Tenant question about mains smoke alarm battery responsibility/help

BobT36

Can you not see the make/model and look it up online? 
Mine just twist off. 

bobster2

chickadee13 said:

Sorry for any confusion re mains alarms - I must have misunderstood!

So a friend just came over with his stepladder and screwdrivers etc and he couldn't remove the thing either. I went up the ladder and also had a go. I feel we've done our best here but no joy and it's still beeping. I suppose I'll have to pay for someone to come out, then, if the letting agent won't help.

This is a common type - it's a bit fiddly...yours may be similar...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcLheNbxtio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AQvjqhnHTE

ThisIsWeird

chickadee13 said:

Sorry for any confusion re mains alarms - I must have misunderstood!

So a friend just came over with his stepladder and screwdrivers etc and he couldn't remove the thing either. I went up the ladder and also had a go. I feel we've done our best here but no joy and it's still beeping. I suppose I'll have to pay for someone to come out, then, if the letting agent won't help.

Did you take photos of it? Could you still do this? A chair should do, as you'll be holding your phone above your head. If you can show us the make and model, then we should be able to determine whether it's a replaceable battery type, or built-in, the latter needed a complete replacement - so the LL's job.

They can be really annoying to remove unless you follow the instructions fully, and I'm talking about the 'standard' units by Aico. I can't remember whether a screwdriver would do the job, or did it require something more wide and flat like a kitchen knife - I have a recollection that a screwdriver blade wouldn't go in far enough as it's too thick, perhaps? Anyhoo, once inserted correctly, some of them then need quite a stiff fist sideways - and you need to know the direction.

Amusingly, the last electrical device that went on fire in our home - well, it went 'pop', fzzzzz, and smoke came out of it - was the smoke alarm itself.

Albermarle

They can be really annoying to remove unless you follow the instructions fully, and I'm talking about the 'standard' units by Aico. I can't remember whether a screwdriver would do the job, or did it require something more wide and flat like a kitchen knife - I have a recollection that a screwdriver blade wouldn't go in far enough as it's too thick, perhaps? Anyhoo, once inserted correctly, some of them then need quite a stiff fist sideways - and you need to know the direction.

They can be a bit tricky until you have done it a couple of times, but a small flat bladed screwdriver is OK . They then just slide off the baseplate but you have to push in the right direction,

Nebulous2

ThisIsWeird said:

chickadee13 said:

Sorry for any confusion re mains alarms - I must have misunderstood!

So a friend just came over with his stepladder and screwdrivers etc and he couldn't remove the thing either. I went up the ladder and also had a go. I feel we've done our best here but no joy and it's still beeping. I suppose I'll have to pay for someone to come out, then, if the letting agent won't help.

Did you take photos of it? Could you still do this? A chair should do, as you'll be holding your phone above your head. If you can show us the make and model, then we should be able to determine whether it's a replaceable battery type, or built-in, the latter needed a complete replacement - so the LL's job.

They can be really annoying to remove unless you follow the instructions fully, and I'm talking about the 'standard' units by Aico. I can't remember whether a screwdriver would do the job, or did it require something more wide and flat like a kitchen knife - I have a recollection that a screwdriver blade wouldn't go in far enough as it's too thick, perhaps? Anyhoo, once inserted correctly, some of them then need quite a stiff fist sideways - and you need to know the direction.

Amusingly, the last electrical device that went on fire in our home - well, it went 'pop', fzzzzz, and smoke came out of it - was the smoke alarm itself.

We had to evacuate a newly built care facility, as the fire panel caught fire. Even now with the distance of 10 years or so, I find it hard to find anything amusing about it. 

OP I think you really need to get somebody in to deal with it, if you and your friends are unable to find a way to do it. 

ThisIsWeird

Nebulous2 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

chickadee13 said:

Sorry for any confusion re mains alarms - I must have misunderstood!

So a friend just came over with his stepladder and screwdrivers etc and he couldn't remove the thing either. I went up the ladder and also had a go. I feel we've done our best here but no joy and it's still beeping. I suppose I'll have to pay for someone to come out, then, if the letting agent won't help.

Did you take photos of it? Could you still do this? A chair should do, as you'll be holding your phone above your head. If you can show us the make and model, then we should be able to determine whether it's a replaceable battery type, or built-in, the latter needed a complete replacement - so the LL's job.

They can be really annoying to remove unless you follow the instructions fully, and I'm talking about the 'standard' units by Aico. I can't remember whether a screwdriver would do the job, or did it require something more wide and flat like a kitchen knife - I have a recollection that a screwdriver blade wouldn't go in far enough as it's too thick, perhaps? Anyhoo, once inserted correctly, some of them then need quite a stiff fist sideways - and you need to know the direction.

Amusingly, the last electrical device that went on fire in our home - well, it went 'pop', fzzzzz, and smoke came out of it - was the smoke alarm itself.

We had to evacuate a newly built care facility, as the fire panel caught fire. Even now with the distance of 10 years or so, I find it hard to find anything amusing about it. 

Ok, then - ironically.
What was pleasing was that I actually witnessed it. Er, I mean 'distressing'. 

ThisIsWeird

...gulp... :-(

bobster2

If there's no room for humour in the thread I suppose I can't ask...

How many MSE forum members does it take to change smoke detector battery? 

Nebulous2

ThisIsWeird said:

Nebulous2 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

chickadee13 said:

Sorry for any confusion re mains alarms - I must have misunderstood!

So a friend just came over with his stepladder and screwdrivers etc and he couldn't remove the thing either. I went up the ladder and also had a go. I feel we've done our best here but no joy and it's still beeping. I suppose I'll have to pay for someone to come out, then, if the letting agent won't help.

Did you take photos of it? Could you still do this? A chair should do, as you'll be holding your phone above your head. If you can show us the make and model, then we should be able to determine whether it's a replaceable battery type, or built-in, the latter needed a complete replacement - so the LL's job.

They can be really annoying to remove unless you follow the instructions fully, and I'm talking about the 'standard' units by Aico. I can't remember whether a screwdriver would do the job, or did it require something more wide and flat like a kitchen knife - I have a recollection that a screwdriver blade wouldn't go in far enough as it's too thick, perhaps? Anyhoo, once inserted correctly, some of them then need quite a stiff fist sideways - and you need to know the direction.

Amusingly, the last electrical device that went on fire in our home - well, it went 'pop', fzzzzz, and smoke came out of it - was the smoke alarm itself.

We had to evacuate a newly built care facility, as the fire panel caught fire. Even now with the distance of 10 years or so, I find it hard to find anything amusing about it. 

Ok, then - ironically.
What was pleasing was that I actually witnessed it. Er, I mean 'distressing'. 

Sorry - I didn't mean that as a putdown. I would find my own smoke alarm going on fire to be amusing. 

Perhaps I was being too ironic. 

Getting a phonecall overnight, as they needed to evacuate a group of distressed people with disabilities, during the Christmas holidays,  when all the builders and warranty people were on holiday, was a nightmare. Both the immediate impact and the time it took to resolve was demanding. Most people I tell find it funny, but I'm still struggling to join in......

On the other hand, my daughter's computer went on fire, with the fan still working. My wife had to deal with two feet of flames shooting out of the fan vent at the back of the case. She was quite unhappy that I found that funny. 

ThisIsWeird

Nebulous2 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Nebulous2 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

chickadee13 said:

Sorry for any confusion re mains alarms - I must have misunderstood!

So a friend just came over with his stepladder and screwdrivers etc and he couldn't remove the thing either. I went up the ladder and also had a go. I feel we've done our best here but no joy and it's still beeping. I suppose I'll have to pay for someone to come out, then, if the letting agent won't help.

Did you take photos of it? Could you still do this? A chair should do, as you'll be holding your phone above your head. If you can show us the make and model, then we should be able to determine whether it's a replaceable battery type, or built-in, the latter needed a complete replacement - so the LL's job.

They can be really annoying to remove unless you follow the instructions fully, and I'm talking about the 'standard' units by Aico. I can't remember whether a screwdriver would do the job, or did it require something more wide and flat like a kitchen knife - I have a recollection that a screwdriver blade wouldn't go in far enough as it's too thick, perhaps? Anyhoo, once inserted correctly, some of them then need quite a stiff fist sideways - and you need to know the direction.

Amusingly, the last electrical device that went on fire in our home - well, it went 'pop', fzzzzz, and smoke came out of it - was the smoke alarm itself.

We had to evacuate a newly built care facility, as the fire panel caught fire. Even now with the distance of 10 years or so, I find it hard to find anything amusing about it. 

Ok, then - ironically.
What was pleasing was that I actually witnessed it. Er, I mean 'distressing'. 

Sorry - I didn't mean that as a putdown. I would find my own smoke alarm going on fire to be amusing. 

Perhaps I was being too ironic. 

Getting a phonecall overnight, as they needed to evacuate a group of distressed people with disabilities, during the Christmas holidays,  when all the builders and warranty people were on holiday, was a nightmare. Both the immediate impact and the time it took to resolve was demanding. Most people I tell find it funny, but I'm still struggling to join in......

On the other hand, my daughter's computer went on fire, with the fan still working. My wife had to deal with two feet of flames shooting out of the fan vent at the back of the case. She was quite unhappy that I found that funny. 

Completely understood :-)

My chuffing smokie was, almost literally, a damp squib.