Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Will an old battery cause an alarm to go off?
By C Gray
I think that they sometimes do. Change the battery, and see if it helps. Can't hurt.
The electric smoke detactor has gone off twice today. I have a heater in the room with it (a bathroom) could that cause it? Can the heat fron the heater cause it to go off? I've checked the entire house, there is no smoke. So what's the problem? The detector is very old.
By Suzanne n
If it is old, it might detect heat instead of smoke. Please toss it and get one that detects radon, too. They are a bit spendy but better than a home or other loss.
Why won't my electric smoke alarm stop chirping?
By Noel D.
Could be reacting to smoke or other particular matter in the air. More probable, however, if it is battery operated, it needs new batteries.
I replaced the batttery to no avail. I removed electric battery backed detector from the ceiling mount. The chirp is coming from inside the ceiling, not the unit. Please help me.
By Giacomo S.
If the chirping is still coming from the ceiling, then you most likely have another smoke detector in your attic. Get up there and look !!
Our smoke alarm, with no batteries, keeps beeping. It is no where by the kitchen, but in the hall on the ceiling. We live in a bungalow.
By Mavis
The detector when manufactured has a pull tab installed you pull this tab after you install working batteries. If you pull the tab with out installing batteries or remove the batteries the built- in program beeps until you install working batteries. The detector beeps when it is not functioning properly, as it does with charged batteries.
Does the alarm have a battery for back up and if so where is it fitted?
By Gary
It's most likely a battery issue, what is the key pad display saying? Where is the main panel (big box hardwired to the electric most often in a closet or basement).
I have three electrical smoke alarms and one keeps beeping. How do I fix that?
By Rochelle J.
When that happened to us, we first replaced the 9 volt battery back-up. When that made no difference, we replaced the beeping alarm. It was 10 years old and worn out, I guess. I have read that they should be replaced every ten years.
My smoke detectors are electronically wired. They beep-chirp for about two hours each day and then stop. I have changed all of the batteries and have vacuumed them. Help!
By lam
Smoke alarms store error codes. If the beeping continues, and you have a wired in system with battery back-up: 1. turn off the main circuit to the smoke alarm 2. remove the detachable part of the alarm 3. remove the battery 3. with the battery OUT of its compartment, hold down the TEST button for about 15-20 secs 4.
The smoke alarm sounded and there was no smoke anywhere in the home. The house is vacant and no appliances were on. I removed the one making noise, but when I reattached it, it went off again. Is it possible this one has gone bad?
By Wallace K.
Usually a sign it needs new batteries. Otherwise might be a bad smoke alarm.
The in home smoke alarms were installed when the house was built 15 years ago or so. There are four. They are AC with a 9 volt back up. They started beeping or chirping one by one. We replaced the batteries one by one, with all new batteries. I took out all the units. Two of them still chirp with "no" unit. How is that possible, maybe something in the attic?
By Charles from Bakersfield, CA
Smoke detectors have a shelf life of about 5 years. Try vacuuming out the inside of each unit because spiderwebs and dust can cause chirping as well. They may need replacement, call the local fire department.
My electric smoke detector started chirping every 50 sec. How do I stop it? Do electric ones have a battery as well?
By Dottie
Yes, the electric ones do have a battery - it's a backup battery for when the power goes off. We recently had the same thing happen and when we changed the battery, the chirping stopped. Hope this works for you.
My smoke alarm won't stop bleeping. Why is that?
By Chas
What gives with these devices, mine just keeps beeping no matter what I do. I have changed the battery and blown it out. Can someone please assist me? I have gone crazy due to beeping sensations.
By Errol F.
It is possible you may need to replace your detectors. If changing batteries doesn't work and they are more than a few years old, they need to be replaced.
My smoke alarms started chirping. After trying everything suggested we finally replaced all of them with new units and they are still chirping! The connections are all tight, the batteries and smoke detectors are all new. What else could it be?
By Rick
Since they are brand new and if they came with a new backup battery then it's time to call an electrician because your home probably is having an electrical power surge problem.
I have an alarm that beeps; are all the alarms on the same system? When one battery is dead does it effect the other alarms? Do you need to change them every year as you do non electric alarms?
By Gerry T.
I had that happen to me and it was driving me crazy. I finally went out and bought all new ones and replaced them. Bingo no more beeping. Good luck
I was getting ready for work this morning when all of the sudden I hear this long continuous beep coming from my smoke alarm. I opened it up, there were no batteries, and it was still making this noise. So I thought that maybe there could be a back up battery or something, so I unhooked it and disconnected it entirely, but it still was making the noise! It seemed to be coming from the ceiling. And it's still doing it as I type! Can some one help me figure out how to stop this before I go absolutely insane?
By LET
The alarm system is probably wired through the house, and your other alarms may be going off.
I have an Ei154TL heat detector that won't stop beeping. Why is this, when it's powered by the main as well?
By Rachel
I would check to see if the heater has a battery or not as that is what is most always the problem with detectors beeping for apparently no reason. Even if it is hooked up to main, it just might have a battery. (?) Or google for "heat detector beeping" & check out those links. Good luck! Definitely not something to ignore, I would think.
My smoke detectors are OK on battery back-up, but when I turn the power back on they start beeping non stop. I keep the breaker off but need to fix this soon. Any ideas? Thanks.
By Manuel
You need to replace the smoke detectors. Even though they are hard wired in, they need to be replaced. Keep yourself safe and do this soon.
I just put new batteries in all my alarms, but they continue to beep. They are also hard wired. What should I do next to stop the beeping?
Usually this happens because of a malfunction. YOu may have to replace the alarm because your life is at risk if you have a malfunctioning fire alarm
My electric smoke alarm is continuously activated.
There must be an electric malfunction. YOu should either replace it, or replace the batteries, because sometimes when the battery is low it does that.
I changed the battery and it still beeps each minute. What next?
Am thinking it's time for a new one because there is ineviably some sort of electrical failure that causes it to beep.
Since the safety of your home depends on these working, I recommend you replace it and don't try to go on the cheap.
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My smoke detector keeps going off even after I have turned it off at the main, removed the battery, switched it back on, and pressed the reset button. What can I do now?
How about this for a smoke alarm that won't stop beeping. Batteries changed, all four alarms disconnected and placed in the truck outside, and the hard wired alarm still beeped every few minutes. Then I vacuumed out all four alarms....
My smoke alarm beeps every couple of minutes. I've mentioned to my husband it's the battery, it needs to be switched! He argues with me, and says,"that's not the problem."
I have 5 electric smoke alarms in my house and one will not stop beeping. I can't find a reset button, what do I do?
We have hard wired smoke detectors. Last night one of them started chirping and today we installed a new one.
I have a two story house and my smoke detectors are chirping every 5 seconds. I tried looking for the back up power source and I could not find one. If someone could help that would be perfect.
I have a hard wired smoke detector system with individual battery backup. My system started single chirps every 30 seconds 3 days ago.
About a year ago we had a severe storm that tore a 20 ft hole in our roof. Contractors came out, and repaired the roof, drywall, and paint. Now it's as good as new.
My smoke alarm won't stop beeping. One alarm started to beep, I replaced the battery, then another started.
I recently purchased a home which was built in 2003. When I moved in I was informed by my neighbors that my smoke alarms were going off.
