To temporarily silence a First Alert smoke alarm, press the Test/Silence button located on the center or side of the unit. This mutes the alarm for about 10 minutes while the smoke clears. For interconnected systems, push the button on the triggering alarm (the one with the flashing red light).
To silence a false alarm, press and hold the Test/Silence button on the face of the unit for 5 to 10 seconds. If your alarms are interconnected, locate the specific unit flashing a red light and press the silence button on that device.
To turn off a smoke alarm permanently, you must completely disconnect it from its power sources. First, turn off the dedicated breaker at your home's electrical panel. Then, twist or slide the unit off its ceiling mount, disconnect the hardwire plug, and remove any backup batteries.
Use thumb to pull deactivation tab outward until tab snaps into place. This will discharge the powercell and deactivate the unit.
If your First Alert smoke alarm is randomly going off with no smoke present, first silence the alarm by pressing the test/mute button. Next, inspect the unit for common causes: dust or spiderwebs in the sensing chamber, trapped insects, low batteries, high humidity, or an expired sensor.
To temporarily silence a First Alert smoke alarm, press the Test/Silence button located on the center or side of the unit. This mutes the alarm for about 10 minutes while the smoke clears. For interconnected systems, push the button on the triggering alarm (the one with the flashing red light).
For hardwired units, a steady green LED light indicates that the alarm is receiving AC power. Battery-operated units will have a quick flash every 30-45 seconds. However, this does not necessarily mean the alarm is working. Pressing the Test button is the only recommended method to ensure functionality.
Press and release the Test/Silence button or use the app (if using the app to silence the warning you will need to be within Bluetooth range of the detector). The horn will chirp, acknowledging that the End-of-Life Silence Feature has been activated.
To temporarily disable a smoke detector, press and hold the Test/Silence button (also called the hush button) on the unit for a few seconds. For a more prolonged or complete deactivation, safely twist or slide the unit from its mount and remove the battery or disconnect its power.
A fire alarm that randomly goes off and then stops without an active fire is usually experiencing a "nuisance alarm" triggered by one of the following common culprits:
A smoke detector that continues to chirp after the battery has been removed is typically signaling that there is residual electrical charge in the unit or that the device itself has reached the end of its functional life. While holding the test button for 15 to 30 seconds can often drain this remaining power and silence the sound, it is vital to remember that a disabled smoke detector cannot provide protection in the event of a fire.
Pressing the button (Test/Silence) on a smoking alarm will usually stop the chirping temporarily, but it will not fix the underlying issue causing it. The noise is most often due to a low battery, requiring a battery change to permanently stop the beep.
Locate the Test/Silence button typically found in the middle or side of your smoke detector. Press and hold the button for approximately 10-15 seconds until you hear a loud beep or series of beeps, indicating the unit is resetting. After this sequence, the beeping should stop, unless there's an underlying issue.
Press the hush/silencing button. It will silence the entire interconnected system. The button may also say “test.” It should silence all the alarms immediately unless there's still smoke and debris. It will reset in eight minutes, given that the smoke and debris have dissipated.
Yes, your alarm will still go off on silent. Modern smartphones (both iOS and Android) are designed to sound alarms at full volume, overriding your silent mode, Do Not Disturb, or Sleep Focus.
The hush (or silence) feature on a smoke detector typically lasts for 7 to 10 minutes. After this time, the detector will automatically reset its sensitivity. If smoke or particles are still detected, the alarm will sound again.
How to deactivate your First Alert smoke alarm depends on why you are turning it off. Choose the appropriate method below based on your situation.
To stop a hardwired smoke detector from beeping, first press the Test/Silence button. If it continues chirping, twist the unit counter-clockwise to remove it from the ceiling, open the battery door, replace the low backup battery, and hold the test button for 15 seconds to clear residual energy.
To address a 10-year sealed battery smoke alarm that is sounding or chirping, determine if the goal is to silence a false alarm or to decommission a unit that has reached the end of its life.
To temporarily silence a First Alert smoke alarm, press the Test/Silence button located on the center or side of the unit. This mutes the alarm for about 10 minutes while the smoke clears. For interconnected systems, push the button on the triggering alarm (the one with the flashing red light).
Use the Test/Silence button to hush the warning. After about 2 days, the warning will resume. After ~2-3 weeks, the warning cannot be silenced. If your alarm is over 7 years old replace with a new alarm as soon as possible.
Yes, you can cover the light on your smoke detector, but you must do it carefully.
A smoke detector blinking red every 15 seconds typically indicates one of two things: Alarm Memory (it previously detected smoke) or a Sensor/Low-Battery Fault.
The color of the light on your smoke detector indicates its status. While behaviors vary by brand, most standard detectors use a Red or Green flashing light to show normal operation, and a Yellow/Amber light to indicate a fault or low battery.