Rented flat smoke alarm Q (pics)

[Jethro_uk]

Had a call from the lad saying the smoke alarm in his flat was beeping, and did I have a ladder ...

Anyway, when I got there, it's a wired smoke alarm. So why beeping ? Is there a backup battery to go flat ?

Aside from the expected shoddy workmanship (the thing fell off the ceiling when I touched it), could there be a fault ? I did see the "replace by" date, which was June 2023.

I had no idea how to open it, but apparently now it's stopped chirping ...

How do these things open ?

[Davey]

My ones separate from their bases with a twisting motion, and then there is a normal battery compartment sliding cover.

If it was chirping and now it isn't, maybe it detected something?

[Robin]

Yes. Otherwise likely to be bloody useless when a fire starts by tripping the RCD...

Well it might if it had been chirping 'cos the battery is flat and now has lost it's connection to the mains.

It'd help if you told us the make which I can't read from your photos.

Some - including some Ei which that looks like - have a slot on the side with a big arrow pointing to it and labelled something like "removal slot". You push a flat blade screwdriver in that then pull the alarm down.

OTOH others have a slot where you press a plastic button in while turning in the direction indicated on the side.

Both designed to be done with the base attached to the ceiling so only 2 hands required ;)

[Brian Gaff]

They can be set off by dust and even in one case a spider! I would also suggest maybe the battery connections are the issue not the battery and disturbing it has made them make again. I know little about the wired in ones but the ones the fire brigade fit for free are not wired they have glue on pads on the back and are just pushed onto walls and ceilings so if you are really unlucky you might be knocked out by it if it hit you on the head. Brian

[soup]

Yup.

Mine slides leaving a base plate which holds the connections etc.

This sliding is enabled by shoving a screwdriver in a slot on the side of the unit

This base plate has three metal plates which engage with three prongs on the actual detector to enable electricity to flow

[Jethro_uk]

It's an Edwardian house with ceilings you could fly a helicopter under. I was wobbling around on the 4th rung of the ladder, and daren't go any higher. So the photo is the best you're going to get. I couldn't see any marking/writing to indicate a make or brand.

The thing fell off the ceiling with the first twist.

Lad has gone to work now. really it's his landlords job (but that seems to be developing into another story ....) which I told lad to report and get sorted.

I did wonder if there was a connection issue which the physical disturbance has rectified ?

[John Rumm]

If its the type where you can swap the alarm but leave the hardwired base in place, then see:

[Jethro_uk]

Thanks for all the comments. Hopefully something will get sorted, but if not I've got some info to be going on.

Stay safe with these storms !!

[Robin]

You sure? AIUI the Regulations require landlords to install working smoke alarm and check they are working at the *start* of new tenancies. I've seen nothing in or about the Regulations to say that a landlord is responsible for replacing batteries during a tenancy. And I've seen tenancy agreements that put the responsibility to do so on clearly on the tenant. Have you looked at your son's?

[Jethro_uk]

You may have gathered that as landlords go, this one is unlikely to find themselves on the cover of "landlord weekly".

It's a slightly involved situation with a lot of backstory ... suffice is to say we aren't his guarantors.

[ARW]

Ah, but the manufacturers of most smoke alarms say that the alarm manual should be left with the user.

So even if the OP's son is required to swap the battery he should have the correct info on how to do it.

[Dave W]

You didn't try hard enough! Aico type ei146

Page 11 says the cover slides on, but you have to insert a screwdriver in a slot to release a latch to slide it off again.