Sods Law & Smoke Alarms.

Why do smoke alarms always start beeping in the middle of the night?
Why do they have to have a battery and be connected to the mains?
Why are they a b..... to dismantle & put a new battery in?

So far in 14 months I have had to change the batteries in all 4 smoke alarms on the first & second floors. One I had to get my electrician in to do because it was so high up & difficult to reach, even with a long ladder. What cretin decided that was a good place for an alarm? (There was a reachable & safer alternative). Another he did because I couldn't slide it apart. They all need me to climb a step ladder to get to them. So I totter, literally, and hope I don't fall off over the bannisters.

Last night I woke to the beeping at about 1.30 & tried to ignore it. It isn't possible. So I collected the step ladder & a screwdriver & struggled, on the top floor, to get the cover off. It had obviously been a problem before because the cover was cracked.

So, my question is - can't someone design a smoke alarm that an elderly person who doesn't have the strength of thousands can dismantle quickly and easily? You shouldn't have to pay an electrician to do what should be a simple job. You also shouldn't have to risk life & limb in order to be safe from a fire & go back to sleep.

My guess is that a lot of smoke alarms don't function because elderly & disabled people simply can't maintain them. You can't call an electrician out in the middle of the night.The temptation is to force the cover off & take the battery out & not put it back.

In the light of day the events of the night have faded. I had a mug of tea and went back to sleep having put two alarms in a room so if they beeped I wouldn't hear them. (I wasn't sure which one was beeping). But I know I was unsafe & at risk.

It shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to design a safe alternative.