Hi - my smoke alarm started beeping last night so I decided to try and take the battery out. I think it's the Ei141 model. I turned the mains power off, but I can't for the life of me remove the cover to get the battery out. I've tried all kinds of different screw drivers inserted where instructed but the alarm cover WILL NOT slide off. Last night I gave up and have been trying again today with no luck, and have now broken some of the plastic around where the screw driver goes in so there now doesn't appear to be any little latch to lift off - but the alarm still wont budge! The alarm is right outside our bedroom doors and none of us are going to be able to sleep tonight unless I can stop it! aargh! How do I get the damn thing off? Why do they make it so hard to remove!!!!! I feel like just smashing the thing to get it off!\

Thanks for any help anyone can offer. I've tried called the Safelincs number but being Xmas Even no-one is answering!

Hi Emma, this sounds pretty awful to happen, especially at this time of year! I saw from your youtube comment that you have finally found our Youtube video showing how to remove the Ei141 smoke alarm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-hWd6

If that does not work there is sadly nothing that can be done other than forcing the unit from the ceiling, which is dangerous and can damage your ceiling, of course. We are trying to convince our suppliers that the change of units or batteries should be easy, especially if the building is owner occupied. We also are pushing them for quite a while now to introduce low battery warnings that only bleep in daytime. This is particularly important as batteries are dropping in charge at night when it is cooler! Fireangle has now introduced a 'sleep-easy' function that at least allows the user to silence the alarm for 8 hours.

Harry

 

Same problem.  I've watched several videos & bought an Easi change tool. Still haven't managed to shift the cover.  When I used an ordinary screw driver I seemed to trigger something and the alarm/red light went crazy for a bit.  Frustrating.

Same problem. I've tried for two hours to remove the cover and nothing is happening. This is ridiculous.

Same here, I am disabled and have no way of changing the battery even my daughter tried and it won't budge you would think a fire alarm would be made easier to change a battery without having to try ripping it off the wall with no luck mine has been going off every 14 minutes fir 3 days and the housing association can't get to it for 5 more days I'm in despair 

I have seen cases where the ceiling has been painted AFTER the installation of a smoke alarm, and the smoke alarm is now "sealed" to its base by a coat of paint. If this is the case then carefully run a utility knife between the base and the detector.

It is also a good idea to change the battery once a year, a good time to do this is when the clocks change.

 

A video of how to change a battery can be seen if you click here

 

 

It looks like my clip is broken and the device will not budge. 5 different people have tried the move the bloody thing, how do I smash the thing off with no damage to the ceiling so I can stop my ears from hurting, and get a new one fitted.

Safelincs show how to remove it, when you need to change the battery. But I suspect you have probably done it by now as this forum is so slow. 😒(You asked Wednesday, it is now the following Monday)

Also make sure that the base has NOT been painted, as this will "seal" the detector to the base. If this has been done use a utility knife to carefully cut this paint seal.

I have the same problem. I got home yesterday to find the alarm beeping & flashing red intermittently. I'm unable to remove the cover despite watching several videos & the thin plastic grid around the top is starting to break. I have since read that there are radioactive components in this alarm otherwise I would have taken a hammer to it. Why is it so difficult to change a battery? I can't understand why it's still chirping, surely it'll run out of battery power soon? I turned the mains power back on overnight as I wasn't comfortable leaving it off.

It will carry on beeping until the battery is replaced. As it uses so little energy to do this, it can continue for as long as a month.

Sorry to hear you are having problems, but it is as easy as shown in the video above.

You need to stay where you are as you insert the screwdriver as shown in the first picture.

I have found that a "terminal" screwdriver works just as well, after inserting it, GENTLY pull down (If the detector is mounted on the ceiling) This releases the catch, then push the main unit (The part with the LEDs) forward. (Away from you)

You are correct, the Ei141 does contain radio active material, it is also now obsolete, and should be changed for the Ei146E which is an optical smoke alarm.