Smoke Detector Battery Replacement
Wireless smoke and heat detectors require battery replacement periodically. A low battery is indicated by a trouble condition on your system keypad.
Changing the battery in your smoke or heat detector is quick and easy. If you have your replacement battery ready to go, you can follow these step-by-step instructions.
If you are not sure which battery you need, visit our sensor battery replacement page to find out.
Step-by-Step Instructions
To replace your smoke or heat detector battery:
- Locate the zone where the smoke or heat detector low battery signal is coming from. Most systems will display a Trouble Condition and a zone number on the keypad.
- Put your system in test mode. This will result in a brief siren and beeping from your panel in 30 second intervals.
- Take the smoke detector off its base by turning the device cover counter-clockwise approximately half of an inch.
- Remove the old battery. Some smoke or heat detectors may have two batteries. If this is the case, make sure you remove and replace both batteries at the same time.
- Once the old battery has been out of the device for 30 seconds, install the new battery, paying close attention to the (+) and (-) signs to ensure proper installation.
- Reattach the smoke detector to the mounting bracket by lining up the ridge on the body of the device with the arrow on the base and turning the detector cover clockwise about half of inch.
- Test the detector to ensure that the batteries are properly installed.
- Smoke Detector: Press and hold the Test button for about 30 seconds or until the siren sounds. The siren verifies that the smoke detector is working properly.
- Heat Detector: Since the heat detection mechanism is designed for a single use, it is not possible to perform a test. The Low Battery condition on your alarm keypad will clear once the new batteries are installed correctly.
- Smoke Detector: Press and hold the Test button for about 30 seconds or until the siren sounds. The siren verifies that the smoke detector is working properly.
- Reset your keypad. Refer to your system manual, or the System Identification page for instructions.
- Remove your system from test mode.
- Recycle the old battery. To find a recycler, visit Call2Recycle. Returning a battery to a recycler on this site is free of charge and will ensure that the battery is recycled according to regulatory requirements.
Related Topics
Finding the Right Sensor Battery
Here you can locate the correct size and type of battery for your sensor
Testing Your System
Here are instructions for placing your system in Test mode, and for removing it from Test mode once the test is complete.
Smoke and Heat Detector Troubleshooting
Here are instructions for troubleshooting problems with your smoke or heat detector
Sensor Manuals
Here you will find the manuals for several smoke and heat detector models
