1. 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.
Notify the Fire Department: If the false alarms are frequent and pose a safety risk, you can contact your local fire department to report the issue. They can provide guidance and may investigate if necessary.
Call the fire department, tell them the alarm is going off and you smell smoke. They'll kick the door in.
If your alarm is going off as though there's a fire, then regardless of whether you know what has caused it, you should dial 999 and ask for the fire service.
Open the windows to air out the place. Replace the defective alarm with one from an area where there was no alarm. A typical house would have 2 or 3 alarms in most cases. If that one also sounds, then you need to call the fire department. Your sense of smell may also be compromised.
Accumulation of Debris
A smoke alarm is a sensitive device that helps to detect smoke particles from different sources of fire. Debris such as dust or soot often produced by burning matter can accumulate on the gadget thereby triggering the alarm even when there is no actual fire.
Several common causes can explain why your hard-wired smoke detector is beeping: Low battery: Even hard-wired smoke alarms have backup batteries that need replacing periodically. A low battery can cause that annoying beeping sound. Dust buildup: Dust and debris inside the smoke detector can trigger false alarms.
Some fire departments offer reduced-price, or even free, smoke alarms. Contact your local fire department's nonemergency phone number for more information. Your city, county or state may require a specific type of alarm. Please check with your local fire marshal for information on what type of alarm you need.
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.
Call 911 and report what you know.
If, after knocking on the door, the owner is home and answers the door, they can silence the alarm, and if necessary, contact their alarm company. If the occupant is not home, and you are able to contact them, the next step would be to try to reach out to inform them that their alarm is going off by telephone.
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.)
Press and hold the hush button on the front panel of the alarm for at least 10 seconds. It's usually the only visible button on the alarm, typically labeled 'test', 'hush', or 'silence'. Holding the hush button for different lengths of time has different functions, so try holding for 30 seconds if 10 doesn't stop it.
The belief that a smoke detector or fire alarm will automatically activate the fire department or send a signal to local first responders is a common misunderstanding. While some systems may be integrated with monitoring services, that's not always the case.
The Police will also respond to domestic alarms, when there is some evidence of criminal activity. Should there be an activation and there is evidence of criminal activity or you see something suspicious, please dial 999. It is not advisable to put yourself in danger by making checks yourself.
Just give the fire department a call on their non-emergency line or call the fire prevention department.
Our firefighters will replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for those unable to safely access their units.
Testing and Changing Your Fire Alarm Battery
If your smoke alarms are powered by a nine-volt battery, the battery should be replaced every 6 months, while the alarm itself should be replaced once every 10 years. For 10-year lithium-powered fire detectors, you won't need to replace the battery.
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.
High humidity could be causing the smoke alarm to false alarm. Water vapours can develop inside the smoke sensor causing smoke alarms to react the same way as it does smoke. Once humidity reaches 85%, false alarms could frequently occur. Insects and dust are a common cause of false alarms.
If the fire alarms continue to go off randomly then the wire connections will need to be checked for proper connections. There might be a loose connection in one of the smoke detectors or a defective one that is causing all of them to go off.
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.
Dust, Dirt and Environmental Smoke
Dust and dirt that comes from activities like remodeling may set off your smoke alarms. To clean your smoke alarm, open it up carefully, and look inside for dust or dirt. Use a vacuum attachment or electronic aerosol cleaner to remove dust particles.