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Smoke Detector Chirping

Sheetal Mandora
Most of the time, the electric smoke detectors will chirp without the presence of smoke. Read ahead to find out the root cause of smoke detector chirping, and resolve the issue once and for all.
A smoke detector, as the name suggests, is a smart device that detects smoke. Powered by a central fire alarm system, you will find it for large commercial uses, industrial uses, and big residential buildings.
However, a single household utilizes single disposable battery detectors that is low in maintenance. The only time you need to pay attention to it is while changing the battery.
So, if it doesn't require special attention, how is it that the detector would start chirping for no reason? There can be a few reasons why this can be happening. And keeping this information in mind, we will go over a few steps on how to spot the detector from making the frustrating sound.

Steps for Possible Solution
The first thing you need to do, or well not do is yank the batteries out just to make it stop. This is very dangerous as you don't want to forget putting the batteries back in, and not have the detector warn you when there are any possible threats. So, before you jump to the decision of taking the batteries out, why not try some of the given solutions.

1. Check the Batteries

The first issue arises due to the batteries. Now, it may seem highly unlikely that the chirping isn't stopping even after the batteries have been replace. So the first step will be to see if the batteries are of good quality and see if they are not leaking.
As the leaking batteries may not be strong enough to work properly. In that case, you need to change the batteries as soon as possible. Also, another genuine and silly error can occur if you've placed the batteries backwards.

2. Reset the Test Button

Now hold the test button which is on the detector. This will reset the alarm and clear out any issues with the non-functional battery from its internal memory. See if it "passes" the test; if not, try the next step(s).

3. Use the Vacuum

Take the vacuum attachment that you use for cleaning computer keyboards and other small corners around the house. Vacuum away any dust, insects, or spiderwebs from the sensor. Spiderwebs and dust are very common issues for making the detector chirp a lot.

4. Check its Temperature

For persistent beeping, try changing the temperature in your house. If it keeps beeping every 30 seconds or so, then it might be thinking that your house is too hot or too cold. Change the temperature and wait for few hours to see if the beeping has stopped or not.

5. Number of Smoke Detectors

If you have more than one detector installed in your house, one smoke alarm can offset the other. So, insure that you are working on the correct detector. You can ask your friends to stand under every detector, and find out which one is the culprit. Once you find the source, you can start troubleshooting the right alarm.
As a final option, call an authorized electrician to take a look at it. He/she might detect a malfunction (due to electrical short or wrong wiring) in your current smoke detector, and perhaps will ask you to get a replacement.