Day Ninety-Nine: How to Shut Up Your Smoke Detector

One of the smoke detectors in my house is chirping.  It started chirping a few days ago.  This noise is meant to be a reminder that the battery is going low and that it needs to be replaced.  I usually leave this job to my husband because I hate heights and well, it seems like a husbandly responsibility.  But, since the smoke detector only seems to chirp (reminder!) when I'm home alone, I should take care of it before it starts to chirp (reminder!) in the middle of the night.

Which it did last night.

By code, homes in my city should have a smoke detector in each bedroom and one on each floor.  This adds up to a lot of smoke detectors.  Martha says you should change these batteries twice a year or whenever it begins to chirp.  (Reminder!)  MS Homekeeping Handbook, p. 653.  I guess that's my cue.

This morning, I pulled out the ladder, crawled up and tried to open the smoke detector.  Having never attempted this before, I only managed to pull the whole thing down from the ceiling.  Luckily, it was still attached by the electrical wires and (all) I had to do was attach it back to the ceiling with a twist-and-lock mechanism.  You are probably familiar with these sorts of gadgets.  Clever little things.

The problem with these damn clever twist-and-freaking-lock gadgets is that they are rather tricky when you can't actually see the holes into which you are supposed to twist-and-lock.  Ten minutes (and one aching arm) later, I managed to attach the smoke detector back onto the ceiling.

And then it chirped at me. (Reminder!)



Me:     Yes, I know, Mr. Smoke Detector.  I haven't actually changed the battery yet.  Thanks so-stinking-much for the reminder.

Smoke Detector:      :Chirp:



Ah.  I see.  There is a little battery drawer.  I've never heard of a battery drawer before, but here is what it looks like, in case you were wondering:

New installed battery:

Once I had put away the ladder and had begun feeling rather proud and clever, another smoke detector began to chirp. (Reminder!)


Is it just me, or are these things mocking me?