Smoke Detector Keeps Beeping? It Could Need Replacing
So your smoke detector (one or two of them, maybe all of them) keeps making that annoying beeping noise. After a simple replacement of a battery, you go along your business and make some breakfast. Not even two minutes later, the chirping sound makes you twitch, and the egg goes flying onto the floor. Not again…
So you ask yourself, “Why does my smoke detector keep beeping after I change the battery?”
No matter if you have hardwired smoke detectors or not, a smoke detector should be replaced after 10 years of use.
This isn’t KB Electric LLC telling you this, this is actually the National Fire Protection Association. So think about how long you’ve had your smoke detectors if the battery change doesn’t seem to be the answer of the persistent beeping. Smoke detectors typically last between 8 and 10 years. To ensure the safety of you and your family, replacing them after this time frame is a definite must.
The replacement of your smoke detector is what we see the majority of the time when a smoke detector is on the fritz (keeps beeping until you want to smash it with a hammer). KB Electric LLC recommends replacing ALL of the smoke detectors throughout your home when one goes bad due to age. When one is old, the rest are assumed old as well, and will eventually stop working. Not only that, but when interconnected (hardwired), all of the models of the smoke detectors must be the same in order for them to communicate to each other properly. This allows one to communicate to all of them when there is smoke or carbon monoxide present.
If you aren’t the handy type with electrical wiring and troubleshooting experience, a licensed electrician can help you determine if your smoke detectors need replacement. Especially if hardwired, a licensed electrician should be the only one to make necessary fixes and/or replacements of smoke alarms. One of the reasons your hardwired smoke detector may be beeping could also be an electrical wiring issue. Because of this, call an electrician for smoke detector troubleshooting of your hardwired alarms.
If you don’t think your smoke detector is at the end of its life (8-10 years or older), here are some other reasons why they may be beeping after a battery replacement:
- Loose or improper batteries installed – (check them)
- Smoke detector sensing chamber is dirty – (clean it)
- Environmental factors – (check the location of the detector to ensure factors aren’t present that would hinder its functionality such as humidity, steam, temperature of area (check the model’s operational temperature range)).
- Electrical issue – (if the above aren’t the problem, call an electrician for troubleshooting)
Always test your smoke detector!
Test your smoke detectors once a month to make certain they are working properly. To do this, simply press the TEST button.
Ending with a word of wisdom from an electrician
KB Electric LLC wants to close with the importance of hardwired smoke and co detectors. When your smoke alarms or combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are hardwired into your electrical panel, all of them throughout the house will go off, signaling that there is smoke somewhere in the home. This alerts everyone in the house of a potential fire hazard, whether a person is in a basement or a bedroom. A licensed electrician should be the only one to hardwire your smoke detectors because it involves wiring in your main service panel. Visit our blog about hardwired smoke and co detectors to learn more: http://kbelectricpa.com/hardwired-smoke-and-co-detectors/