LOCKED Battery Drawer; First Alert Smoke Alarm Battery Change (SC9120B) 

Why did they feel it was necessary to complicate something that had no business being complicated? I have the exact same model but the battery drawer is not locked, you can just pop it open without removing the detector from the base. Then they had to go and mess with it. If a design works you fu@#$#% leave it alone!!!

I never thought I would need to watch a video to figure out how to change smoke alarm batteries. Thank you for posting the video.

YOU ARE A LIFESAVER!!!! My mom couldn’t sleep but just couldn’t figure out how to get it open. THANK YOUUUUUU‼️‼️‼️

thank you for posting the video. Never did find a reason why the hell I or anyone would lock the battery compartment. Guess First Alert places a very high probability of someone breaking into your house and going straight to the smoke alarm to steal the battery. Also hiding the pin under the label on the back is another great idea. In over 30 years of owning houses, I've never thought that I would ever have the need to lock the battery compartment, and I won't start now. Thank you First Alert for thinking of something so frustrating and useless.

Thank you so much for this video, that hidden pin is just so unnecessary. It's almost as if the guy who designed it that way just to troll people.

You saved our marriage!! This is the most annoying device ever! Unless you know to remove the darn pin, it is impossible to open. Luckily I found your video before our frustration totally overtook us both! Thank you! We've been married 47 years so I guess we are good for a few more now. 😂

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Lifesaver. I won’t go crazy tonight!❤

Kind sir, wishing you a lifetime of happiness! Couldn't figure this out for the life of me.. online user guide was not very helpful...and as a single gal these sorts of things don't come natural to me.

Damn such an easy fix almost broke mine trying to figure it out. Appreciate the help.

Thanks for the video, it prevented some extreme stress trying to do a simple task of changing a battery with my spouse. There’s only so many ways to push that tab to open the battery door. 😅

Thank you sooo much for this video and telling us about the locking pin. I was on my way to take the detector back when I thought I’d look at one more video. Thank goodness it was yours!!! I hope you feel very appreciated because you are!!

I was in my my room at 11 pm trying to rip this thing off my ceiling ty so much.

You saved me today! I was going nuts trying to figure it out! Thank you!

I wrapped it up in a shirt and hid it away until i found this video. Thanks!

thankyou x 1000😊 and they wonder why everyone is so stressed out these days!!

I was really struggling to pop the pin out using a screwdriver. I finally was able to get the pin out using a wine opener’s corkscrew. Highly recommend trying that instead of the screwdriver.

Thank you so much for this! You just saved my life! Alarm chirping all night and scaring my animal. Thanks for telling us about the pin!

Wow! Thank you for this you made it so easy for me to change the battery!!

First Alert should pay you for adding this video! I'm 7 months pregnant up on a ladder trying to figure out how to get the *^#@% battery out without falling. This video saved me. Thanks so much!

So funny :) Ours isn't a locking model but I clicked on your video because the battery insertion is a pain in the ass (the electrician, my mother, and I all struggled). Ending the video with the words "I trust you know how to put a battery in" was just classic :) For anyone else who sought this video for the same reason we did, the answer is "BRUTE Force".

I will repeat the sentiment from all the other comments below. I was ready to smash the stupid thing to pieces from how frustrating it is. And the instructions don't really help at all! Tamperproof pin... totally unnecessary feature IMO!

This stupidity of this design is utterly ridiculous. I was ready to take it outside & smash it with a hammer 🔨 until I found this video. Kept me up all night. The rectangle 9 volt battery goes in a half oval tray. 🤦🏼‍♂️. A toddler wouldn’t have engineered this travesty of a device.

Be good to show you using the flat head screwdriver to take off the square white connector with the hot neutral ground wires inserted. I realize someone would have to hold the camera for you.

Disaster of a product. But….you didn’t provide the actual footage of prying it out. Small but the central detail of this post.

Thank you!! This was extremely helpful!

Thank you for the video. Very poor design by First Alert. The pin is buried under the product label. You have to tear apart the label to get to the pin. Also pin is not so easy to pull it. I literally had to dig it to get it out. I eventually broke the pin head. Very had design by First Alert. Product says 10 year back up battery and it started chirping in 3 years. Is there any other manufacturer?

Thank you! I felt so stupid having to look this up. Now I realize the lock pin is there because my landlord probably doesnt want me messing with it. What an annoying design

This video saved me! Thank you!

I’ve had to refer back to this video 2x’s now. As soon as that annoying loud chirping noise starts I go nuts trying to get tat sucker down and batteries out. Thank you for this video. 😃👍🏻

Thank you so much!! Super helpful!!

YOU ARE A HERO! This locked battery drawer is the STUPIDEST THING! Almost two hours later trying to figure out how to unlock the drawer, I found your video. All this just to change a simple battery

Someone please explain why the F they make it this complicated

Thank you for this!!!!

Thanks very much was going crazy trying to open it,I had to use a small screwdriver to get pin out got

Omg thank you! I was 2 seconds away from prying this thing open 🤣🤦‍♀️

What’s the point of that locking pin?

Dude! Thanks so much. I was about to break the dam thing getting it back together. 🙃😁

Thank you I was about to break it

Yes, thank you! You are a lifesaver! I arrived home to the most annoying chirping sound and I couldn’t stand it! I had to call my boyfriend over to help undo the detector, and remove the pin. Again, thank you, and I didn’t have to call the maintenance person to do it ( I live on a rented property).☺️

Thanks for saving me a lot of aggravation!

Instruction manual writing is a profession. First Alert rep obviously failed on communicating "how to" for battery drawer opening. YOU came through clearly! Thank you.

You just saved me! I was so frustrated! Thank you!

Just coming to say thank you for posting this video. The 2 of us spent a 1/2 hour trying to pull apart the stupid things. Reading the factory instructions was a joke. A minute and a 1/2 of your video and a in about 30 seconds to pull it was exactly what we needed. Thank God for smart people who put things like this up, I was legitimately about ready to return them we could not figure them out

Thanks for showing where pin was. After I smashed one lol

what a complete garbage design. why would you need a stupid pin? they need to print : to remove watch will hobbs youtube video. thank you soo much for posting this.

Thank you so much for this, I was able to do it while my lazy ass boyfriend sat there and watched it ring for almost an hour

you are a LIFE SAVER, THANK you for this video!!😅😅

Great video, TY!

Life saver!!!! Thank YOU!

Last night we were woken up TWICE with these bastards screaming just after 3am. No smoke, no high humidity. Only difference is we had the windows open (they had been open all day too). We'd fan them till they stop and they'd start up again. Only relief was to disconnect the wires and keep them disconnected. No idea what's going on but it seems to do it almost yearly and have no clue what's going on.

Really helpful!

This video is nice. I didn't have a manual and have the exact same model. The door came open in a breeze 😀

This video saved my sanity

Thanks so much for the video I torn one up trying to opening it. Didn’t want to do that again so I watched your video. I had no ideal there was a safety lock pin in the alert I removed with no problem took out the pin and changed battery with no problem thanks so much

Thank you so much for this video. This thing woke me up at 10:30 p.m., driving me crazy with that chirping noise for about 30 minutes while I was trying to figure out how to remove the battery. I almost broke it trying to force open the battery compartment. Prior to watching this video I didn't know that there is a pin that has to be removed to open the battery compartment. Thanks again.

You dropped this: 👑

Thank you for this one!!

Thank you!!

Put a PayPal or Venmo link for tips.

Omg thank you so much ! I had no idea how to get the latch that’s connected to the ceiling undone (I didn’t have a flathead screwdriver so I used the handle of a plastic fork) and that made it 1000x easier to put the battery in ❤️❤️

Well they put that lock there so people don’t touch it so they can smoke in their house. That’s why I’m here lol

Every 2 or 3 days mine chirps and tells me to press the test button.. put in a new battery, ..still doing it..not sure what to do

Thank you I had no idea it was locked but it makes sense based on what you showed

Thank you. I had to open the battery compartment to be able to remove the plastic tab that activates the battery. I pulled very hard with a pair of pliers and it would not come out. I was able to remove it after opening the compartment. Thanks so much for posting.

Best tutorial informative life saving video EVER!!!!!!! locked? Child-proofing the smoke detector so a child doesn't climb up on a ladder, and decide to take the battery out so he can play with it????????

Thank you so much for this video !!!! Legit saved me from hearing the annoying beep !!

I just got 2 same model number SB120LBL SAYS 10 years on it side of it. Installed it pull tab out on the side of the smoke alarm . Now it beeping steady every 10 seconds or so . I have 2 and installed them both . Do you what problem is?

The 7010LBL and 9120LBL can do this too. Also there's a model 0827 that also has a 10-year 9V battery that's meant to be permanently deactivated when it gets low, however I found this quirk: If you pry off the cover (There's three tabs that hold the cover on, which you can just push out with a flat-head screwdriver (And not too hard or it will snap)), you can replace the battery. I found that out because my dad went to install one that didn't work upon activation, and I managed to find out its battery was dead.

Amazingly poor design for such a simple, critical device. That's why there are at least 37 RU-vids on how to change the First Alert battery!

Difficult to figure out. My previous one was by Kidde and much simpler to install. I wouldn't get another First Alert.

Pro tip - write the date that you changed your battery on the battery with a magic marker. Use quality batteries. Changing all them on the same day helps. But, these days, batteries are too expensive . Thanks for this video.

Thanks for the reminder on how to unlock this damn thing......with appreciation....BRB

I wish you only happiness. Day 2 of dog sitting and this terribly designed alarm starts chirping. Im there trying every way possible to get the battery drawer open, never expecting a pin that would then need a 2nd tool to remove that, all to get the battery out!

You didn't finish! My door won't close. So frustrated. I've tried this for 2 months. No dice. 😔

Thank you!

Thank you so much!!!!You save my night :))

Put the battery in lol which way does it go? Mine still beeping after I try to replace it

thank you very much for the video. that lock pin was hell of a trap.

I moved into my parents old house and the same detectors are here. I try to turn that top off and it won't move at all. What is wrong?

You didn’t show any of the steps with the screwdriver.

Thank you. You deserve all the happiness in the world

Thank you!!!!

Man thanks everyone is just popping out like easy and I thought mine is bad one . thanks.

thanks I was about to chuck mine out the window

Thank you. It opened. But to the manufacturer WHY?

I have the sc9120a and cant figure it out , im assuming its similar to this ?

It took me so long to find this exact video. Thank you so much!!

But HOW DO YOU REMOVE THE PIN I LITERALLY CHEWED UP THE TOP OF THE PIN AND IT WONT COME OUT

Thanks man your a super, awesome, I all most break the battery drawer.

Thank you !! You were the only one who helped with this stupid device

Which way do the positive and negative go?

Can't even get it off the wall without a hammer..

I used a nail clipper file to open it and it worked pretty well

It would be nice to see the battery orientation + - thing. ??.

why does this sht need to be locked anyway...for f sake

You literally glanced over and don't even film the most important part which is to show which way the battery goes in. Pleb

This is the SC9120LBL The pin is so stupid

Thank you you saved my ears and life

Wow the most important part: replacing battery is almost invisible. Cannot even see how he did it cause of the way he recorded it

Thank you this is very helpful