Even after the battery has died, the detector maintains a residual charge that will keep the chirp going for at least seven days. To get the device to stop chirping once the battery has been removed, you must drain this residual charge by holding the test button for 15 seconds.
Reset the Smoke Detector: Sometimes, a smoke detector just needs a good reset to stop the chirping. You can do this by turning off the power at the circuit breaker, removing the detector from the mounting bracket and disconnecting the power supply. Then, press and hold the test button for about 15 seconds.
A smoke alarm will typically chirp until the battery dies or until the battery is replaced. Most battery-powered smoke detectors will beep for a minimum of 30 days before the battery dies (1).
How Long Does A Smoke Alarm Chirp Before It Stops Working? If you have a battery-powered smoke alarm, it will chirp for about a month before the battery dies. But if it's a hard-wired alarm with both AC power and a backup battery, it will keep chirping until you replace the backup battery.
Remove the battery: If your smoke detector has a backup battery, remove it and press the test button for 15 seconds to drain any residual charge. Reinstall the battery: Insert a fresh battery and reconnect the power cable.
Hardwired smoke detectors can still beep even if there is no battery. Possibly the backup battery might have been activated and that can signal a problem. The backup battery may have run out and that is causing your hardwired smoke detector to chirp.
If your smoke alarms are wired to your home's electrical wiring, simply turning off the circuit breaker will do the trick.
For hardwired smoke detectors, random beeping may result from electrical interference, loose connections, or power fluctuations. Wireless devices, such as Wi-Fi routers or baby monitors, can also disrupt the detector's signal, causing unexpected beeping.
For 10-year lithium-powered fire detectors, you won't need to replace the battery. Instead, the entire alarm should be replaced after 10 years have passed from the manufacture date on the back of the alarm.
The beeping sound the low battery alarm makes can become very annoying but can be disconnected by removing the drained battery from your home alarm system panel. Make sure to replace the drained battery with a new one to keep your home alarm system functioning properly.
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.
Remove the batteries and hold down the reset button for 15 to 20 seconds. Reconnect the batteries and alarm. It will most likely beep once as evidence it is working, then it should stop.
While your smoke alarm sounds, pressing the hush button will silence the smoke alarm for approximately 10 minutes. The hush feature is typically used where an alarm has been triggered accidently. This provides time to clear the current environment of fumes that triggered the alarm without the alert tone sounding.
Clear Residual Charge to Stop the Chirp
Remove the alarm from your ceiling or wall. Open the cover and take out the battery. Press and hold the test button for 15-30 seconds. This will fully reset the smoke alarm and drain any charge left inside.
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.
Will a smoke alarm eventually stop chirping? A smoke alarm will eventually stop chirping if you do nothing. Once the battery has run out completely, the device will switch to residual power. Eventually, this will also drain and the device won't have enough power to beep and let you know it's out of power.
Yes, house alarm systems work when there is no electricity as long as there is a backup power source. But you should keep in mind that even with a backup, there is still the potential for the power source to go out, and the house alarm will go off if the battery dies.
Like a home alarm that's gone haywire, smoke alarm chirping will continue if a solution is not found. Sometimes smoke alarms even keep beeping without a battery.
The Most Common Reason: Low Battery
Alkaline batteries are affected by temperature. They tend to lose voltage quickly at high temperatures and fluctuate at lower temperatures.
A hard-wired smoke detector usually chirps for one of three reasons: A dead battery. Dust inside your smoke detector. An old or malfunctioning detector.
Can I install a hardwired smoke detector myself? While it is technically possible, it is not recommended. Working with your home's electrical system can be dangerous and complex, best left to a qualified electrician.
For most devices, find and hold the button on the front of the alarm, until the alarm stops, to reset the device. Or, find the button labeled "Silent" or "Hush" to disable an inactive alarm. Totally disable an alarm by disconnecting its wires.