How to change battery in smoke detector hardwired first alert

How Often Should You Change the Batteries in Your Smoke Detector?

The smoke detectors s throughout your home help play a crucial role in keeping you and your family safe by alerting you to potential dangers. However,  smoke alarms are no use if they do not have working batteries. It is important that you take the time to check and test home smoke detectors often and change the batteries  to ensure they are working properly.

What Smoke Alarm Do You Have?

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends changing the batteries in your smoke alarm every 6 months. At First Alert, we offer 10-year smoke alarms that have a built-in 10-year battery, which eliminates the need for battery replacements for the life of the detectors. We also offer hardwire fire alarms with a battery backup, for protection during power outages.

Testing and Changing Your Fire Alarm Battery

It is recommended you test your detectors at least once a month to ensure they are working properly. If your smoke alarms are powered by a nine-volt battery, the battery should be replaced every 6 months, while the alarm itself should be replaced once every 10 years. For 10-year lithium-powered fire detectors, you won’t need to replace the battery. Instead, the entire alarm should be replaced after 10 years have passed from the manufacture date on the back of the alarm. If your alarm is hardwired into your home’s electrical system, replace the backup battery at least every 6 months and replace the smoke alarm itself once every 10 years.

Signs You Need to Replace the Batteries In Your Smoke Detector

You’ll likely notice a high-pitched chirping noise coming from your fire alarm if the batteries need to be replaced. It is best to be proactive and change the batteries in your smoke detectors before the low battery chirp  occurs. When you change the batteries in one fire alarm, make sure you change the batteries in the rest of the detectors in your home as well. A helpful reminder to check your smoke alarms and change the batteries every 6 months is Daylight Saving Time. Check your fire detectors when you change your clocks.

Installing smoke detectors will help keep you and your family safe. Browse our website to learn more about fire alarms or other fire-related equipment such as fire escape ladders, fire extinguishers, and more!

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10 Year Battery Smoke Detector

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Hardwired Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup

The First Alert 9120LBL Hardwired Interconnected Smoke Alarm with Lithium Battery-Backup is a great choice when it comes to affordable smoke alarms. In the event of a power outage, this smoke alarm is equipped with a 10 year lithium battery back-up.

Ionization Sensor Reliably Detects Flaming Fires

The First Alert 9120LBL Hardwired Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup comes equipped with an ultra-reliable ionization sensor to provide the earliest possible warning of a fast-flaming fire. The sensor is optimized to detect flaming fires, such as those caused by paper, kitchen grease, and other fast-combusting materials. This smoke alarm also implements Smart Technology to drastically reduce the number of nuisance alarms triggered.

Gasket-less for Easy Installation

To facilitate hassle-free installation, this smoke alarm features a perfect mount system that includes a base and a mounting bracket. This keeps the alarm secure over a wide rotation range that allows for true alignment.

Latching Alarm Indication

In addition to functioning independently, this smoke alarm can also integrate with up to 12 other First Alert or BRK hardwired alarms for coverage of larger spaces. It also integrates with up to six other compatible devices, such as bells, horns, and repeaters. If one alarm in the series is triggered, they will all sound. The alarm features a latching indicator to identify which unit triggered the alarm, alerting you to the area of danger.

10-Year Lithium Battery Backup

The First Alert 9120LBL Hardwired Interconnected Smoke Alarm features a built-in 10-year lithium battery backup that provides continuous power for the life of the detector. An end-of-life timer lets you know when the device should be replaced.

First Alert BRK Brands Hardwired Ionization Smoke Alarm 9120LBL

• Power Source: Hardwired
• Battery Backup: 10 Year Lithium
• Sensor: Ionization
• Interconnect: Can be linked with up to 18 units (12 Smoke, 6 CO/Heat/Relay)
• Smart Sensing Technology: Helps reduce nuisance alarms
• Noise Output: 85 dB in a T3 Pattern
• Single Button: One press to silence and test alarm
• Easy Installation: Perfect Mount System includes Gasketless Base
• Tamper Resistant: Includes Locking Pins
• Dust Cover: Keeps alarm clean during construction
• Improved UV Resistance: Keeps alarm from discoloring over time
• Standards: UL 217
• Warranty: 10 Year Limited
• Product Dimensions (LxWxH): 5.6 x 1.9 x 5.6 in.
• Product Weight: .6 lbs.

How to Install First Alert 9120LBL Hardwired Smoke Alarms:

In this guide, we'll be showing you how to install First Alert Hardwired Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms. Here are a few items you'll need before starting the installation process: Needle-nose pliers or utility knife, screwdriver, wire stripper, wire nuts and a ladder.

Hardwired Smoke or Carbon Monoxide Alarm Requirements:

• 120V household electrical circuit (unswitched 120VAC)
• Standard wiring junction box to a 4 in. (10 cm) size, on either the ceiling or wall
• Selecting an appropriate location to install your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms (see below guidelines for additional information):
  
  • When installing an alarm on the wall, the top edge of an alarm should be placed between 4 in. (100 mm) and 12 in. (300 mm) from the wall/ceiling line.
  • When installing an alarm on the ceiling, place the alarm as close to the center as possible.
  • In either case, install the alarm at least 4 in. (100 mm) from where the wall and ceiling meet.
  • First Alert Smoke Alarm FAQs
  • First Alert Carbon Monoxide Alarm FAQs

Connecting First Alert Hardwired Alarms to 120V Wiring

To begin, turn off power at the junction box and connect your alarm to the building's electrical wiring.

1. Locate the junction box and turn off power
2. Remove the power connector from the new alarm's packaging
3. Using wire nuts, attach the hot (black), neutral (white), and interconnect (orange) wires

Mounting First Alert Hardwired Alarms

1. Secure the mounting bracket to the ceiling or wall using screws (included in the package)
2. Insert the power connector into the plug on the back of your alarm
3. Tuck any hanging wires into the junction box
4. Position the base of the alarm onto the bracket and turn it clockwise until it's secured
5. Remove the pull-tab to activate the backup battery

Installing Additional and/or Interconnecting First Alert Hardwired Alarms

If you are installing more smoke or carbon monoxide alarms, you'll want to repeat the process throughout the building. Interconnected smoke and co alarms must meet all requirements:

• The same fuse or circuit breaker must power all interconnected alarms.

• Up to 18 compatible detectors can interconnect, with a limit of 12 smoke alarms.

• The total length of wire interconnecting the alarms should be less than 1,000 ft. (300 meters). This type of wire is commonly available at hardware and electrical supply stores.

• All wiring must conform to all local electrical codes and NFPA 70 (NEC). Refer to NFPA 72, NFPA 101, and your local building code for more information.

• Interconnect wiring diagram:

If you have any doubts or reservations about these interconnect requirements, please contact an experienced electrician to install your wiring and hardwired alarms.

Restoring Power and Testing Hardwired Alarms

Once you've installed your hardwired alarms, you'll want to restore power to the junction box. Under regular operation, the power indicator light on the alarm will shine/blink to indicate that it is receiving AC power.

Here's how you can test standalone or interconnected alarms:

• Standalone Alarms: Press and hold the Test/Silence button until the unit triggers an alarm.

• Interconnected Alarms: Press and hold the Test/Silence button until the first unit triggers an alarm. All interconnected detectors should sound off. Repeat this process to test each alarm in the interconnected series.

Q: What is the proper placement of smoke alarms?

A: It is important that you have the proper placement for your smoke alarms. Install your alarms at least 20 feet from appliances like furnaces and ovens, which produce combustion particles. Alarms should be at least 10 feet from high humidity areas like showers and laundry rooms, and at least 3 feet from heat/AC vents. Be sure to install a smoke alarm in each bedroom, one at the top of each stairwell, and one on every level.

Q: Why doesn't my smoke alarm sound when I push the test button?

A: It is important that you frequently test your smoke alarms. When you are testing your smoke alarm, there are a number of reasons why the alarm might not sound:

• You may not be holding the test button down long enough. Try holding it down for up to 10 seconds (20 seconds on photoelectric models) .
• Your battery may not be installed properly or snapped all the way in place. Even if the alarm sounded briefly when the battery touched the terminals, you still need to make sure it is snapped securely in place. If the battery is loose, in cannot power the smoke alarm properly. After installing new batteries, be sure to test your smoke detector.
• Your AC power may not be on. AC and AC/DC units will have a power indicator light (red or green) that shines continuously when they are receiving electrical power.
• If you have a 10-Year model, the smoke alarm may not have been properly activated. If the tab broke away before the alarm was activated, you can use a toothpick to move the switch over to test the alarm.

Q: Why does my smoke alarm go off when I install a battery or turn on the AC power?

A: It is normal for smoke alarms to go off and sound briefly (up to 5-10 seconds) when you install a new battery or when they are powered up. If the alarm continues to go off and no smoke is present, the cause may be one of the following:

• There may be insufficient battery power, try new batteries.
• Problems with voltage or insufficient electrical power (brown out) may cause a continuous weak sounding alarm. For AC or AC/DC models, temporarily disconnect power at the service panel until the brown out is over. If you do not restore the AC power, your smoke alarms cannot warn you of a fire.
• Incompatible warning device. If an incompatible alarm or auxiliary device is linked into a series of AC or AC/DC smoke alarms it may cause the system inadvertently go off.

Q: I lost my First Alert smoke alarm owner's manual. How can I get a new one?

A: First Alert smoke alarm owner's manuals are available online for download at no cost. Find your alarm in our Smoke Alarms section.

Q: Why does the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend that home smoke alarms be replaced after 10 years?

A: Smoke alarms have a limited life. Although each smoke alarm and all of its parts have passed many stringent tests and are designed to be as reliable as possible, any of these parts could fail over time. Therefore, you must test the devices weekly. The unit should be replaced immediately if it is not operating properly. The performance of smoke alarms older than 10 years is simply not reliable. To ensure your family's safety, all carbon monoxide and smoke/CO combination alarms need to be replaced every 5-7 years. All smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years.

• 9120LBL Smoke Alarm Manual

First Alert 9120LBL BRK Brands Hardwire Smoke Alarm with 10-Year Battery Videos

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