First, try the reset button on each smoke alarm. If that doesn't work, flip the circuit breaker off and on. If that fails, you may have to disconnect the smoke alarms and remove the backup batteries inside them one by one. (The batteries are there to protect you during a power outage.)
To get a smoke alarm to stop chirping, press its hush/silencing button. Then, figure out what caused the false alarm, such as humidity, and fix the problem, like by moving it away from a bathroom.
To get your smoke alarm to stop chirping if you've already changed the battery, first try draining any residual charge by holding the test button down for 15 seconds. If this doesn't solve the problem, clean the unit. A blast of compressed air will often remove the dust particles that are causing the beeps.
If your fire alarm won't stop beeping and you can't find the source then call in an expert fire protection technician.
- Dust or debris inside the unit: Clean the smoke alarm with compressed air or a vacuum cleaner. - Placement near a vent, fan, or kitchen: Relocate the smoke alarm to avoid false alarms. - An old or malfunctioning unit: Consider replacing the smoke alarm if it is over 10 years old or continues to malfunction.
First, try the reset button on each smoke alarm. If that doesn't work, flip the circuit breaker off and on. If that fails, you may have to disconnect the smoke alarms and remove the backup batteries inside them one by one.
Disarm the alarm system
The process for doing this differs for each system, but one of the following is usually recommended: Enter the passcode and disarm. Arm the system, and then disarm it, immediately. Press the status button on the keypad.
Can the Fire Department come out and change the batteries on my smoke detector? Yes, if the smoke alarm is too high for the resident to reach and they are disabled or elderly and are not able to climb on a ladder to replace the batteries. This does not apply for rental properties.
Dust and debris can easily accumulate inside your hard-wired smoke alarm, causing that incessant chirping sound. This build-up can interfere with the sensing chamber, triggering false alarms. To prevent this, make a habit of cleaning your smoke detectors regularly.
Common reasons why fire alarms beep randomly at night include low batteries, dust buildup, or environmental factors like humidity or temperature changes.
Smoke detectors have a built-in residual charge, even with the battery removed. Press down and hold the test or reset button for a minute or so, this should drain it and shut it up.
Pressing the “Test/Silence” button on the front of the unit should stop it from beeping or chirping. If this doesn't work, grasp the device and turn it counterclockwise. It should detach from the base so you can open the battery compartment in the back. Remove and replace the battery to see if it caused the issue.
You may get a false alarm if the battery life is fading or if the detector isn't properly connected. To check the battery, remove the outer casing and check to ensure that the old battery is properly connected. If so, it's a good idea to replace the batteries.
Hush Mode: A Temporary Measure
While the chirps may be annoying, they're far less bothersome than having to wave a towel in front of the smoke alarm to get it to turn off every few minutes or just suffering with the loud blaring sound. In most cases, you can find the 'hush' button on the smoke detector's cover.
What Does a Beeping Fire Alarm Mean? Unless there is some kind of smoke or fire emergency, a smoke alarm beeping every 30 seconds signifies that it is low battery. Sometimes though, other environmental factors can cause the alarm to beep more than normal.
My smoke alarm is going off constantly, but I do not see any smoke or fire. What should I do? Call 911 and report what you know.
If you feel unsafe getting on a ladder to replace your hardwired smoke detector, call a licensed electrician or local handyman to knock this project off your to-do list.
If you replaced the battery and it's still beeping, the smoke detector might have expired like milk. Smoke detectors have an expiration date. The sensitive equipment inside can only work reliably for so long, so if yours is beeping and its expiration date has passed (or will in a year or two), it's time to replace it.
For many of our most popular systems, beeping alarms and low battery trouble beeps can be silenced by pressing the [OFF] or [#] buttons from the keypad. If this does not work, please refer to your system user's manual for specific instructions.
Replacing batteries might be the solution to your problem, even if your smoke alarm is hard-wired. Hard-wired smoke alarms use batteries as a back-up. When those back-up batteries need replacing, the alarm will tell you.
Most false alarms are the result of an activity such as cooking, smoking or hot works or sometimes simply because the system was not taken off-line when being tested. It's important to minimize the false alarms to prevent complacency.