Why Does My Smoke Detector Chirp? Detectors are a crucial element of our home safety. They save the lives of the members of the household since they automatically detect and alert you of the presence of smoke. However, smoke alarms can only save lives if they are well-maintained and stay functional. We know it’s easy to forget to maintain and check smoke alarms, but it is extremely important. It’s not only maintenance, but their proper installment is also very important.
Types of Smoke Detectors
There are types of smoke detectors. Photoelectric and ionization smoke detectors are the two most common types available. Photoelectric sensors use light to detect any smoke in the air. Since the light beams will be scattered when the air isn’t clear, the alarm will work. Ionization detectors detect the level of ions in the air and since the levels of ions will change when there’s smoke, it will work. It is critical to test and clean your smoke alarms on a regular basis in order to make sure that they are functioning properly. On regular basis, you should test your smoke alarm, vacuum it, make sure there aren’t any insects living inside the alarm, and replace the batteries. Replacing the batteries regularly is especially important because your smoke detector may start to chirp if you don’t change your batteries regularly.
Causes Behind the Chirping
The chirping of the detector can be very irritating, and many homeowners don’t know the cause and what to do with it. As mentioned before, chirping is most likely because of the batteries but there can be other reasons for it. The first one is improper installment battery. If your battery isn’t connected fully, it will cause the chirping. The second reason is the un-removed battery pull tab. No matter what your alarm system is, you should remove the battery pull tab. The third reason is the open battery drawer. If the battery drawer isn’t completely closed, your alarm will chirp. Finally, as mentioned before, low battery is the most common cause. It simply indicates you need to replace your batteries.
What Can You Do About It?
Do you want to stop the chirping? There are a couple of steps you can take but they are different for the alarms working with batteries and ones working without batteries. If you work with a battery, the first step is to locate the chirping alarm because there are more than one in many houses so make sure you are dealing with the problematic alarm. The next thing to do is to access the battery drawer and remove the battery to see that your battery pull tab is removed. Then, you should carefully reinstall the battery you removed a while ago carefully and see if the chirping continues after you do that. If the chirping didn’t stop, then you should try to replace the battery. If your alarm doesn’t have a battery backup, you should first take down the alarm and reset it. After this, you should try to clean the unit with a utensil like a brush. If there’s still chirping after these steps, it might be time to replace your alarm.
Keep Your Family Safe
Since smoke alarms are very important to be maintained to keep you and your loved ones safe in case of an emergency, you might be looking for reliable smoke alarm maintenance and installation. Good news for you because Super Electric's Electricians are here to assist. We can help will all types of maintenance services and smoke alarm installation. Safety is the priority for all of us, so there’s no point in waiting. Call us today! 775-230-7006