I just realized that one of my smoke detectors has probably not had its battery replaced for a very long time. When I went to separate the face plate from the base that attaches to the ceiling I could not do it. I could not see or feel any tabs. The unit seems to be hanging from the ceiling by one screw. I don’t want to force anything. This unit has been in place for years.
So, if there is one site that provides manuals and pictures for many different brands I might be able to solve the problem or if anybody wants to e-mail me, I could take a picture of the unit so somebody might be able to identify the brand and I could go from there. I suppose I could try to pull the screw out of the ceiling but I really don’t want to do that if I don’t have to.
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Usually, you push on the detector ever so slightly and then twist counterclockwise to remove it from the mounting plate. Some units that are hardwired electric (ac) with a battery back-up have a swing open door on them that you access the battery with. Some are on the face of the unit and some swing out from the side of the unit.
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If you are not sure of the age of the detector, you may want to go ahead and replace it; many of the detectors on the market today have a lifespan of 10 years. if you have a heat source that uses combustion, such as a gas or oil furnace, gas logs, stove or water heater, consider replacing the detector with a
combination smoke and CO2 detector. these are available at most hardware stores and considering what they do for you, are very inexpensive. new dwelling units have to have a smoke detector in each bedroom, one outside each sleeping area, and one on each level near the staircase. if the residence has a combustible heat source, as mentioned above, a CO2 detector is also required by code and all detectors have to be connected so they all sound when smoke is detected.
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Google free manuals smoke detector. It is probable that your SD is powered by house current. Mine is.