There has got to be a better way!!!

[NsXMas]

The smoke detector starts beeping on my vaulted ceiling, announcing it's low on battery power.

So I drag out my regular ladder - oops, not high enough. I go and get my extra long extended ladder, extend it all the way, and climb up to change the battery.

It barely makes it, I'm on the very top run of the ladder, remove the smoke detector, swap out the 9V battery, and try to click the smoke alarm back in. For some reason the son of a be**#$tch won't fit back in. I spend 10 long tiring minutes on the very top rung of my ladder playing with the stupid thing trying to fit the damn thing back in.

I am sweating like a pig, and nearly lose my balance a couple of times trying to fit it back in. Finally, after much cursing and screaming at the damn thing, I get it back in.

Whew, haven't changed the battery in 3 years, now I know why. Those people who recommend that you change the smoke detector battery twice a year obviously have never considered the fact that you could fall and break your back and neck while doing it.

There has got to be a better way than to risk life and limb to change your smoke detector battery. Some genius is going to figure out a way to wire the 9V battery on the ground level, so all you have to do is swap out the back up battery while standing on solid ground. That way it's realistic to change 9V batteries twice a year.

I'm a healthy, fit adult trying to do this. Imagine how on earth an older, retired person can even imagine trying to do this - no freaking way!

I'd like to meet the folks who designed the stupid smoke detector to make it so hard to change the battery and put it back in, and rip them a new one.

[mickeylex]

There is a better way. Don't use this particular smoke detector in its current location.

Do you need that particular smoke detector in that location? Do you have other smoke detectors that are closer to the ground that would likely go off before this one would? Can you just leave the battery out of this one and mount a new smoke detector on a lower ceiling?

[Synthesis]

I'd like to meet the folks who designed the stupid smoke detector to make it so hard to change the battery and put it back in, and rip them a new one.

mine are stupid too.... hard to mount it back on properly - actually broke a tab on one last time.

[JDMnsxR]

mitch hedberg - "i got a fire alarm at home, but is more like a 9V slowly drainer"

[Cairo94507]

Mine are all hard-wired into the alarm system- never have to change any batteries that way!

[DocL]

Mine are all hard-wired into the alarm system- never have to change any batteries that way!

Mine are set up the same way. No more 9 volt batteries in the junk drawer for me.