Smoke Detector Problem

My hard wired smoke alarm went off last night. What is considered chirping when the battery is low? The alarm went off as though there was an actual fire and kept on for almost a minute and then stopped on its own. Is this chirping?

By Becky

Answers:

Smoke Detector Problem

Some suggestions:

One: The battery may be dying so it might be time to change it. You may need to ask a hardware store what kind of batteries are recommended for a smoke alarm (alkaline, etc). Not all smoke alarms are made alike.

Two: Smoke detectors do die eventually so it may be time for a new smoke detector.

Three: It also could be carbon monoxide. If you have it, leave the house and call a professional to come over to fix the problem. My family went through this when I was younger and the smoke alarm would go off, then chirp periodically throughout the night. We asked a professional to come over and he said that the chimney was the culprit (carbon monoxide). He cleaned it out, the smoke alarm stopped chirping and going off after wards.

Four: Your smoke detector may need to be cleaned out with a dust buster.

Also, the archives may have the answer to your problem.

Good luck and I hope I helped you. (11/23/2010)

By Mary

Smoke Detector Problem

On my regular battery operated smoke alarms, chirping is a "chirp" like a small bird or a cricket, every so often. Others may work differently, however. (11/24/2010)

By Louise B.