector with a high-quality, long-life battery. Electric smoke alarms batteries only use power when the mains power turns off and is only there as a back up.

How to replace the smoke alarm battery

Step 1: Remove the smoke alarm from its base

Mains and Battery powered smoke alarms are secured to the ceiling using a base. To remove the alarm from the base every alarm model has a different way of doing this. It will be a push button on the side , a twist and pull or a slide motion.

Step 2: Replace the old battery

Pull out the old battery and replace it with a new one, make sure the battery is in the correct way and positive and negative are on the correct side. Once the new battery is in place fit the alarm back into its base.

Step 3: Test the smoke alarm

Test the smoke alarm by pushing and holding the test button. You will need to hold the button for a couple of seconds before the alarm will activate. As soon as it activates you can release the test button on the smoke alarm and you have finished your test.

To see the full DIY smoke alarm at home test visit our how to test a smoke alarm page