Smoke Detector Chirping: What it Means and How To Troubleshoot it

chirping smoke detector

There are many kinds of smoke alarms available in the market. Some smoke alarms are hardwired, some are powered by batteries. Batteries usually contain a backup in case of a power outage. This backup battery keeps the smoke alarm powered even in the absence of electricity. This blog will give you some tips on how to stop the chirping noise in your smoke alarm.

smoke detector with smoke and turned on the red light

 

  1. Why do smoke alarms keep chirping even when the battery is changed?

Smoke alarms should make a loud chirping noise or shrill beep to warn you that the batteries need changing. If an alarm is beeping or chirping, the first step should be to change the batteries. However, sometimes the smoke alarm will continue to chirp after you change the batteries. This can be frustrating because you think you have changed the batteries correctly and the batteries are working. The smoke alarm might stop chirping after a few minutes, but then it will start chirping again after a few hours.

 

  1. What causes a smoke alarm to chirp?

Chirping noises are usually signs that your smoke alarm needs to be replaced, but there are some instances when the chirping occurs for other reasons. One instance is when the battery is low. If this happens, the smoke alarm will make a chirping noise to let you know you need to change the battery. Some smoke alarms will continue to make the chirping noise even after you replace the battery. This is because the smoke alarm has detected that there is something wrong with the battery, and it is trying to fix the error. The error is typically cleared once you change the battery, but there are times when the error may not be cleared. The smoke detector will continue to make the chirping noise until the error is manually cleared.

 

  1. How to stop the smoke alarm from chirping.

A smoke alarm may chirp because of several reasons. It may be due to the battery being low, the unit is disconnected or the power to the unit is shut off. If this is happening, then immediately investigate the reason why the alarm might be chirping. This blog discusses other possible reasons why a smoke alarm may be chirping other than a low battery.

  • Remove the battery from the smoke alarm. 
  • Push the test button on the smoke alarm to manually reset the processor. 
  • Re-install the battery into the smoke alarm. 
  • Test the smoke alarm by pressing the test button. If the smoke alarm beeps, the problem has been solved. If the smoke alarm continues to chirp, replace the smoke alarm.

 

  1. When to reset a smoke alarm.

 

If you have a battery-powered smoke alarm with a battery backup, the chirping noise after changing batteries might not stop. The smoke alarm needs to reset, so here is how to fix it: 1. Unplug the smoke alarm from the wall to reset it. 2. Wait at least 30 seconds. 3. Plug the smoke alarm back into the wall and place it back on the mounting bracket. 4. Wait an additional 30 seconds and then test your smoke alarm.

 

Conclusion:

Regularly check your smoke alarms once a month and change the batteries after a year. Make sure you reset the smoke alarm after changing its battery.

 

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