Quantcast
Home Clipsal Support Clipsal Media Centre Blog Smoke Alarm Troubleshooting

Smoke Alarm

Troubleshooting Blog

It’s not a bird, or a plane,
it’s probably your smoke alarm

If you’re hearing a strange chirping near your ceiling, it’s probably not a family of birds come to nest – it’s more likely to be your smoke alarm letting you know that the battery needs replacing. Likewise, if your alarm seems to be going off for no apparent reason, it may be that some simple maintenance needs to be done.

Rather than ignoring or putting up with the noise, there are some things you should do to get to the bottom of it. Afterall, you need to be able to rely on your smoke alarm, and for peace of mind you need it to be operating correctly.

Testing smoke alarm
Smoke alarm in house
Testing smoke alarm
Smoke alarm in house

Why is my smoke alarm chirping?

There are two main reasons for a chirping or beeping smoke alarm.

1. Low battery. If the alarm starts beeping once every 40 seconds, the backup battery needs replacing. If you wish to replace the battery later, press the test/hush button to snooze the chirping for 10 hours. Click here to learn how to change the battery.

2. False alarm. If your smoke alarms are going off when there is no smoke present, firstly identify the unit which has been triggered. You can do this by looking for the smoke alarm with the flashing Red LED, while the alarms are still sounding. If your alarms have stopped making noise before you could identify the alarm that triggered, look for the alarm which has the Red LED flashing once every 2 seconds (it will do this for up to 72 hours).

Why is my smoke alarm chirping?

Once identified, vacuum this unit to clean dust or cobwebs from it. Also, check the unit for a build-up of oils from cooking, or from insects and their by-products, as these may be blocking the sensor and causing a false alarm.

Other factors

If these suggestions don’t help, then it’s time to consider other factors. For example:

Photoelectric detectors are sensitive to steam and dust so place them away from locations where this might occur, such as near bathrooms.

Any moisture absorbed by the alarm may be interpreted by the circuitry as a fault, resulting in a ‘chirp’ or sounding of the alarm.

Mis-interpreted faults can also occur in areas of strong airflow such as from the roof space. Rapid temperature changes can also build up moisture, again affecting alarm circuitry. If this occurs, the smoke alarm may need to be relocated.

If you have considered the above and are still have no luck, then it’s best to call your electrician. Your alarm may have been wired incorrectly, or it may be experiencing electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Smoke alarms are filtered internally to avoid EMI problems, but they cannot cover all forms, and this may be the cause of irregular faults.

Smoke alarms require maintenance to ensure efficient and effective operation, and to reduce the likelihood of any false alarms.

Read more about smoke alarm maintenance, including videos, on our Smoke Alarms FAQs page.

Happy couple in their Clipsal product laden kitchen.

We'll give you ideas

Sign up if you'd like to receive news and commercial info from Schneider Electric and its affiliates via electronic communication means such as email. For more details, please read our Privacy Policy.

Clipsal Iconic 2 gang power point in kitchen.
Clipsal Iconic Essence Anthracite in stylish kitchen.

View our Smoke Alarm products

View products