First Alert Model P1210 Smoke Detector - Product Failure Review
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- Product Review of First Alert Model P1210 Smoke Detector, with 10 year battery.
To stop the beeping:
THE TEST BUTTON WILL TEMPORARILY SILENCE THE DEVICE.
For more information, the product manual is online here:
www.firstalert...
I purchased this in October of 2015. It failed on February 7, 2019. From its manufacture date, It lasted 1,274 days until it failed; it was supposed to last ten years, or 3,650 days. In practice, it failed after less than 35% of its expected life.
Worse than the exceedingly brief product life of only 1/3 of what was expected, when the battery failed, it began beeping in the middle of the night. Initial attempts to silence it were futile, because the device would not come apart to reveal any written instructions. Even after locating the complete owner's manual online, it was impossible to disassemble without actually tearing it apart, effectively destroying it.
For an unknown reason, this unit had fused to its mounting bracket. Instructions were hidden by the mounting bracket, although luckily, the model number was partially visible through holes in the bracket.
Instructions for separating it from the mounting bracket were nonexistent in any visible place on the device itself. Instructions in the owner's materials are vague or misleading. There is no clear way to identify how, if it is fused to its mount, how the device can be taken apart. I injured myself trying to dismantle it.
Technically, it should simply and easily snap open. Ultimately, after fiddling with it for over an hour, I could only break it apart in order to reach the switch to actually turn it off.
Note that if the battery fails as this one did, the manufacturer recommends that the device be replaced anyway, since it is not designed for battery replacement.
Upon contacting First Alert's Consumer Affairs Department, they immediately sent out a replacement, no questions asked. Their number is: 1-800-323-9005.
David, I'm so sorry you were having such a hard time with that thing and I'm sure it was very frustrating. With that being said, you had me ROLLING on the floor laughing. This smoke detector completely mutilated like it was just torn apart by a tiger was hilarious and the actively bleeding thumb is what threw me over the edge. Well done!
Funny how these things never malfunction at 2:00 in the afternoon. Always middle of the night. And I swear they can laugh.
Hopefully with a different Model # ! It looks as if First Alert is trying very hard to not just plainly say that it was RECALLED a Long Time ago, for many of the reasons You've declared! Please triple check that they at least Upgraded the Replacement to a different Model !# No wonder that one of my Mom's young Tenants RIPPED hers Off the wall & Demolished it, which she called the next day & admitted to. When Replaced (Not by First Alert) she had to Rip it out again shortly thereafter! People, time to check all of yours, period! Cuz it's entirely Too Dangerous to disconnect it since it's so Annoying, etc! Your Lifes are Important!
Mine just went off (that’s why I am here) and it’s just after 2pm so I guess I lucked out lol. Scary when one of these goes off though
Mine has been randomly going off at all hours of the day. Just went off at 11:20am here, which lead to the duck duck go search that lead me to this video. I'm not sure how these are still sold with this unresolved issue...
BTW, mine is less than six months past the manufacturing date, and has been doing this for months.
Same happened to me @ 2:00 AM this morning. Scared me to death! Mine was installed in June, so I practically panicked, it couldn't have been batteries. I opened all door and windows, searched indoors and outdoors, Broke the Deactivate seal to stop the beeping. Thankfully, I found this site and feel reassured. I, too, will return to Costco and go in search of a reliable alarm
It’s 3:18am and I was just woken up by the screeching of this damn thing along with two dogs barking at it. My brother installed them last August when my father passed and he knew mom would be here by herself. By the grace of God I decided to move in with mom or else she would have had a heart attack trying to get it off the ceiling or broken her neck from being on a ladder.
This unit did NOT simply turn to come off the ceiling. It was literally one with the base that was screwed into the ceiling. It’s now in several pieces after taking the back of the hammer and prying the whole thing off the ceiling.
I deactivated it and am not even going to bother calling First Alert since this piece of shit that’s supposed to last 10 years didn’t even make it a year.
Taking the other two down tomorrow and getting another brand.
I had the same problem with all of ours. I bought packs at Costco and we are on our 2nd set and this set did the same thing. The weird thing is that it finally stopped beeping hidden under a bunch of pillows and blankets. So then I pushed the test button and it went off once as expected so I put it back up. A couple days later I was making a pizza and cheese fell into the bottom of the oven which filled the kitchen with smoke and it never went off. Mine was manufactered on February 6, 2018. I have ZERO faith in this company's product and will be replacing with another brand.
One of mine started the alarm beeping, not low battery once per minute but the alarm itself, and the button wouldn't stop it. No fire, no smoke. I tried and tried to twist it open and couldn't. I ended it by smashing it over and over again with a hammer until it stopped beeping. It was actually sort of disturbing doing that.
I had a similar issue this evening, when one started beeping for no apparent reason. My first concern was to try to determine which kind of alarm it was; smoke, or carbon monoxide. This wasn't easy, as the model number is obscured behind the back cover, along with all the other information. I found your video helpful, in reassuring me that I'm not the only one who was baffled by this unit. I hope your injured hand has now recovered. Best wishes.
Yes, my hand is fully recovered, thank you. The good news for me was that if you call First Alert's Consumer Affairs Department, they'll immediately sent out a replacement, no questions asked. Their number is: 1-800-323-9005. That's what they did for me. It came in the mail a few days later.
@@DavidBoe Mine is having the same exact problem. Thank you for the phone number and this video. I just called them and they are sending a replacement.
Thank you for this video. It is quarter of two in the morning and we have the same exact problem. This piece of crap is going back to Lowe's tomorrow.
Thanks for your video. I had the same problem, the alarm just kept going off for hours/entire day and there was no smoke. Room was a cool temp. I searched online to see if I had to replace the battery, but this was a 10yr sealed battery. I had to stand on top of a table to reach the alarm and kept trying to see how I can turn it to remove from ceiling. Finally fed up, I had to use strength & yank the whole thing out. I've had this alarm for less than 3 years.
Mine went off at 4am... As you can see I'm still trying to figure out how to shut it up! Smh.
This thing was formed in satan’s workshop for sure. I also could not get it open for hours. I decided it was hopeless and silenced it and threw it in the trash after ordering another alarm. I am now writing you a bit past 3am in the morning when the alarm decided to go off again. I had to dig through the trash in the middle of the night to turn it off again. After a long week with little sleep thanks to neighbors partying. I truly want to cry in frustration. This is infuriating and I hope these all end up in a landfill, set ablaze to return to the hell from whence it came.
Wow! that woke you up completely in the middle of the night🙂
I have used these in my apartments and home. I purchased a total of 15 units based upon the recommendation of our city fire department. NONE lasted more than 18 months. I have gone back to the "regular" battery operated units.
Thank you for posting this video. I just bought two packs from Cotsco. Me and my son spent hours to figure how to snap it back to the mounting bracket. Unbelievable stupid design I ever seen in my life. Will return to Costco. Don't know how Costco could sell this product for that many years
I bought a new one to replace one I knocked off the wall to shut it up and I could not get the new one to twist onto the mounting plate. Followed directions, just would not twist on. Returning and looking for a different model.
Thank you for your video, it’s really helpful. I bought two of them from Costco. After read the manual, and followed all steps for installation. I tried to put them on the smoke which came from 3 pieces of paper burning under it. It didn’t work at all. I was disappointed deeply…… Don’r know why Costco will sell it for many years.
I haven't even watched this video yet, I came directly to the comments to see what peeps were saying... and YUP, me too! (I have model PC1210V) Randomly, without cause or reason- blood curdling piercing beeps shocking my senses... luckily, I was able to twist it off quickly after trying to stop the beeps by pressing the "button", to no avail. Damn, you know? It's instinctive to first try and press a button on the exterior of the unit to stop any errant shrieking. That didn't stop it?! It should, I think. That's the way it should be designed. ESPECIALLY if they know the item is prone to FALSE alarms or easily triggered by something as common as dust or a bug!! Yeesh. It was very scary at first, since this model also detects carbon monoxide- and there's really no easy, quick way to know that is NOT the cause. That's extremely unnerving! No smoke present is simple to determine, not so with Co2. Man, First Alert, get it together! 🙆 (Oh, I should add: I got lucky. I was awake, not sleeping. 10pm. Close, tho! 😆)
Exact same thing happened to me except it was 3am and I WAS sleeping rip
I bought several of the P1210 in 2018. The instructions that came with mine clearly state that this is a sealed unit and the battery is not replaceable. Now I have one that is beeping intermittently. I removed it from the ceiling and blew it out with my air compressor.
Beeping stopped. I really don’t expect them to last 10 years though…just my $.02
Thank you for posting this video. You saved me a lot of time and frustration. Mine is mounted into the ceiling and is acting up. I will simply remove the bracket and the unit together rather than trying to separate the unit from the bracket. As you point out the instructions are useless regarding that issue.
Just bought one from Lowes on 4-25-2022. This morning at 5am the smoke alarm decides to tell us to evacuate; alarm continued on and off, non-stop. We had to break away the tab and move the switch to deactivate. Now, of course, it can’t be reactivated; it must be replaced. Sixty-two dollars is a lot of money to spend! There has to be something wrong with this First Alert model. There are too many people having problems with this smoke/carbon monoxide detector.
Mine was fine for 5 years, other than some occasional tests I did. Tonight it decided to go off for absolutely no reason. There wasn't even a hint of smoke, steam, or any other reason why it should just go off. It was the full-blast alarm, too. I'm completely baffled that it's unserviceable or would have a deactivate switch that permanently kills the unit. Bizarre.
Mine went off last night. No smoke no fire. Woken from a sound sleep! It sure was loud, tho....back to Costco too! Installed 7/4/19
Called the customer service number listed on back of device. Ten minute conversation, but they are sending a new replacement unit. Apparently the PC 1210 has been discontinued, but the new model they are sending will fit into the old base just fine.
Mine started randomly going off, but the back you just twist counter clockwise. It opened really easy, sorry you had so much trouble. I see your bloody thumb, yikes! However, there is only a switch to permanently deactivate it back there. I'm doing it anyway and just getting one with a 9V.
That's exactly why I'm here. I was doing some chores outside and when I entered the house our alarm was beeping 3 times, then it would pause for about a second and then repeat. I guess I mounted it too snugly against the wall, and I was going crazy trying to remove the thing. I'll never buy another alarm with a one-use built-in battery.
Same thing happened to me tonight…absolutely ridiculous thanks for sharing this video
I bought 6 of these thinking they would last ten years. It's been three and I've had to throw away two of them now. Update: I called the Support number on First Alert's website and they are replacing both of them free of charge.
While I'm sorry to hear that happened, I'm sure First Alert/BRK is at _least_ better than Kidde given all the recalls the latter's had to issue over the years. I've stuck with installing more traditional _non_-10-year battery units for a few reasons. I was actually at a friend's house the other week that has two detectors similar to the one in this video: one of them didn't even work when tested (& it was under 10 years old too). Yes I plan on replacing both of them (both because one doesn't work & for consistency) along with installing several new ones as those are the only two in the house at present.
I have 3 of them, PC1210V. After being installed for 6 months, 2 of them, the smoke alarm randomly sounds for no reason. Once or twice a week they go off. The silence button doesn't even work. Junk.
Mine decided to do into false alarms -- at four in the morning, of course -- aged three years, four months. Tried cleaning it, tried compressed air, tried everything... no joy. Finally had to deactivate it (which is permanent, by the way). In viewing a number of sources, it seems that three to four years seems to be a pretty common failure point for these "ten year" alarms.
It's twist off. All you had to do was twist the unit to remove it from the mounting bracket.
Actually you have to push up with a flat head screw driver while twisting (per the instruction and personal experience). It’s definitely a two we I person job.
The twist off doesn't work well. I had one that I never could get to open. I have another that I tried twisting over and over again until I gave up. I tried again a few minutes later and it just immediately popped open.
He said he had used a lock feature that prevents simply being able to twist off of the mount.
lol, he even cut himself!!!
We’ve had problems with ours as well. October 2019 is that date printed on it and February 2020 it was installed.
There should be a recall for this product. Did you happen to write the company? I will be.
I have a Model P1200 First Smoke Detector that was bought less than 1 year ago and had the same problem. I could not open it as described here. I called First Alert support and they said I need to remove a "locking pin" in order to open it. There is a slot on the top that has access to the locked mounting bracket. I could see a black bracket but could not unlock it using a small screwdriver as they described. Amazingly the smoke detector stopped chirping after all this messing around with it. It still passed the test button sound check but now I don't trust this smoke detector at all.
Mine failed in 2017 after six months. I called First Alert and they sent me a free replacement. That one has now failed in less than three years. I've called again and they offered to send me a free replacement of the same model. I said no because I have no trust in this model. The Amazon reviews are bad as are the comments here. I wanted a refund or a different model. They were unwilling to do that. I told them I will buy another brand. I've used First Alert for 30 years and they have lost me as a customer for life. He also suggested I vacuum or use compressed air to clean it out. This is ridiculous that the customer should have to do this to compensate for their faulty design.
hard to understand instructions. A LOUD STEADY ALARM sounded at 330 a.m. I was able to silence it, but then it says if you deactivate it, you can't reactivate it. WHAT?
Had a very similar experience.. two times. Read all the instructions, spent a lot of time trying to take it apart in hopes of stopping annoying (and dangerously misleading) alarm. Finally found a highly technical solution involving a concrete slab and a big rock.
And safety glasses, of course.
Hopefully with a different Model # ! It looks as if First Alert is trying very hard to not just plainly say that it was RECALLED a Long Time ago, for many of the reasons You've declared! Please triple check that they at least Upgraded the Replacement to a different Model !# No wonder that one of my Mom's young Tenants RIPPED hers Off the wall & Demolished it, which she called the next day & admitted to. When Replaced (Not by First Alert) she had to Rip it out again shortly thereafter! People, time to check all of yours, period! Cuz it's entirely Too Dangerous to disconnect it since it's so Annoying, etc! Your Lifes are Important!
Hopefully with a different Model # ! It looks as if First Alert is trying very hard to not just plainly say that it was RECALLED a Long Time ago, for many of the reasons You've declared! Please triple check that they at least Upgraded the Replacement to a different Model !# No wonder that one of my Mom's young Tenants RIPPED hers Off the wall & Demolished it, which she called the next day & admitted to. When Replaced (Not by First Alert) she had to Rip it out again shortly thereafter! People, time to check all of yours, period! Cuz it's entirely Too Dangerous to disconnect it since it's so Annoying, etc! Your Lifes are Important!
I had chirping last night and assumed it was this piece of crap detector.. And I too really struggled to figure out how to get it off.. I almost destroyed it while it was mounted to the ceiling.. And I watched some youtube videos (@1:30am) and saw that it was to be twisted.. which of course I tried at the getgo... But I too could not twist it off.. UNTIL.. I pressed the test button while turning left.. All of that to stop the chirping.. which turns out was in my First Alert Carbon Monoxide tester- (which I guess I didn't need give this one is for both) So that popped off easily.. and I got that 9v battery out.. This morning I thought I should change the battery to both.. and found your video.. and now I learned about this 10 yr can't access battery I have already used every tiny screw driver to try to remove the backing. hahha. SOOOOO this video helped me tremendously. Thank you.. and sorry for your injuries.
I’m glad to have helped! Also, if you look at the second or third comment, chronologically, you should find additional information about the unit itself. You can call first alert directly and they will send you a new one, no questions asked. I was really surprised by their quick response.
@@DavidBoe Oh wow!! Great to know. TY!! So sorry about your bloodshed.. but thank you for the video!
Had similar alarm going off - low number of months - model produced Nov 2016, installed 2017 alarming 2019. I ended up deactivating unit as even outside in clear area was locked in 'alarm mode'. I called the 800 number and since I had deactivated the unit, they are sending a replacement. Interesting - the response did mention a couple of items
a) Information - 'Spiders are active at night' - their experience is that a small spider may 'take up residence' in the unit causing the alarming, and or
b) Question - 'How often did we clean (using a hot air drier on low or compressed air cannister) our units?' Common House dust often settles in and causes issue. Recommendation was to clean them monthly.
Since we change out our air filters monthly, I guess we will add this activity to the smoke detectors for a while to see if we do in fact get to the 10 year mark on sister units installed at the same time which have not yet alarmed out. The only comment I have to offer here is that I have one unit in my garage wood working area which to date has never been 'cleaned'. If it alarms, I will try some compressed air on it prior to deactivating ---
I live in Melbourne Australia. They are a problem here as well. I am in a rental apartment. The smoke alarm went off 3 times between 12am and 2am. I managed to silence it 3 times. 8 hours later it went off again and I couldn't silence it. So managed to get it off the bracket attached to the ceiling.
I called my property manager and he is coming by to look at it. I'm just going to buy the good old battery smoke alarm. As I don't want this one going off while I am at work and having a neighbour call the fire department. Only for them to break down the door and find nothing's wrong. It was just this stupid fire alarm.
THE BLOODY THING IS GOING OFF AGAIN AND ITS SITTING ON THE KITCHEN BENCH.
The back twists off!
Needs to be mounted on wall to be able to twist it off from mount, but it's bs that they last 10 years after 2 years i started getting constant false alarms.
I have contacted First Alert via email on their website and they will request installation info for a failed detector. They have sent me a replacement with little trouble.
When installing them, record the purchase and installation dates and where you bought it. That will make getting a replacement easier.
I had one that would not quit beeping until I disconnected the battery inside.
Yep I am here at 4am after mine went off at 1am, 1:20am and 4:40am. Had to get a ladder out. It’s manufactured 2017, installed 2019, and it’s been randomly messing up last year or two. I am SO tired.
Same here. went off at 4am. packaging say No False Alarm Beeps. Ya right. It would beep 3 times then pause and repeat, according to manual that is a fire alarm beep. Only way I could see to get the back off to get to the disable was a flathead screwdriver. Start wherever you like. Jam it in and start working up and down, until you hear a few pops, then choose a new place and repeat. I had to do 2 rotations like this then the back finally had a crack I could get the tool in and bust it open. Basically the same as shucking an oyster. Broke the tab, and disabled it. Wear work gloves and eye protection. And fyi, warranty says for problems to call the number on the card, do not return to store. Personally Ill be taking mine out for some target practice.
Same issue! They're installed all over our home. I've resorted to climbing up the ladder removing them as they randomly go off for no apparent reason. Thus far 3 have come down since rebuilding after Harvey. I'm so annoyed 😑
Hopefully with a different Model # ! It looks as if First Alert is trying very hard to not just plainly say that it was RECALLED a Long Time ago, for many of the reasons You've declared! Please triple check that they at least Upgraded the Replacement to a different Model !# No wonder that one of my Mom's young Tenants RIPPED hers Off the wall & Demolished it, which she called the next day & admitted to. When Replaced (Not by First Alert) she had to Rip it out again shortly thereafter! People, time to check all of yours, period! Cuz it's entirely Too Dangerous to disconnect it since it's so Annoying, etc! Your Lifes are Important!
Mine's a model PRC710, that just went off, (daytime, fortunately), and had the same problem. Kinda. I was able to separate it, but even trying to deactivate, it continues to beep. It's in a 5 gallon bucket of water right now.
Under The Paper There are Screws
I found that the back twists off, quite easily with the right touch. But infuriatingly difficult to discover!
Thankyou for this. I just had to believe.
😂my husband couldn't get it off, I just reached up and took it down, twisted to apart, handed it to him,and walked away😅😅😅😅😅
maybe the 2am alarm is the ghost detector feature of the alarm...my only guess. Mine (4 years old) went off at 2am and I hit deactivate switch which to learn later means I killed it. wth!
Update: The one piece of good news for me was that I called First Alert's Consumer Affairs Department and they immediately sent a free replacement, no questions asked. Their number is: 1-800-323-9005. A new unit arrived within a couple of days.
Thanks for the phone number, very good customer service.
Of Course they REPLACE it, Hopefully with a different Model # ! It looks as if First Alert is trying very hard to not just plainly say that it was RECALLED a Long Time ago, for many of the reasons You've declared! Please triple check that they at least Upgraded the Replacement to a different Model !# No wonder that one of my Mom's young Tenants RIPPED hers Off the wall & Demolished it, which she called the next day & admitted to. When Replaced (Not by First Alert) she had to Rip it out again shortly thereafter! People, time to check all of yours, period! Cuz it's entirely Too Dangerous to disconnect it since it's so Annoying, etc! Your Lifes are Important!
who would want one?
Anyone ran into a scenario where the beeping is coming from the ceiling and not the detector itself? I replaced my detector with a new one hoping it stops the 5 beeps but to no avail. Anyone?
I have 3 of them, and like others here, all of mine have gone off for no reason. Really drives you nuts in the middle of the night. As for being difficult to remove the unit from the bracket, mount the bracket to the wall or ceiling first and twist the unit onto the bracket. Then it's easy to twist and remove it.
Rooster Jones mine does the same crap. Randomly goes off with no hint of smoke around. I think it’s dust but I haven’t noticed any around it
So you're saying that I should have mounted the bracket to the drywall before installing it? I can assure you that that wouldn't have worked. The force required to separate the unit from the bracket would have resulted in catastrophic damage to the drywall itself. So I'd also be patching a smoke detector-sized hole ripped out of the drywall. As I explained, for some unknown reason, the bracket became completely fused with the unit. So I must disagree that "it's easy to twist and remove it." I tried, believe me. I used a vise grip to anchor it, and I eventually even hurt myself badly trying to separate them. I had to resort to destroying the unit to get them apart. That's the whole point of the video! I would have greatly preferred to do it your way. I struggled with it for HOURS, attempting to twist them apart, eventually resulting in the injuries you see on the video. If this thing had been stuck to the wall, I might have had a far worse time with it when it went off at 3am. I could have suffered more severe injuries, say, from falling off a ladder trying to pull it down while groggy from lack of sleep, after having been awakened multiple times. In such a compromised state, I could easily have ripped out a large chunk of drywall. At least this way I could easily take it off the wall and muffle it under a pile of pillows.
I just smashed the shit out of mine. Bashed it up good!!
As most posters have already commented this unit is not reliable or worth the money. I too had the unit false alarm twice in the middle of the night with no sign of smoke or fire, it just randomly starting going off. The unit was manufactured in August 2017 and its now July 2021, so it lasted 4 years out of the 10 year advertised life span. I would not recommend this unit.
I just had the 3rd one start to false alarm and then stop at random. It was manufactured in 2017 and installed earlier this year. From the other comments and original post this is not uncommon.
Right now I'm in my mother in laws apt..who is is living alone and is 90 years old, ITS 1AM. This is a government subsidized federal development and why isn't they don't keep up with these repairs in these developments. On Sept 6, just 13 days ago they replaced this unit with a PC 2010 model. Why? This model is still be sold by Amazon. WHY.
Very good and a good value
Same stories as the others. I've bought a handful of these and they've all done the same thing. The latest one has a date of July 9, 2018, so it's malfunctioning about 12 months from the manufacture date despite being a 10-year alarm.
It looks as if First Alert is trying very hard to not just plainly say that it was RECALLED a Long Time ago, for many of the reasons You've declared! Please triple check that they at least Upgraded the Replacement to a different Model !# No wonder that one of my Mom's young Tenants RIPPED hers Off the wall & Demolished it, which she called the next day & admitted to. When Replaced (Not by First Alert) she had to Rip it out again shortly thereafter! People, time to check all of yours, period! Cuz it's entirely Too Dangerous to disconnect it since it's so Annoying, etc! Your Lifes are Important!
Mine went off mid night last night for no reason. It was manufactured oct 2019. Piece of junk is my conclusion.
Same issue in only a matter of months. I bought 3 of these earlier this year, and two of them keep going off for no apparent reason, often in the middle of the night. It's ridiculous, I've been looking at the instructions to deactivate it, and it says it cannot be reactivated once it's deactivated. What a waste of time, energy, safety, and money. I wanted to protect my family, and I'll probably end up with a bloody thumb like you after I have to smash these with a hammer in a fit of rage.
Get that finger looked at quick!! I have the same problem with this alarm. The base of the alarm was suppose to mount to the ceiling then you put the alarm on it by clock wise turn. It has not battery that you can replace and it’s going off for no reason at all. Bought mine on 5/19. It was made on 1/19 and it’s now 9/20 and it’s going off for no reason.
Same thing lasted less than 6 years. Sucks. Back to battery operated devices.
I had the light flashing without beeping. It is a puzzle to figure out what to do besides throw it out and buy a better brand. The instructions on the back say it can't be reactivated. So I say don't buy First Alert!
Looks like it kicked your ass. Its been a year and half so hopefully you can see the humor in your "eff this effin thing" style video that cracked me the hell up...🤣😂🤣😂
anyway I had the same issue, after reading comments its seems to know when you're sleeping before it malfunctions. anyway it began beeping every min, about 5 min later the alarm began sounding, removed it and replaced it with an identical one from downstairs just in case there was something silent happening in the room it was installed in, turned it back on and a few min later it alarmed (now just sitting on a table in a different room). Fast forward a day later, turned it back on and hasnt gone off once, not sure what to make of it but my trust in it functioning correctly is gone.
There are 4 screws to remove the plate, you have puncture the paper to find them.
The screws were fused to the plastic and it was impossible to remove them without destroying the device. The product was defective, which was the point of the video.
Same issue getting back off. Ridiculous!! Taking mine back to store but mine lasted longer
I have 2 and the 2nd one just failed. Manufactured Date 2015 OCT 22. I installed it in Jan 2016. Failure in Kitchen and 2nd one in a bedroom.
The good news for me was that if you call First Alert's Consumer Affairs Department, they'll immediately sent out a replacement, no questions asked. Their number is: 1-800-323-9005. That's what they did for me. It came in the mail a few days later.
Theres an optional lock screw that makes it so you cant take it apart once installed. Otherwise just unscrew counter clockwise from the base.
I just had a similar incident. Mine unscrewed. I had to remove the clip and deactivate it.
Costco! Thanks, now I know what store to return it to.
Yeah their product sucks, I've accidentally deactivated it trying to install it. Apparently it can not be un-deactivated.
Dude, I have 4 of these and that plate twists right off. Just judging by the way you said you mounted it, it sounds like your mechanical aptitude is a bit lacking.
Yeah, twists right off for me too..
Same thing is happening to us.. and don't know how to open it😥
Hope you have the original packaging to return.
Smoke alarm was going off intermittently, called first alert, they picked up right away and very helpful. Possible dust or bug in the unit. Spray with non freeze compresses air (non nitrogen based) or go go to staples and tell them first alert sent me and tell them what you want, nitrogen based air will freeze and wreck the unit. 1-800-323-9005 Best customer service I have ever used for any product, gave me a case number for future problems, spoke English and picked up quickly.
Just happened to me 30 mins into my kids nap. Going to replace these as soon as possible and not buy First Alert again if possible.
I've been nothing but frustrated with mine as well. Have thought about taking a sledge hammer to them so its been enjoyable seeing yours so badly mutilated. One of the worst products ive ever owned. Mine are going bad after only 1 year after the manufacturing date.
Just like Neil Young sang: "...I took it home and it was a piece of CRAP"
Called first alert sending a new one as under 10 years
What's really frustrating is that once you deactivate it, you have to replace it.
It's a piece of crap. If you're buying this because it lasts 10 years, don't buy this model. It will not last 10 years.
I have a home full of these. All put up and made Jan 2018. Out of seven five have gone off in the middle of the night for no reason. The latest one woke us up at 2 am July 3rd.
Waste of money. I’m afraid my family will not take seriously a smoke alarm now that they have been awaken so many times.
Replacing all of mine today with a different computer. So much for lasting 10 years
i bought 3 battery first alert smoke detectors at lowes activated battery , beeps when you hold button doesnt work when you test with smoke or steam tested all 3 complete junk
Yep mine keep going off too. Same model.
This pos just goes off for no reason at all. It has done it on multiple occasions. The only thing I could think about was possibly dust, but there wasn’t any visible dust on it 🤷♂️
its junk i installed one 2 weeks ago and it goes off every few days no smoke fire heat.
Ours started beeping after being installed only a year. Called First Alert and they recommended using compressed air to blow dust out of the unit. Tried that and it worked for now. I have a case # in case it starts up again and they said they would replace it. Crazy thing is that they said we should be cleaning it out once a month! LOL
I’m having the same issue. Luckily I called someone who told me to twist and turn to separate. That’s when it stopped beeping. But when installed it beeps.
Believe me, I TRIED to twist it apart for more than a couple of hours before I gave up in complete frustration and used vise grips to rip it apart. And you can't call someone in the middle of the night or on a weekend.
@@DavidBoe OMG You have got to be kidding me. I honestly can't believe you made this video and did what you did to your thumb and that unit. There is no way in hell that you needed to do that. Try a little patience next time! And no David. You didn't lock the unit because the pins are/were still in the mounting plate. Lol
@@john5519 I'm not stupid; I'm fairly handy around the house; do all my own mechanical work, build things, have good tools....this thing was completely fused together, no way to get it apart. "Try a little patience?" I worked on it for well over two hours before I resorted to actually breaking it to take it apart. The pieces must have been defective for me to have to resort to this, and the injury to my hand only serves to demonstrate how incredibly difficult it was. Do you think I wanted to hurt myself? I'm well aware that it should take 2-3 seconds to dismantle this. I tried for 2 HOURS before actually breaking it. That's ~2,400 times more time than should be needed. My patience was vastly more than ample.
The good news for me was that if you call First Alert's Consumer Affairs Department, they'll immediately sent out a replacement, no questions asked. Their number is: 1-800-323-9005. That's what they did for me. It came in the mail a few days later.
@@DavidBoe Sorry David but John is correct, there is a plastic pin that easily slides out, if its even inserted, and the unit twist counterclockwise about 1/2" and just falls off mounting plate.
same here. Supposed to last until 2027 failed in the middle of the night
just came on youtube for similar issue as everyone else. Mine was a multipack bought at Costgo and just had one go off, pull it down, inspect, put it back up, went off three more times, now sitting in front of me as a I type...I will try the number supplied thanks...BUT, I also have to agree with a comment [er] below; there was absolutley no reason to start prying and ruining a unit like that, have some patience and l;earn there are releases and screws under the decals. Surprising actually to see someone that says he's handy going about it, filming it and posting. But thanks for the number anyways, will try that...
These First Alert alarms are trash. They WILL malfunction in about 3 months no matter what. I used to be an on site apartment manager for a property of 18 units and since these sealed units started coming out, I've replaced around 50 units that malfunctioned. They usually go off in the middle of the night for no reason and the silence feature does not work.
We bought some at Costco a few years ago (twin pack), since the price seemed right. Just got around to opening the package today, since our old smoke alarms are about 10 years old (need to be replaced every 10 years), and they do not work! These are supposed to be 10 year batteries, and even after they have been in storage 3 years, you would think you would have about 7 years battery life left! I'm contacting 'First Alert' to see if they can give me my money back, or a fair 'trade in'.
These are absolute garbage. Should be criminally liable for releasing such a defective product
RIP...2020-2022
Piece of junk. Going back to 9v replaceable battery model that I can spray clean with CO Contact Cleaner, and re-install.
This is the 3rd smoke detector that has gone off. Two of them manufactured Oct 2020. Terrible product.
Same thing here, and then when you manage to "deactivate" it, the unit must then be thrown away. Totally irresponsible product. Like you, ours lasted 3 years, far cry from 10.
Bandaid, maybe?
This product is crap. Manufactured 3/15/19 went bad today 1/13/22.
Mine lasted 1 year!
Mine lasted one year and one day exactly! LOL
Please Pass this around!!!...
Hopefully with a different Model # ! It looks as if First Alert is trying very hard to not just plainly say that it was RECALLED a Long Time ago, for many of the reasons You've declared! Please triple check that they at least Upgraded the Replacement to a different Model !# No wonder that one of my Mom's young Tenants RIPPED hers Off the wall & Demolished it, which she called the next day & admitted to. When Replaced (Not by First Alert) she had to Rip it out again shortly thereafter! People, time to check all of yours, period! Cuz it's entirely Too Dangerous to disconnect it since it's so Annoying, etc! Your Lifes are Important!
Mine was manufactured January 15, 2019. I installed the unit on November 16, 2019. On July 18, 2020, the unit signaled low battery. I will be replacing this unit with one that is manufactured by a different company. So disappointed. Totally do not recommend this product. Thank you for this video.
I had the same issue. My 10 year model made 2017 sep 04 died 05 20 2019. Piece of sh**.
Yep, similar issue. Made 2016 May, Installed 2017 July...currently spazzing out and beeping for no reason. I'm trying to refrain from wacking it with a hammer. :-/
The good news for me was that if you call First Alert's Consumer Affairs Department, they'll immediately sent out a replacement, no questions asked. Their number is: 1-800-323-9005. That's what they did for me. It came in the mail a few days later.
Mine lasted 1 year. Lol
Oh, i had the issue and same model and same year always beep at 2:30 am morning wake up the whole house
@@DavidBoe You should add an edit to the end of your post with this info. "*UPDATE" in title and "*EDIT" at the end of the post.
thanks for the follow up.
Struggling
I removed it from the mounting base. (I just used a gentle counter clockwise tiny turn and it came off the base)
There were 4 small phillips head screws. Only 1 was visible the othere 3 were under the plastic instruction sticker. I had to poke the screwdriver through the sticker. It was easy to see where the screw holes were. I removed the screws and the front plate came off easily. I found that the battery was FDK CR17335E-N 3V. It was plugged into the circuit board. With a little skill I was able to unplug the battery from the circuit board and get it out of the unit. It seems that Amazon does not have a replacement. Eventually, I will find one. I hope the house doesn't burn down while I search.
i bailed out at 3:27
Irresponsible. My house could burn down and it is a hunk of junk. company should be sued. I have one in my furnace room. New and is beeping.